Blog ARCHIVE
Transport Action Network Cymru appoints new campaigns organiser
Transport Action Network (TAN) Cymru has announced the appointment of Gwynfor Edwards as its new Campaigns Organiser, strengthening the group's work to build community-led opposition to damaging road schemes and to campaign for better bus and rail services across Wales. Edwards joins TAN Cymru from Green New Deal Rising, where...
National Highways must come clean on pedestrian and cycle safety
National Highways’ Safety Trap: Why Counting Deaths Isn’t Enough We recently highlighted National Highways' serious failure to meet its road casualty reduction targets - despite their claim that "safety is our most important commitment”. Worse still is their failure to protect the very people whose safety they most need to...
Road safety still not a priority for National Highways
With the latest National Highways Report and Accounts and their regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Annual Report and Accounts now out, we’re sharing our key headlines from the reports, and it’s not a positive picture for road safety, carbon emissions or taxpayers’ money. Road Safety The most...
National Audit Office to investigate privatised Lower Thames Crossing
Transport Action Network (TAN) welcomes the news that the National Audit Office (NAO) has agreed to TAN’s request for an investigation into the privatised Lower Thames Crossing (LTC)1. TAN has been raising the alarm about the financial irregularities with the LTC for some time, and wrote to the NAO in...
Abby Coften joins Transport Action Network as new CEO
Transport Action Network (TAN) is delighted to announce the appointment of Abby Coften as Chief Executive following the founder of TAN, Chris Todd’s retirement from his Director role after seven years. Abby, an experienced Chief Executive, has over 10 years in strategic leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector including for...
National Highways seeking to avoid air quality commitments on Lower Thames Crossing
Transport Action Network (TAN) are appalled at the news1 that National Highways are seeking to remove measures to reduce and monitor the air pollution impact of the Lower Thames Crossing project on Epping Forest. When National Highways applied for planning permission (a Development Consent Order or DCO) for the Lower...
The heat is on (the next Prime Minister)
During yet another June where temperature records were broken and people struggled to cope with temperatures more usual in southern Europe, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) released its latest progress report to Parliament. It shows that emissions for surface transport increased by 2.7% in 2025, with the sector now responsible...
Government undermining Court of Appeal ruling on healthy travel funding, say campaigners
One year after its landmark Court of Appeal victory, Transport Action Network (TAN) is warning that new flexibilities for cash strapped councils risk hollowing out the “dedicated funding” for cycling and walking that judges ruled should be protected. This reversal comes as the Labour government is expected to publish its...
Is the Lower Thames Crossing the New HS2?
HS2 has become shorthand for infrastructure failure in the UK. Sadly, lessons have not been learnt, and the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) could soon become the new poster child for infrastructure project failure. Mile for mile, the LTC is likely to be more expensive than HS2. The latest LTC cost...
Lower Thames Crossing repeats HS2 mistakes and costs more per mile
Transport Action Network (TAN) has warned that the government is set to repeat the mistakes of HS2 with the Lower Thames Crossing ‘smart’ motorway (LTC). This comes as Sir Stephen Lovegrove’s report on HS2 is published today and highlights the dangers of starting work prematurely on such projects without a...
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...
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