Latest news with #RoadHaulageAssociation
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
A14 Orwell Bridge safety works causing 'chaos', say businesses
Businesses have said essential safety work on a bridge has caused "chaos" as the start of the lane closures has led to two days of "major delays" on the A14 at Highways is currently undertaking work to replace the Orwell Bridge's expansion joints, with work expected to finish mid-late Monday and earlier, there was severe delays on the A14, A12 and roads around Ipswich due to one lane being closed on the bridge, which carries container traffic using the Port of Wray, managing director of haulage firm Multi Modal Logistics, said he was dreading the next few weeks. "It's causing chaos for us," said Mr Wray, whose firm is based in Felixstowe."You've got 5,000 trucks a day coming out of the Port of Felixstowe, let alone all the industrial parks around the area."You have schedules to meet, the collection of containers at delivery points, and they're just being left down to random intervals now."I'm seeing trucks [take] over two hours to get across the bridge into Felixstowe and we've got worse to come yet because they're going to close the other lane on Wednesday night, so you'll have it both ways."My customers don't really appreciate what we have to go through at times and the frustration is building."Mr Wray, who is also vice chairman of the Road Haulage Association, said he understood the works were necessary, but feared the bridge scheme would continue to negatively affect businesses. Helen Bott, owner of Treasure Chest Books in Felixstowe, said she had seen a noticeable difference in business already."For takings we took a third of what we'd taken the previous Monday," she said."I've spoken to other shops that said exactly the same."I know of one that shut an hour early because there was no point staying open any longer."She added she "appreciated" the work needed to be done, but she questioned why National Highways had chosen the "very busy period for Felixstowe" when her shop usually saw a majority of its Highways did previously explain it had chosen the summer period due to more daylight hours and safer weather conditions for staff working on the concrete bridge. Martin Fellows, regional director of National Highways in the East of England, said the works had been planned "carefully" and in a manner that would cause "minimal disruption".He said he did recognise the "significant congestion" it had already caused, but he stressed the work was "essential"."It's never easy, but we do carefully monitor exactly how much traffic is going to result," he said."We do recognise the impact yesterday and it will continue over the weeks while the scheme takes place."What we would ask people is to be patient."We'd also ask that they stay on the A14."The reason we've installed contraflow - which means we can work on one side of the carriageway, but allow the traffic to travel on the other side of the carriageway, albeit only one lane in each direction - is to ensure that the traffic does stay on the A14 as best as possible."Mr Fellows said he expected disruption to continue this week before it potentially eases as people planned ahead and got used to the works. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major toll route used by 150,000 drivers a day could TRIPLE in cost for motorists to help fund £9bn mega project
MOTORISTS who use the Dartford tunnel toll route could face triple the costs - if the upcoming Lower Thames Crossing mega project is built using private finance. Transport analysts suggest that funding for the new crossing, a 14.3-mile route connecting Essex and Kent with an estimated price tag of £9.2 billion, could result in daily fees at the Dartford Crossing soaring to £8.10. 4 4 4 Currently, cars pay £2.50 to use the crossing, but the Transport Action Network (TAN) suggests fees could rise to £8.10 for cars and £14 for lorries to cover the Lower Thames Crossing's construction and financing costs. However, National Highways has dismissed these claims as speculative - claiming that tolls would remain in line with current rates but adjusted for inflation. The Lower Thames Crossing project, approved in March, would massively ease congestion by providing an alternative route for vehicles between Essex and Kent. Specifically, the huge, motorway-style tunnel would link the town of Tilbury in Essex to Medway in Kent, would also be connected to the A2 and M2 in Kent, as well as the A13 and M25 in Essex. It would also provide transport links between London and crossings to Dover - which, of course, account for half of the goods traded between Britain and mainland Europe. While business groups like the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK welcome the infrastructure as critical for reducing congestion and improving freight reliability - they stress the importance of keeping tolls reasonable. Environmental campaigners have argued that the crossing could further add to pollution and congestion. Despite the controversy, the Lower Thames Crossing is viewed as a critical addition to Britain's transport network, with some comparing its potential toll structure to that of the recently tolled Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels in east London. According to figures, the Dartford Crossing generated £221.5m in tolls and penalty charges in 2023 to 2024, with £134.9m in operating costs. As reported by The Guardian, Chris Todd, the director of TAN, said: 'Politicians have given the impression that building the Lower Thames Crossing will be pain-free. First new road bridge crossing River Clyde in 20 years opens to drivers TODAY 'In addition to the construction chaos, the huge drain on the public finances, the cost of private finance is likely to be high. 'On even the cheapest PFI deal, the tolls at Dartford and on the new crossing will have to treble. 'That's a huge hit for the travelling public. Most people will still have to use the Dartford Crossing yet will be paying three times what they are now, for very little noticeable benefit.' In response, the National Highways said: 'These numbers are untrue. 'As the planning application for the project is made clear, charges will be applied at the same rate as the Dartford Crossing.' The Dartford Crossing, one of the busiest bridges in Europe, links the counties of Essex and Kent via the cable-stayed Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which stands 137 metres high and carries southbound traffic and two 0.8-mile-long tunnels for northbound journeys. According to statistics, up to 180,000 vehicles use the bridge during its busiest times, although it was originally designed for 135,000 vehicles a day. Its daily average works out at approximately 150,000 vehicles. Almost 40% of those vehicles are HGVs carrying freight - a much higher proportion than on other major roads.
