Revised guidance on the use of bus lanes will also be introduced, aimed at ensuring they “help rather than hinder” the flow of traffic.
Measures to address road closures will include the expansion of lane-rental schemes – incentives for utility companies to close roads at quieter times – as well as a consultation on increasing fines.
The government will also consult on whether it can require local authorities that operate a lane-rental scheme to spend at least half of any surplus on pothole repairs and resurfacing roads.
Additionally, it has pledged to improve the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Key to its strategy is increasing the rate of grid connections for charger operators – a significant bottleneck in the development of the charging infrastructure thus far.
It will also widen the eligibility criteria for EV charger grants to include solutions that cross the pavement in a bid to improve accessibility for drivers who have to park at the kerbside.
The industry will be consulted in a bid to improve the communication of the transition to electric cars – to “myth-bust concerns” about their adoption.
