Last week, Campaign for Better Transport sent a clear message to the Chancellor George Osborne that serious action needs to be taken to halt the decline of our bus services across the country. In a letter signed by a broad coalition of 29 different charities, trade unions and groups including the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, the NUS and Age UK, we called on the Chancellor to step in to avert what is proving to be a crisis. 2014 is set to be the worst year yet for cuts to bus services, with local authorities being forced into making agonising decisions about their...

Atkins, the UK’s largest design, engineering and project management consultancy, is seeking 15 apprentices to work on a range of exciting projects in its Highways & Transportation business ranging from nationally significant infrastructure projects such as HS2 and Smart Motorways, through to locally important schemes including the West Midlands Highways Alliance Framework. The new apprenticeship placements will be based at the company’s offices across the UK, including Birmingham, Epsom, Swansea and Warrington. Successful applicants will be working towards a professional qualification...

Streets in urban areas serve many different functions, and implementing the most appropriate solutions in allocating and managing road-side space is often a complex balancing act. Parking provision, management and enforcement is a key concern to industry professionals and the general public alike and is often a controversial and highly newsworthy subject. Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, has recently stated that he want wants parking enforcement regimes focused on ‘supporting high streets and motorists, not raising money.’ National press coverage often aligns with this view and...

Local authorities offered free sustainable mobility training Local authorities in Wales and England are being invited to sign up to a series of free training sessions on sustainable urban mobility. Starting in April, these training sessions are aimed at transport planning officers and any local authority staff and Councillors whose work involves or affects travel modes in their locality. The training sessions are being delivered by Sustrans Cymru, PTRC which is part of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and the University of the West of England. The most...

Five years ago, I stumbled across PTRC in the run up to the Seventh Annual Transport Practitioners Meeting at Reading. One of my colleagues, a Smarter Travel practitioner, was involved with the TPM Committee, assisting with the shortlisting of papers and chairing a number of sessions at the conference. In order to take full advantage of the “2-4-1” Local Authority rates offered, and get the most out of the numerous relevant topics, our team attended the conference en-mass. The planning of session logistics, to cover as wide aspread of topics as possible and avoid doubled-up attendance at...

Robert Goodwill, wants Britain’s streets to be filled with 'basket-on-the-handlebars' cyclists. Our video shows why those less gung-ho riders remain a minority  It is a creditable ambition: the (relatively) new minister for cycling, Robert Goodwill, wants Britain’s streets to be filled with “basket-on-the-handlebars” cyclists, people in everyday clothes pedaling at moderate speeds, in contrast to the knee-pumping, dayglo-clad types more common in some cities. Goodwill, who can himself sometimes be seen riding round Westminster on his Brompton folding bike, wearing a suit and...

The government has unveiled its infrastructure spending plan for the next two decades, describing it as "a blueprint for Britain". The National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) includes the government selling off its 40% stake in the Eurostar rail service. About £375bn of investment in energy, transport, communications, and water projects is planned, although no new money will be forthcoming. The insurance industry also plans to spend £25bn over the next five years. Speaking at the Institute of Civil Engineers in Westminster, Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said...

Minister accuses project of causing panic as 15,000 wrongly told construction would mean compulsory purchase of homes  David Lidington (left) with French junior minister for European affairs Thierry Repentin last month. Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images    Transport chiefs are under fire after more than 15,000 households were sent a "misleading" letter suggesting their properties were at risk of being bulldozed to make way for the HS2 high-speed rail line. David Lidington, a Conservative Foreign Office minister, accused his own government's project of spreading...

Due to a successful first run PTRC is repeating the Cycling for Transport: A technical, society-focussed and policy based overview evening lecture series. The twelve week series will commence on the 4th February and will include interactive debates and case studies with each lecture covering a specific topic taught by experts in their field. For more information take a look at the programme.    PTRC successfully introduces new Cycling Infrastructure Design Course! Thursday 16th January saw the start of the new cycling course at PTRC. Kick-started by Prof John Parkin from the...

Many transport professionals have made contributions to the Transport Select Committee's Follow-On Inquiry into Cycling Safety (visit: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/transport-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/cycling-safety ). As its call for written submissions closes today, it is timely to consider how we can contribute to improving cycling safety. One answer is to redouble our efforts to design and build a safer environment for all road users, but especially to reduce the danger being experienced by vulnerable road users - pedestrians and...