Daily Record
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Visit to training centre in Bathgate provides insight into skills required by HGV drivers
Kirsteen Sullivan MP stepped into a heavy goods vehicle simulator Kirsteen Sullivan MP stepped into a heavy goods vehicle simulator during a visit to the Road Haulage Association's (RHA) training centre in Bathgate. The Labour MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow was keen to learn more about the work being done to support the industry in Scotland and heard directly from those working to future-proof the sector. As part of the visit, she entered the RHA's state-of-the-art HGV simulator, giving her first-hand insight into the high standards drivers are trained to meet. The simulator experience highlighted the skills and focus required to operate safely and efficiently on Scotland's roads. Kirsteen also joined RHA Training Director Brian Kenny and Martin Reid for a wide-ranging and productive discussion on the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector, including: Tackling the Skills Shortage – Exploring ways to address the growing demand for qualified drivers through enhanced training and recruitment efforts. Attracting New Talent into Logistics – Discussing how to promote the industry to younger people and career changers, with a focus on the long-term sustainability of the workforce. Removing Barriers to Entry – Emphasising the importance of improved rest and washing facilities, particularly to support and encourage more women into the profession. The Urgent Need for Safe and Secure Parking – Highlighting the critical need for investment in safe, well-maintained parking infrastructure to protect driver welfare and safety. RHA Training Director Brian Kenny said: 'Our hub here in Bathgate plays an important part in Scotland's haulage industry. 'It is a real success story and has grown positively over the past 10 years, equipping drivers with the skills they need to help keep the wheels of the economy turning, locally and nationally. 'It was great to meet Kirsteen, to show her the valuable work that takes place in the region, as well as talk through with her some of the issues faced by Scotland's haulage industry.' Kirsteen Sullivan MP added: 'It was a pleasure to visit the RHA training centre in Bathgate and see first-hand the excellent work being done to support Scotland's haulage sector. "The discussions I had with the team highlighted both the progress made and the challenges that remain. I am committed to advocating for the necessary investments and policy changes to ensure the industry continues to thrive.'
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
DAF truck maker accused of ‘stringing out' hauliers' legal case for compensation
The UK's largest truck maker has been accused of 'stringing out' legal proceedings to 'deny justice' to about 11,000 truck hauliers seeking compensation for the manufacturers' historical price fixing. The comments from the head of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) came almost nine years after the world's largest truck companies, including UK leader DAF, Volvo, MAN and Iveco, were fined about €3bn by the European Union for colluding for 14 years on pricing and passing on the costs of compliance with stricter emission rules. They also came seven years after the RHA launched its initial £1bn compensation claim against the guilty manufacturers on behalf of hauliers, many of which are small family-run businesses with only a handful of vehicles in their fleets. Richard Smith, the managing director of the RHA, said: 'The manufacturers have been driving up costs with the purpose being to deny claimants money in their pockets that they deserve.' The years of delays, some caused by the Covid pandemic, have reduced the number of hauliers seeking compensation by more than a third. 'When we started the claim we had 17,500 companies that registered an interest,' Smith said. 'We now have 11,400 signed up. Over the seven years we have lost 6,000 [claimants] … The manufacturers hope that we will go away. We are not going to do that.' He added that he and his team had received 'letters about people who have died' and had been 'asked to remove them from the claim'. The RHA's legal claim is understood to revolve around about 200,000 trucks of which 30% are thought by the trade body to have been supplied by the UK's leading supplier, DAF. The RHA says it is seeking compensation of more than £6,000 per truck. Smith alleged that manufacturers had used legal tactics to frustrate the trade body's claim – including DAF stating in court that it would settle the case, only to then back away from the pledge. Meanwhile, the hauliers' claim was further delayed in 2023 when DAF won a two-year case examining if the RHA's legal action could be financed by litigation funders – who pay for legal costs in return for taking a share of any eventual award. The supreme court ended up ruling that the RHA's funding arrangement was unenforceable because of the technical details of how the finance deal had been structured. This led to Therium, the litigation funders that also backed the subpostmasters' claims against the Post Office, having to rework its agreement with the RHA so that it would be paid a multiple of its initial investment, rather than a percentage of any compensation. 'Claimants would not have been able to afford this type of justice on their own,' Smith added. 'They wouldn't have been at the table [without litigation funders].' The delays to the RHA claim comes after Royal Mail and BT were awarded approximately £17.5m in damages against DAF last year, after a decision by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal relating to the same European cartel ruling. DAF Trucks was approached for comment.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
FlixBus adds three new coach routes in Cornwall
A German travel company has added three connections in Cornwall as part of National Coach Week. FlixBus said from May 15 passengers would be able to use its service to commute to and from Newquay, Truro and company, which was founded in 2011, also has depots in Penryn, Plymouth and Exeter. It said the new additions were part of plans to "expand its affordable coach network". 'Supports tourism' The travel company said more than 200 of its buses were on the roads across England, Scotland and Wales, linking more than 80 Coach Week, which runs from 12-18 May, is organised by the Road Haulage director Richard Smit said the week was "a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on the vital role the coach industry plays in our society"."Coaches provide essential transport links, connect communities, and support our tourism sector," he said.
