Tag: transport

A Geen Recovery?

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods: have your say!

Community engagement to help develop proposals for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in three parts of the city has begun. The city council is proposing measures to make it safer and more comfortable to walk, cycle, wheel and spend time in Leith, Corstorphine and East Craigs.

Following public engagement and subject to committee approval the schemes would be introduced under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order. The council says this provides further opportunities for public involvement in refining measures, even once they’re in place:

‘We’re now seeking residents’ views on travel choices and spaces for movement and relaxation in the relevant areas. Feedback will be used to inform design proposals for each of the schemes, which are the first in a potential programme of low traffic neighbourhoods being considered across the city.

‘In Leith, we’re also developing a protected cycle lane between the Foot of the Walk and Ocean Terminal, which will complement the adjacent Trams to Newhaven project, as well as pedestrianizing Sandport Place Bridge and creating a bus-only section at the Shore. We’re seeking people’s views on concept designs as part of the engagement.’

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “As we look to make a green recovery from the pandemic, it’s important that we get back to work on our long-term plans to support sustainable, active travel and healthy communities, where children can play safely and air pollution is reduced.

“There’s a range of research to show the positive impact LTNs can have on reducing ‘through’ traffic and encouraging people to walk, cycle, wheel and spend time in local areas. We want to bring these benefits to neighbourhoods across Edinburgh and to make sure the changes work for everyone, which is why we want to hear from as many people as possible.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “We envision a much safer, more relaxing and ‘people-friendly’ Capital, which is why we’re developing LTNs for different communities.

“By introducing them on an experimental basis we want to involve the people that live here in their evolution, and their participation begins now, as we start to develop designs.”

LTNs are initiatives where motor vehicle traffic is significantly reduced in residential streets, limiting the volume of ‘through traffic’ while maintaining vehicle access for people who live there. This creates a safer, more pleasant and inclusive environment for walking, cycling, wheeling and playing, reducing air pollution, encouraging healthy, active travel and opening up space for improvements like pocket parks, seating areas and planting.

Various studies have demonstrated the positive impacts similar schemes introduced elsewhere in the UK have had on communities. In London, research has shown the ‘mini-Holland programme’, introduced in boroughs across the city, saw a trend toward reduced car use and an increase in active travel. 

Data collected on the Walthamstow Village LTN found a drop of approximately 50% in traffic while a scheme in Dulwich Village reported a 96% increase in cycling, including a rise in the number of children on bikes.

Each of the schemes being put forward for Edinburgh responds to needs and issues specific to the neighbourhoods, including –

Corstorphine: Creating safer routes to school, addressing issues with speed and volume of traffic in residential streets, creating new public spaces and improving cycle routes, including links to the future West Edinburgh Link

East Craigs: Protecting streets from the impact of new developments in the west of Edinburgh, creating safer routes to school, addressing issues with speed and volume of traffic in residential streets and improving cycle routes, including links to the future West Edinburgh Link

Leith: Enhancing and promoting access to public transport, improving cycling provision in the area, addressing issues with traffic volume and speed in residential streets.

The city council says proposals being developed are ‘entirely separate and distinct from any temporary measures being implemented as part of the Spaces for People programme‘.

As part of the engagement process ‘community reference groups’ are being formed of representatives from community and interest groups in each of the areas, offering additional opportunities for residents to feed back. However, this will not supersede the responses gathered as part of the consultation process.

Following community engagement, design proposals will be developed for the three LTNs, which will then be shared for further public engagement.

Designs will then be refined and brought to Transport and Environment Committee in June for approval and permission to start the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).

Subject to committee approval, following ETRO consultation, changes would be implemented on a trial basis in October.

For the Foot of the Walk to Ocean Terminal active travel improvements, further development of existing designs will follow feedback, with the aim of publishing Traffic Regulation Orders later this year and beginning construction in 2022.

Find out more and take part in the Leith Connections, East Craigs Connections and Corstorphine Connections consultations online.

