Blog ARCHIVE
Labour to privatise new roads
Despite a drubbing at the local elections in England, a wipeout in Wales, and a poor showing in Scotland, Keir Starmer and his government seem determined to press ahead regardless. While Starmer clings on for the time being he maintains that he is sticking to the task of delivering the...
Delivering change requires more than words
There has been a lot of talk about “delivering change” with the Government publishing a number of new strategies and guidance recently and as we approach elections in May. Why should we believe what politicians say, you might think, when we’ve been promised change before? The last time was in...
TAN Cymru Urges Next Government to Put People first and cut costs
TAN Cymru has issued a call to action for the next Welsh Government. The message is clear: whilst the current strategies have set a solid basis for change, the "stark reality" of underinvestment is stalling progress. As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, the next administration must commit to a fundamental reallocation...
RIS3: Stuck on the wrong road?
It has been a busy time for roads campaigners: the Department for Transport published its £27bn 5-year roads plan (2026-2031, known as RIS3) at the end of March and on the same day also approved 16 local road schemes, including the controversial Norwich Western Link. While the RIS3 headlines focused...
Better connections require better government choices
Transport Action Network (TAN)1 has welcomed today's publication of the government’s strategy for integrated transport2. It includes some welcome measures, such as: Revising codes of practice to ensure better maintained pavements3 Updating Manual for Streets for better designed streets for all4 Enabling simpler Zebra crossings to be installed5 Creating a...
Strategy based on out-dated forecasts and white elephant road schemes
The government’s £27bn, five year roads plan (RIS3) has been published today1. Headlines include: An increase in renewals funding, although it is still less than a third of the overall budget2 A target to reduce people killed and seriously injured by 7.5% by 20313. Zero harm on the network would...
New roads plan: a chance to fix our roads
The government’s five year roads plan (RIS3)1 is expected to be published on Thursday 26 March. It sets out National Highways’ five-year budget between 2026-31, expected to total £25 billion2. It will reveal how much is being spent on road maintenance (a top priority for road users), and road schemes...
When in a hole…
This week road users were faced with the news (not that they needed telling) that the maintenance backlog on local roads (and pavements) is now up to a staggering £18.6bn. Despite all the spin from Keir Starmer and his government about putting more money into fixing potholes, things are getting...
The Fight for Queensbury Tunnel
The campaign to save Queensbury Tunnel is an excellent example of how local people coming together with a shared vision can form an incredibly powerful voice when faced with short-sighted political decisions. Background: An Engineering Marvel Built by Great Northern Railway and opened in 1878, Queensbury Tunnel stretches 1.4 miles...
Will transport scupper new climate ambition?
The Government is required by 30 June 2026 to set the level of climate ambition for 2038 to 2042, a process known as the seventh carbon budget. The Climate Change Committee recommended an 87% cut of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 1990 levels was needed. That assumed, however, that earlier climate...
‘Smart’ motorway reports expose costly failure
After much delay, National Highways has finally published the evaluation reports for 16 ‘smart’ motorways. As expected, they showed that almost all of the ‘smart’ motorways had been costly failures. Instead of delivering a predicted £10 billion of economic benefits, they delivered under £2bn, which is less than they cost...
‘Smart’ motorways a “costly failure”
After years of sitting on the data, the government yesterday (5 February 2026) finally released 16 evaluation reports1 which show that the much feared ‘smart’ motorways2 have been a costly failure3. TAN is calling for all ‘smart’ motorways to have a hard shoulder reinstated and turned into controlled motorways instead4....
DfT hiding truth about ‘smart’ motorways
Transport Action Network (TAN)1 is today calling for the Department for Transport (DfT) to come clean on ‘smart’ motorways. This comes as: TAN accuses the DfT of misleading the public when it says no more ‘smart’ motorways are being built. The Lower Thames Crossing and M60 Simister Island are being...
Our Media Coverage in 2026
July 2026 Highways News: Abby Coften takes over as CEO of Transport Action Network following Chris Todd's retirement. June 2026 The Guardian: The government have earmarked another £174m for the Lower Thames Crossing. Rebecca Lush, Roads Campaigner at Transport Action Network, is quoted in the piece. April 2026 South Wales...
Lighting the touchpaper
Igniting Community Action: The Queensbury Tunnel Campaign Transport Action Network (TAN) was founded in 2019 to help local communities facing damaging road schemes or wanting better transport solutions. What happened on the 18th January 2026, in a cold, damp and misty disused railway cutting in West Yorkshire, demonstrated perfectly why...
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