In the latest of a programme of initiatives dubbed ‘Operation Showtime’ by bosses at the North West Regional Control Centre just off the M6 at Newton-le-Willows, the traffic officers will be stopping off at MSAs to deliver a range of safety messages and journey planning tips to all kinds of motorway users.

Road safety and fleet professionals are being urged to start planning now for Road Safety Week 2014 (17-23 November), the UK’s biggest road safety event coordinated by the charity Brake and supported by headline sponsors RSA and Specsavers. The event, now in its 18th year, is a great opportunity for teachers to engage pupils of all ages in life-saving lessons of road safety. 

The theme of Road Safety Week 2014 is ‘look out for each other’, raising awareness of the ways everyone can help protect one another on roads, especially the most vulnerable. 

Brake, the road safety charity, is offering expert guidance to help fleets prevent crashes with pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists by addressing blind spots, reducing risky manoeuvring, and raising awareness among drivers. The guidance, published through Brake's Fleet Safety Forum, produced in conjunction with Aviva, includes expert insights, best practice case studies and sample advice sheets for drivers.

Euro NCAP has released its latest round of crash test results. Click on the images for more information.

East Midlands Ambulance Service and VCS designed a specialised 4x4 Ambulance for various tasks in the UK health service.

The converted vehicle is based on an Amarok chassis which has an approved chassis extension which gives the correct internal longitudinal length needed for medical work to be carried out at the head end of the stretcher.

One of the UK’s largest unitary authorities, Wiltshire Council, has chosen to replace some of their existing Recycling vehicles with quality used and re-manufactured vehicles from leading UK supplier Refuse Vehicle Solutions Ltd (RVS)

Ian Mckinnon, Fleet Transport Officer, Wiltshire Council quoted: “We needed to reduce our capital spend on vehicles and decided to look at the second hand market. We were impressed with the quality of vehicles and workmanship delivered by RVS and since our initial order last year we have purchased additional vehicles.”

Vauxhall’s all-new Vivaro, launched today, secures 1,200 jobs at the UK’s last van manufacturing plant after workers won a 10-year contract and a £185 million investment.

Thanks to the outstanding attitude and work ethic of the workforce, the Luton plant beat world class competition from across Europe to build the new van.

Rival Ford shut its Transit factory in Southampton last year making Vauxhall’s Luton facility the sole flag bearer for UK van manufacturing – on a site where over eight million vehicles have been built since 1905.

Gasrec, Europe’s leading supplier of liquefied natural gas to the transport sector, has welcomed National Grid’s recent confirmation that it has awarded a contract for the construction of a new road tanker loading facility at the Grain LNG Terminal near London on the Isle of Grain, Kent.

The project is scheduled for delivery by the second quarter of 2015 and involves the construction of an initial two-bay road tanker loading facility which will help support the UK’s growing gas road fuels market.

One of the country’s leading providers of operated and self-drive road sweepers is celebrating ongoing growth and investment with the launch of a brand new depot facility in Welwyn Garden City, which has not only created exciting new job opportunities, but has generated various local community benefits too.

Go Plant Limited, which now operates eight UK-wide depots, recently transformed a wasteland site on Bessemer Road into a fully-functioning Service Centre, housing 23 specialist vehicles and employing more than 25 members of staff. 

Crucial feedback on gas HGVs has been provided by the Low Carbon Truck Trial, with the provisional results being detailed in a first report commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) which was published on 19 June.

Responding to the DfT report outlining the Government’s Low Carbon Truck Trial, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has said that it supported the trials stating that they have put more gas powered HGVs on the roads, whilst identifying the operational challenges of running gas vehicles.