City tranport transport projects to benefit from national investment

Edinburgh’s ‘pioneering approach’ to delivering sustainable, accessible transport connections has been recognised under national plans for investment.

Accelerating economic recovery and laying the groundwork for an inclusive, greener transport network will be at the heart of future transport investment in Scotland.

The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) will help to deliver the vision, priorities and outcomes for transport set out in the National Transport Strategy (NTS2).  Phase One has been published which, together with conclusion of Phase Two in autumn this year, will set out Scottish Government’s investment priorities for the next 20 years. 

Phase One recommendations for national investment priorities in the short-term include:  

  • Supporting smart and sustainable travel across Scotland, with development of active freeways and expansion of 20mph zones
  • Improving public transport, with reallocation of road space for buses and improved accessibility at train stations
  • Supporting the transition to low carbon transport, with investment in alternative fuels and progression of decarbonisation of rail
  • Enabling larger loads to be carried by our railway network, encouraging freight to shift from road to rail transport.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said: “As we continue to navigate our way through an unprecedented global health emergency, the investment decisions we make have never been so important.

“We want to lock in the changes to the healthy, green travel options we’ve seen during the pandemic, while supporting interventions that will aid and help accelerate economic recovery.

“We are conducting a thorough, evidence-based review of the performance of Scotland’s strategic transport network across active travel, bus, ferry, rail and the trunk road network and my thanks go to everyone who is engaged in that process, particularly our Regional Transport Working Groups.

“Phase One sets out some of our transport investment priorities for the next few years, which will support a fair and sustainable economic recovery from the pandemic, while working towards our longer term goals of making Scotland more accessible for residents, visitors and businesses; improving connectivity and highlighting the vital contribution that transport investment can play in enabling and sustaining Scotland’s economic growth.

“STPR2 will help us to deliver the vision, priorities and outcomes set out in our National Transport Strategy as well as aligning with other important national plans such as the Climate Change Plan, Infrastructure Investment Plan and National Planning Framework.”

Recommendations for national investment priorities in phase one of Transport Scotland’s second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) focus on the country’s economic recovery and providing an inclusive, green transport network.

Amongst priorities for spending are the extension of Edinburgh’s Mass Rapid Transit system, including the tram network, and its potential to support the region’s economic growth and carbon-neutral ambitions by providing an attractive travel choice between the city and satellite locations.

Under recommendations, spending on public transport prioritisation measures, reallocating more road space to cycling and walking and the redevelopment of Waverley Rail Station would also be progressed.

The review also highlights the success of Edinburgh’s 20mph roll-out, following which road traffic collisions have been seen to fall in the Capital, and commits to supporting other local authorities to follow suit. 

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “The need to invest in sustainable and accessible transport is essential for our city’s green recovery from the COVID crisis, and to meet our long term goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. 
 
“This report acknowledges the central role clean, integrated transport will play in the city and region’s economic development, improving the environment and progressing social equality amongst the people who live here.
 
“Amongst the schemes highlighted, the progress of mass rapid transit is key to our forthcoming City Mobility Plan, supporting people to make convenient, sustainable transport choices as well as connecting to areas of future growth.

“Support in this Scottish Government report for reallocation of road space for walking and cycling, expanding on work through our Spaces for People project, City Centre Transformation and our ongoing, ambitious active travel programme, will help us create a truly people-friendly city.
 
“I’m very pleased that STPR2 recognises and builds on the importance of these strategic projects, as well as highlighting the effectiveness of our 20mph roll-out, and will be of great support as we work towards a greener, fairer future.” 

Transport Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “We’re already focusing on a great many schemes to support sustainable transport, from measures to prioritise public transport and investing in Trams to Newhaven to major cycling and walking improvements around the Capital.
 
“The themes and recommendations within this report very much reflect and bolster our own aspirations to encourage modal shift away from private car journeys, responding to the climate emergency, minimising air pollution and supporting healthy lifestyles.

“We look forward to working with Transport Scotland to progress the recommendations, to the benefit of the city.”

Find out more about the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) on Transport Scotland’s website.

