The Government has unveiled its new 30-point plan “to support people’s freedom to use their cars and curb over-zealous enforcement measures”.

The Government has vowed to “protect drivers from over-zealous traffic enforcement”

The plan includes measures that could help councils increase spending on fixing potholes and road repairs by more than £100m over 10 years, fining roadworks which overrun, new technology to simplify parking payment and updating 20mph zone guidance for England to prevent inappropriate blanket use.

The Government has also today committed to exploring measures to speed up the installation of charge points for electric vehicles and extending grants to schools to install charge points.

The publication follows the announcement by the Prime Minister and Transport Minister Mark Harper last Friday of the Government’s vow to “protect drivers from over-zealous traffic enforcement”. Ahead of the upcoming general election, it’s put in place a long-term plan to “support the majority who drive, by keeping motoring costs under control and ensure people have the freedom to drive as they need to in their daily lives”.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “We’re backing drivers and our new long-term plan will improve journeys for millions across the country, whether they’re commuting to work or college, parking up for a day trip, or charging their electric car.

“Our plan for drivers will support thousands of skilled jobs and help grow the economy, sitting alongside our continued record investment in public transport and active travel – ensuring people have the freedom to travel how they want.”

“To help ease congestion, £70m will be provided to councils this financial year in three different schemes to invest in improving traffic lights and signals, including AI tech to optimise traffic flow in city centres.”

The full plan for drivers will make journeys smoother by:

• Strengthening guidance to make sure bus lanes operate only when buses are running
• Guiding local authorities on allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes and holding a consultation about whether motorcycle access should be standard
• Permitting red flashing lights for breakdown vehicles, helping to protect recovery drivers by making them more visible at the roadside
• Supporting councils to introduce more lane rental schemes, which reduce roadworks by incentivising utilities to avoid the busiest roads at the busiest times
• Consulting on requiring local authorities with lane rental schemes to use at least 50% of any surplus on pothole repairs or resurfacing
• Consulting on extending fines for overrunning street works at weekends and increasing fixed penalty notices
• Rolling out the live labs 2 programme to explore new, low-carbon and high-tech ways of managing local highway networks, supporting the transition to net zero carbon local roads and infrastructure
• Developing a new road condition data standard to provide local authorities with access to new technologies enabling them more easily to identify and deal with road defects like potholes
• £30m fund to upgrade traffic signal systems, replacing unreliable and obsolete equipment to improve reliability
• £20m ‘green light fund’ to tune up traffic signals to better reflect current traffic conditions and get traffic flowing
• £20m to deploy advanced technology for traffic signals, making use of machine learning and ai to optimise traffic flow and balance traffic across city centres

The Government also said it would stop unfair enforcement by:

• Issuing 20mph zone guidance for England to help prevent inappropriate blanket use.
• Consulting on measures including the removal of local authorities’ access to DVLA data to enforce such schemes by camera
• Focusing on the importance of local support and consider as part of the low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) review how to address existing LTNs that have not secured local consent
• Strengthening government and sector-led guidance on enforcement of moving traffic offences such as entering yellow box junctions, to ensure consistency and stop drivers from being penalised unfairly
• Launching a call for evidence on options to restrict local authorities’ ability to generate surpluses from traffic offences and over-zealous use of traffic enforcement powers

It’s also working to make parking easier by:

• Delivering the new national parking platform by autumn 2024, ending the need to use multiple parking apps
• Consulting on revising guidance about the public’s right to challenge local authority parking policies
• Introducing digitised traffic regulation orders to help easily identify where it is legal to park anywhere in the country

The DfT has said it will tackle “inconsiderate” driving by:

• Consulting on removing the right of uninsured drivers to claim compensation for property damage
• Launching a communications campaign and enforcement to tackle lane hogs and other inconsiderate driving on the motorway
• Allowing local councils to roll out noise cameras to target unacceptable vehicle modifications
• Clamping down on roadside littering, extending the trial on camera enforcement across the strategic road network

Finally, the Government said it would support the transition to zero emission driving by:

• Reviewing grid connections process for EV charge points, with the aim to accelerate it
• Consulting on measures to speed up the approvals process for installation of charge points
• Providing dedicated, targeted support for schools to install charge points, using existing grants
• Widening eligibility of EV charge point grants to include cross-pavement solutions to make EV ownership a more practical option for those without off-street parking
• Providing guidance on the use of safe cross-pavement solutions
• Consulting on the expansion of permitted development rights, making private charge point installation cheaper and easier
• Working with industry to myth-bust concerns about EVs

The full plan is here.

Fleet and motoring groups react to the ‘Plan to back drivers’

The AA said transport policy should be evidence-based and take account of all road users

The AA has welcomed many of the measures announced today.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “The AA has long campaigned, on behalf of our members, to tackle some councils using moving traffic violations, such as yellow box junctions, to fleece drivers – often caught in a trap of poor road markings and bad signage. We welcome this review and hope councils act accordingly. Our 2017 ‘Caught in a trap’ report shared with Government ministers highlighted issues around moving traffic offences and yellow box junctions.

“We are also pleased to see the wider rollout of ‘Lane Rental Schemes’ at roadworks and street works which seek to reduce poor and overrunning roadworks experienced across the country, including the issuing of fines. All road users will benefit as those digging up the road will be financially penalised for returning our streets in an awful condition.”

