Department for Transport

Sustained public information campaigns on road safety can play a crucial role in reducing road fatalities on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) roads, according to a UK government marketing professional, whose public communication campaigns have helped reduce deaths on British roads by 45 per cent in the last decade.

The UK's National Audit Office (NAO) has criticised the Department for Transport's (DfT) budget cuts on the grounds that they will increase costs for users. A new report from the NAO suggests that the DfT has no long term strategy and that the cuts lack strategic understanding.

Four consortia have been appointed by the DfT to consultancy frameworks for rail and road schemes. A TRL-Halcrow joint venture; Ove Arup & Partners with URS; Aecom and Atkins; and Parsons Brinckerhoff with WSP; may be used by the DfT, Highways Agency or any other Government bodies, over a period of three years with the potential for a one-year extension. Similar plans for general transport and social research are underway, although the tender was suspended in 2011 as it was thought to disadvantage smalle

The official reopening of a bridge badly damaged in the Cumbria floods has taken place. Bouthrey bridge, just off the A5084 between Water Yeat and Nibthwaite in South Lakeland, was severely damaged by the some of the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in England in November 2009. A temporary bridge was constructed as an interim measure and work began on repairing the main bridge.

New laws being established in the UK will crack down on those driving under the influence of illegal drugs. A panel of experts has been appointed by the UK Government to investigate the various issues involved. Existing laws in the UK have been described as inadequate to address the issue, prompting this move. There is a large body of research showing that illegal drug use presents a serious problem to road safety in the UK and other nations. Studies show links between drug use, criminal activity, varying v

The competitive dialogue phase of the Mersey Gateway Project has begun. The project team are said to have held initial meetings with the three shortlisted bidding consortia, and will be working closely with each of them over the coming months. The aim is for each of the three bidders to submit their detailed proposals by the end of 2012, with an announcement about a preferred bidder likely to come in spring 2013. The value of the construction phase of the project, including land, is estimated at US$961milli

Engineering specialist AECOM will carry out a study into the proposed Lower Thames Crossing project in the UK.

Capita Symonds’ Innovations has a new contract that forms part of the Highways Agency Traffic Information System (HATRIS) programme. The contract is an extension to the company’s current HATRIS work and will run until 12th December 2014. The HATRIS system has been developed and improved by Capita Symonds since 2005 and is used to monitor and report on vehicle journey times across set routes on the motorway and trunk road network. This enables the Highways Agency and Department for Transport to identify tren

Engineering specialist AECOM will carry out a study into the proposed Lower Thames Crossing project in the UK.

The UK Government is now working on a plan to address the road safety issues caused by driving under the influence of drugs. A panel of experts has been set up to evaluate the levels of various illegal drugs in the bloodstream that would affect driving ability.