Edinburgh Tories: Road changes should not be made permanent!

Cllr Sue Webber is the Edinburgh Conservatives’ Transport Spokesman in Edinburgh Council and candidate for Edinburgh Western in the Scottish Parliamentary elections:

In May 2020, the SNP-Labour Council used emergency Covid-19 powers to rush through several road closures, an unnecessary Low Traffic Neighbourhood in East Craigs and the widespread introduction of segregated cycleways along Comiston Road and Duddingston Road.

These schemes were first introduced as a temporary measure during the pandemic. But the SNP-Labour Council now intends to make these changes permanent.

Local opposition has been substantial but the SNP-Labour Council have continued to ignore residents. One group, Get Edinburgh Moving (GEM), had to resort to threats of Legal Action against the Council to stop the introduction of the LTN in East Craigs.

I have led opposition on the Council, consistently voicing the public’s concerns about the negative impact these immensely unpopular measures are having on livelihoods and local businesses.

From the outset, I demanded greater community involvement and political scrutiny on the schemes.  I too have been ignored.

If you oppose the SNP-Labour Council’s undemocratic and reckless changes to our city then please sign below to fight back against the permanent imposition of these measures.

Sincerely,

Cllr Susan Webber

Crash statistics raise concerns over volume of cycling casualties

Figures released by the Department for Transport have revealed that UK traffic collisions in the 12 months up to June 2020 are down 16 per cent and road deaths have reduced by 14 per cent compared to the equivalent period in the preceding year.

The research indicated that there were 131,220 casualties of all severities (compared to 156,034 previously) and 1,580 road deaths (down from 1,827 the previous year), representing significant reductions.

The decline in UK road deaths and casualties is directly linked to the reduction in traffic as a result of national lockdown restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, for example, during the first lockdown which commenced on 23rd March, casualties fell by 67 per cent as road traffic reduced by 49 per cent.

Neil Greig, Director of Policy & Research at the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, said: “Despite fears that speeding has increased substantially during the first lockdown it does now look as if the number of casualties has gone down in line with falling traffic numbers. This is certainly good news as it shows that the vast majority of car, van and lorry stuck drivers to the rules. 

“However, the only way to confirm these trends and measure the true impact of local traffic closures and temporary cycle lanes is for the government to publish more details on what has happened throughout the rest of 2020. 

“IAM RoadSmart thinks that it is unacceptable that we may have to wait until June 2021 to get the full picture for UK road safety during the pandemic. Other countries seem to be able to produce crash statistics much more quickly, allowing planners to deal with safety issues as they emerge and not after the event.”

While the reduction in overall casualties is good news for road safety generally, the reduction in casualties for cyclists were however less impressive, with the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured down just four per cent in the period covered by the DfT’s report, compared with 26 per cent of car users and 25 per cent for all other road users in the same period.

Neil concluded: “While motor traffic reduced as a result of national lockdowns, cycling traffic increased and there has unfortunately not been the same positive impact on cycling casualties when compared with other road users.

“We therefore urge all road users to continue to be extra vigilant for cyclists as more people take to their bikes during lockdown.”  

The full report from DfT can be found here.

Councillors to debate new parking controls proposed for Leith, Gorgie and Shandon

The next steps will be taken toward introducing new Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) to help alleviate parking pressures around Edinburgh, if approved by councillors this week.

On Thursday (28 January), Transport and Environment Committee will consider the results of an informal consultation on proposals for new controls in Leith, Gorgie and Shandon, as well as details on the operation of measures. Designs for parking controls have been amended following consultation and, if approved, we’ll commence the legal processes for introducing them.

This is the first of four phases of implementation of parking controls around the city, developed as part of the Strategic Parking Review, which was originally approved in 2018. The review has taken a holistic approach to parking pressures across Edinburgh, assessing the city on a street by street basis.

This has led to the identification of areas where parking controls may be required to resolve challenges facing residents, in particular from non-residential parking.