“The AA has been raising issues about the poor state of local roads, over-running roadworks, badly designed yellow box junctions, private parking companies, ‘smart’ motorways and much more for many years. Our members are also concerned about air quality, road safety and mobility. We also campaign on issues such as ‘Think Bikes’. Many of our members also interested in walking, cycling and public transport. We take a balanced approach to mobility where driving doesn’t have to cost the earth.

“The AA fully supports the use of targeted 20mph limits where they are needed and will be effective, for example, when pupils are going in or out of schools, near parks, cul de sacs and key residential areas. Drivers are much more likely to abide with the lower speed limit when they understand the reason for it. We would also like to see more pragmatic and variable speed limits, for example, using interactive signs outside schools at the start and end of the day but possibly not at 2am in the morning.

“Cars and road transport are paramount to how we live and work. Government figures show 58% of trips and 78% of distance travelled are made with cars, with most freight being transported by road.

“When implemented with local consultation and support, targeted road safety measures are supported by drivers and residents alike. Transport policy should be evidence-based and take account of all road users including drivers, cyclists, bikers, bus passengers, delivery drivers and pedestrians. Safety and environmental considerations are also key. For example, if the evidence shows there are no buses running after 10:30pm then it is logical to open the bus lane to all road users.”

The RAC has said that many of the measures make sense.

Head of policy Simon Williams said: “Being clearer with councils on important issues that affect drivers around traffic management, whether that’s the use of 20mph limits, implementing low traffic neighbourhoods or the enforcement of yellow boxes is positive, as after all eight in 10 say they would struggle to get by without a car. These measures will hopefully bring some much-needed consistency to how drivers are treated as well as avoiding situations where potholes get left unattended for months.”

Speaking on low traffic neighbourhoods, he added: “LTNs which are introduced in the right places and have been well consulted on can have lots of benefits. But on the flip side, those that fail on both these counts and simply displace traffic onto peripheral roads causing more congestion and air pollution don’t help anyone. The PM has already ordered a review of LTNs in England and being clearer with councils about the criteria they must meet if they want to introduce a scheme makes perfect sense.”

He also welcomed the National Parking Platform, adding: “Paying for parking should be one of the simplest things any driver has to do, yet the reality has been anything but with people forced to download and register a plethora of different mobile apps depending on where they are in the country. The roll-out of the National Parking Platform therefore brings about some much-needed simplification and should make drivers’ lives easier.

“However, we remain concerned about the fact some councils seem intent on removing all physical parking ticket machines in favour of app-only payment – something research tells us a clear majority drivers are resolutely against.”

Williams also commented on yellow box junction enforcement, saying: “With dozens of councils in England about to enforce yellow box junctions, we’re pleased the Government has listened to our concerns about the potential for drivers to be unfairly fined. The move to prevent them abusing these new powers is welcome as is the commitment to update the guidance on where these junctions should be used and how they should be set up properly.

“While it’s clearly wrong that drivers stop in these junctions and block them for others, it’s vital that they are fairly set up so that they can be easily negotiated with no chance of a driver being stranded on one through no fault of their own.

“Our research shows many are too big and it’s often impossible to see where some end, making it extremely difficult for drivers to know whether they can drive through without stopping. Some are even being used where they shouldn’t be. Had the Government not intervened we fear councils would have had a field day collecting unfair fines from drivers, causing unnecessary stress and financial hardship.”

Finally, on bus lane enforcement, he continued: “The RAC has always raised questions about bus lane enforcement as there have been far too many cases over the years where large numbers of drivers have been fined in particular locations. This usually implies that signage is poor causing motorists to accidentally drive in a bus lane when they shouldn’t have. Most drivers don’t deliberately set out to break the rules and incur fines. The Government’s plans should help limit the number of motorists who fall foul of bus lane cameras while hopefully still ensuring buses run on time.

“We badly need to create an integrated transport network that works for everyone, including motorists. Bus lanes are key to that as they help to ensure services run on time in rush-hour when traffic is high, but outside of that can sometimes make traffic worse by limiting the amount of available road space which is something we can well do without. It’s important to realise that eight in 10 drivers tell us they would struggle to get by without access to a car.”

Addison Lee meanwhile provided a fleet perspective, welcoming the plans to review the guidance on low traffic neighbourhoods and focus on local consent.

Liam Griffin, CEO, said: “As London’s most reliable private hire provider, we have always recognised the importance of safety measures. However, extensive road blocks and consistent lowering of speed limits to 20mph has an impact on congestion across the capital – significantly, and often unnecessarily, impacting the work, lives, and productivity of both Londoners and London businesses.

“Operating in the capital for over 50 years, we have an intricate understanding of the neighbourhoods across our city. We would welcome the opportunity to work more closely with the Mayor and local boroughs to help find the right solutions that support seamless travel for all across the city.”

And the BVRLA welcomed the focus on EV inequality.

Toby Poston, BVRLA director of corporate affairs, said: “The zero-emission motoring elements of this plan show that the Government is focusing on some of the key barriers to wider electric vehicle adoption. Delivering faster grid connections, tackling the challenge of on-street charging and debunking common EV myths are great places to start.”