The report also updates on timescales for phase two (Roseburn, Corstorphine, Willowbrae and Saughton), phase three (Southside and Fettes) and phase four (Newhaven, Trinity, South Morningside, Portobello, Stenhouse and Saughton), which have been impacted by COVID-19.

Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This review responds to the concerns of residents across the city, many of whom have told us that they want to see controls introduced to help limit the impact of non-residential parking.

Thanks to an in-depth, citywide analysis we have been able to identify the areas most in need of restrictions. Of course, the way we travel has changed immeasurably over the last year, but the introduction of new CPZs will be extremely beneficial to managing parking pressures when we eventually return to some sense of normality.

Not only do these controls help residents to park near their homes, but they can encourage those travelling into and around the city to consider alternative, sustainable modes of transport.”

The city council began the Strategic Parking Review in 2018 in response to comments from residents, community councils and ward councillors across the city, which demonstrated increasing support for new parking controls to limit non-residential parking.

An in-depth review split the city into five areas, further subdivided into 124 investigation areas, helping to generate heat maps for each location showing relative parking pressures by street. As a result, a series of new parking controls were approved in 2019, to be implemented in four phases.

On Thursday, committee members will also be asked to agree proposals to commence the legal process for introducing limited parking controls in Sighthill Industrial Estate to help manage parking demand there, as well as restrictions on the availability of permits for new or redeveloped properties.

The report details an approach to consultation for future phases in light of COVID restrictions, with virtual drop-in sessions, detailed plans online and opportunities to feed back on proposals via websites, interactive plans and questionnaires.

Consultation on phase two of the Strategic Parking Review is expected to begin in February.

Read the full report, Strategic Review of Parking – Results of Phase 1 Consultation and General Update, on the Council website.

You can watch Transport and Environment Committee live via webcast from 10am on Thursday (28 January 2021).

Lanark Road set for the ‘Spaces for People’ treatment

“we are aware of local concerns, and we’ve made a number of changes in response” – Transport and Environment Convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes

Work on measures to ‘significantly improve’ cycle safety on Lanark Road, Longstone Road and Inglis Green Road as part of the Spaces for People programme will begin next week, the city council has announced:

Following feedback from the community we’ve made several amendments to the scheme, which will include a segregated cycle lane on both sides of the road and speed limit reductions.

Along with pop-up cycle lanes on Slateford Road and Dundee Street/Fountainbridge, interventions will help relieve congestion on the Union Canal towpath and Water of Leith walkway. These shared use paths have seen a substantial increase in pedestrians and cyclists during lockdown with at least a 150% rise in cyclists during the summer. This alternative route will help reduce conflict and allow for physical distancing, particularly on narrower sections like the Slateford Aqueduct.

Since sharing the original proposals with stakeholders we’ve made changes to the designs in response to comments from local people, largely to maximise parking access for businesses and any residents who don’t have driveways.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes (SNP) said: This scheme will introduce a much-needed safe and welcoming route for those making essential journeys by foot, bike or wheelchair, offering an alternative to the Union Canal towpath and Water of Leith walkway.

“It’s clear from our own monitoring that these popular shared-use paths are becoming over-crowded and we simply must provide other options for the many people who don’t own a car, who don’t feel comfortable using public transport at present or who want to take daily exercise on foot or bike.

“Of course, we are aware of local concerns, and we’ve made a number of changes in response. The beauty of the scheme’s temporary nature is that we’ll be able to continue monitoring its effectiveness too, making further tweaks where possible.

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran (Labour) said: “This is all about providing safe, convenient options for those making essential journeys and this is a key route for those travelling out of the city.

“Our Spaces for People team have worked hard to respond to concerns from residents and businesses and as a result the designs have been changed. Ultimately, this is about protecting the safety of vulnerable road users, and providing space for people to physically distance, and schemes like these are essential for achieving that.”

Measures on Lanark Road and Inglis Green Road will include: 

  • Segregated cycle lanes on both sides of the road, protected from traffic
  • A reduced speed limit, from 40mph to 30mph
  • The removal of the kerbside traffic lane, except on approach to junctions
  • The introduction of a bus lane on approach to Gillespie crossroads

Measures on Longstone Road will include:

  • Introduction of segregated, and advisory cycle lanes as space allows
  • A reduced speed limit, from 30mph to 20mph
  • Carriageway narrowing and parking restrictions at certain points
  • Safety improvements at Longstone Roundabout

Changes to designs following community feedback will see additional parking retained at:

  • Cranley Nursery
  • Lanark Road Nursery
  • Dovecot Park
  • Inglis Green Road
  • Kingsknowe Golf Course
  • Redhall area

As part of the development of the scheme we’ve liaised closely with a range of stakeholders, such as the emergency services, Lothian Buses, community councils, equalities organisations, Spokes and Living Streets to ensure designs don’t impact on essential services or accessibility and that they provide an improved environment for pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists.

Once introduced, we will continue to monitor the changes, carrying out regular reviews and tweaking where necessary.

This project is one of a range of improvements being made across the city as part of the Spaces for People programme, which is helping to provide safe, welcoming routes for walking, cycling and wheeling while allowing people to physically distance during COVID-19 restrictions. 

Find out more about Spaces for People on the Council website.

Stagecoach becomes first UK bus operator to invest in roll-out of new bridge alert technology

  • £4m project to strengthen existing safety measures to prevent bridge strikes
  • Enhancement to GreenRoad’s leading driver safety and fuel-efficiency system
  • Technology to cover 8,000 buses in England, Scotland and Wales by summer 2021

Stagecoach, Britain’s biggest bus operator, has announced that it will become the first bus operator in the country to invest in the national roll-out of new bridge alert technology across its fleet.

The £4m project will strengthen existing measures in place to prevent bridge strikes and build on Stagecoach’s industry-leading use of the GreenRoad driver safety and fuel efficiency system.

GreenRoad’s core safety system is installed on all of Stagecoach’s 8.000 buses in England, Scotland and Wales. The technology also serves professional drivers from companies across Europe, the Middle East, America, Australia and New Zealand.

Using a simple traffic-light-like LED system on the dashboard, the GreenRoad system gives drivers instant feedback about their driving manoeuvres, encouraging smoother, safer, more fuel-efficient driving that is more comfortable for passengers.

Stagecoach has been in discussions with GreenRoad over the past eight months on how to extend the telematics technology to further improve safety for its fleet – including 3,800 double-decker buses – around low bridges.

Data from Network Rail shows that there were 1714 railway bridge strikes across the country in the 2019-20 financial year. Most of these incidents involve heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), with between 40 and 50 a year related to buses.

As well as the potential for serious injuries, bridge strikes have significant financial and other costs for the country. On average, a single bridge strike costs more than £6,000 and in 2019-20 these incidents resulted in more than 7,800 hours of delays for rail passengers alone.

The intelligent GreenRoad system will use GPS vehicle location data and mapping services to alert the driver to nearby low bridges. If the technology determines that the bus is heading towards a low bridge, it will sound an in-cab alert, allowing a safe exit route that avoids the bridge.

Following a 16-week software development phase, the technology and associated speakers will be installed on Stagecoach buses across the country by summer 2021.

It will enhance a range of existing safety measures in place, including the design of bus routes to avoid low bridges, detailed classroom and practical route training for drivers, and ongoing work with authorities to ensure the placement of appropriate signage and other alerts.

Stagecoach Chief Executive Martin Griffiths said: “Everything we do starts with safety: for our customers, our people, pedestrians and other road users. Buses are already one of the safest forms of travel. But every year we invest millions of pounds in training our professional driving team and new technology to make our public transport operations even safer.

“Our country’s infrastructure includes many railway bridges designed in an era before modern transport vehicles went on the road, creating a safety risk. We have been working for many months with GreenRoad to design this important Low Bridge Alert enhancement to their proven safety technology, and are now implementing it to bolster the extensive measures we already have in place. We look forward to delivering the benefits from our investment across the country.”

The industry-leading initiative has been welcomed by Network Rail, which works with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), highways bodies, and road transport providers to help prevent bridge strikes.

Network Rail’s Chair, Sir Peter Hendy CBE, said: “Bridge strikes are an unnecessary burden on our railway. They pose serious safety risks, cause hours of delays for rail passengers and road users and swallow up public funds which should be used on upgrading and improving our network.

“We’ve seen encouraging signs of incidents declining recently thanks to our engagement work with industry partners, drivers and operators, as well as the introduction of technology which assists drivers, but the transport sector has to continue working together to make bridge strikes a thing of the past.

“I commend Stagecoach on taking the initiative with the roll-out of this technology and I hope to see other operators take a similar proactive approach to tackling the issue in the near future.”

Stagecoach’s bus drivers have been leading the way in GreenRoad’s global performance measurement programme for the past five years. More than 5,000 of Stagecoach’s 15,000 drivers have been awarded GreenRoad’s Fleet Elite status, reflecting the company’s approach to consistent improvement in safety and ongoing investment in driver training.

To gain Fleet Elite status, drivers must achieve an average of five or fewer events, such as harsh braking or acceleration, per 10 hours of driving over the entire calendar year. More Stagecoach employees have gained Fleet Elite status than any other company in the worldwide scheme.

David Ripstein, GreenRoad’s President & CEO, said: “We are pleased and honored to continue assisting Stagecoach in addressing some of its most significant safety challenges.

“We view ourselves as a safety technology leader that forms long-term partnerships with our customers, leveraging our best-in-class safety telematics solutions, together with our many years of experience, to help them reduce accidents, improve operations and minimise risk.

“We look forward to continued close cooperation to help Stagecoach reach the uncompromising standards of safety that they have set for themselves.”

National Express: Full Suspension of Services

National Express will fully suspend its national network of scheduled coach services with effect from 23:59 on Sunday 10 January 2021.

Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach: “We have been providing an important service for essential travel needs. However, with tighter restrictions and passenger numbers falling, it is no longer appropriate to do this.”

All journeys before Monday 11 January will be completed to ensure any passengers making essential journeys are not stranded. All customers whose travel has been cancelled will be contacted and offered a free amendment or full refund.

Chris Hardy adds: “As the vaccination programme is rolled out and Government guidance changes, we will regularly review when we can restart services. We plan to be back on the road as soon as the time is right and have put a provisional restart date of Monday 1 March in place (subject to change).

“The whole team at National Express worked incredibly hard throughout 2020 and I want to thank them for their efforts as we pause our services. We will now make sure we are ready to get back behind the wheel as soon as the nation needs us again.”  

Regular updates will be provided through the National Express website, social media channels and customer emails.

www.nationalexpress.com

Pay as you Drive?

Reform Scotland says electric vehicles dictate new system of paying for roads

Reform Scotland, the independent, non-partisan think-tank, has called for a revolution in how Scotland pays for its roads, to match the upcoming revolution in the cars that are driven on them.

The think tank has called for all political parties, ahead of the Holyrood election in May, to commit to a feasibility study for a pay-as-you-drive system, whereby people pay according to which roads they use and when. This would replace Fuel Duty and Vehicle Excise Duty. Reform Scotland is also asking the parties to commit to the devolution from Westminster of those two taxes, in order that they can be abolished.

With the UK Government having recently committed to phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and with the advancement of production and battery technology rapidly leading to more affordable EVs, Reform Scotland sees Fuel Duty as a tax living on borrowed time, as well as a tax which fails to take account of which roads are being used, and when.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), meanwhile, while addressing carbon emissions through its grading structure, punishes those who drive infrequently by charging them the same as motorists who drive on a regular basis.

Reform Scotland’s pay-as-you-drive system would require drivers to pay based on which roads they use and when they use them. This builds on an earlier report, Pay-as-you-drive: The road to a better future.

Reform Scotland’s Research Director Alison Payne said: “The way we currently charge drivers is bad for the environment, promotes congestion and is unfair on low-mileage motorists and those in more remote areas. 

“It’s also the case that the taxes which underpin the charging system are becoming increasingly irrelevant as electric vehicles become more prominent.

“We believe that pay-as-you-drive, with central and local government pricing roads and being accountable to their electorate for their level, would be fairer and more relevant to the future of motoring.

“It would also be highly likely to reduce congestion, as people changed their driving behaviour to make better use of road space at times when it is cheaper to do so.”

Reform Scotland’s 2013 report, Pay-as-you-drive: the road to a better future can be read here.

Relief all round as border reopens

An agreement to reopen the UK-French border to allow accompanied freight services and some passenger services to resume between the two countries was reached by the UK and French governments last night.

Rail, air and sea services will resume this morning, with all people travelling from the UK into France required to show proof of a negative Coronavirus test taken within the previous 72 hours.

The protocol agreed with the French Government will be reviewed on 31 December, but could run until 6 January. All lorry drivers, irrespective of nationality, will require a lateral flow test.

This can detect the new strain of COVID-19 and provide results in around 30 minutes, rather than the 24 hours required after a PCR test.

The French government will also carry out sample testing on incoming freight to the UK.

The UK government continues to strongly urge hauliers not to travel to Kent until further notice, while a mass testing programme for HGV drivers gets underway to alleviate congestion at ports.

Operation Stack remains in force along the M20 while lorry drivers in Kent are continuing to be directed to the Manston holding facility, where they have access to food and welfare facilities.

Under the agreement announced this evening, admittance into France will only be granted to those travelling for urgent reasons – including hauliers – French citizens, and British citizens with French residency. 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “I am pleased that we have made this important progress with our French counterparts this evening. This protocol will see the French border reopen to those travelling for urgent reasons, provided they have a certified negative COVID test.

“We continue to urge hauliers not to travel to Kent until further notice as we work to alleviate congestion at ports.”

The Transport Secretary also announced the temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours for hauliers to help drivers get through UK borders safely, including via Kent, during the coming weeks. The rules came in force at midnight.

Scotland’s Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has called for drivers moving goods such as seafood and salmon to be prioritised as an agreement is reached to allow hauliers into France.

Speaking after a discussion with the UK Transport Secretary last night, Mr Matheson, said: “This has been an extremely worrying time for a number of our sectors who are heavily dependent on the Channel ports, especially at this time of year.

“It has provided an alarming insight into the likely disruption a No Deal Brexit or any additional trade barriers will bring, and I would again stress the need to extend the transition period while the country gets to grips with coronavirus (Covid-19).

“I spoke with the UK Transport Secretary and am pleased that he reported that significant progress had been made regarding arrangements to reopen the closure of the French border to UK freight and that the UK Government has agreed that a Lateral Flow Test – of similar quality to that being used by the NHS – will permit drivers and other essential travellers to travel to France within 72 hours of a clear test. Arrangements will be in place until 6 January, with a mutual review agreed for 31 December.

“The UK Government has informed us that they have a plan to deploy Lateral Flow Tests to drivers at locations in Kent where drivers are parked, and UK Ministers must now urgently prioritise those drivers with perishable goods, such as Scottish seafood and salmon.

“What has always been of concern is the impact on exporters, not least of Scotland’s premier food produce rightly in demand in Europe. This is their most critical time of year and the dismay caused by the uncertainty and length of delay has been avoidable and regrettable.  

“Now we have clarity on the type of test required, the Scottish Government will work with the haulage industry and the NHS to explore how we can support drivers to take those tests in Scotland in the future, before beginning their journey. 

“To reiterate, Scotland is currently well stocked with food and medical supplies. We remain in close communication with the NHS and with food retailers and there is no issue that causes concern for the immediate few days ahead.  What has always been of concern is the impact on exporters, not least of perishable goods such as seafood. This is their most critical time of year and right now, and the dismay caused by the uncertainty and length of delay has been avoidable and regrettable.  

“I have again raised the question of financial support for those hit by this action with the UK Government. We stand ready to help in any practical way we can as this situation develops and will keep all actions under active review.”