London’s controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) could be scrapped if Shaun Bailey wins the race to become the next mayor in May.

The Conservative candidate said he would launch consultations relating to LTNs that have been installed by councils using emergency powers, and added those that were “imposed” without support will be removed.

LTNs use street furniture – such as plants or bollards – to block roads in residential areas, in an attempt to reduce traffic volumes, stop drivers from using streets as ‘rat runs’ and encourage people to walk and cycle more.

According to Paddy Power, Sadiq Khan is favourite to stay in office for another four years, with odds of 1/33 that he will win the election on 6 May, while Bailey’s current odds stand at 12/1.

When LTNs are in place, it remains possible for emergency services, delivery drivers and residents to access the streets, but the intention is to make it harder to drive through from one main road to the next via a residential street.

‘LTNs were pushed through’

“LTNs that Sadiq Khan funded were pushed through without giving residents a say. And they’re the ones facing the consequences,” Bailey told The Telegraph. “Increased traffic, greater pollution on main roads and longer wait times for ambulances. 

As mayor, I’ll hold consultations within 100 days and scrap every LTN that a majority of residents don’t want.”  

According to a Telegraph report, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said local councils “had got it wrong” and “had not thought through” the schemes. 

Shapps added he had received “more contact on this than any other subject probably other than Beeching reversals from Members of Parliament wanting to have well-designed schemes in their area”.

ALSO READ:

Councils are spending less time gritting the roads

New car orders struggle ahead of March plate change

Volkswagen Tiguan R open for orders

Fiat has partnered with Google to launch a new range of 500, 500L and 500X ‘Hey Google’ special editions.

The cars come equipped with the Hey Google voice assistant, which they firm says allows customers to interact with their car even when they’re away from it.

This can be done either through the Google smartphone app – or the Google Nest hub that’s included for free with every Fiat 500 Hey Google car.

Fiat says customers can say ‘Hey Google, ask my Fiat’ about:

• Where it is parked
• How much fuel is left
• Total mileage driven that day

The status of the car can also be monitored – an alert is sent if a theft is attempted, for example.

Alerts can also be set if the Fiat 500 Hey Google leaves a preset area, or exceeds a predefined speed.

Exterior changes aren’t extensive (all come in two-tone white and gloss black), but they are significant: this is the first time the Google logo has appeared on a car, on the wheelarches of each special Fiat 500.

There’s also the multicoloured Hey Google ‘molecules’ on the central pillars and, inside, on the seats.

The chairs also feature a Hey Google tag, while the 7.0-inch touchscreen has an animated Google start-up sequence.

And what’s in the goodie bag that all owners receive at purchase? Their Google Next Hub device – with a skin colour-matched to the car – plus a key cover and a welcome letter advising how to set up the Hey Google voice assistant in their car.

ALSO READ

Is it illegal to use Google Pay or Apple Pay at a drive-thru?

Google Maps makes it even easier to use with Apple CarPlay

Google Maps can help you locate the correct EV charger

Motorists aged 70 and over in poor health may be restricted to driving in daylight hours only. They may also be ordered to stay near to home, with their cars fitted with trackers to ensure compliance.

Under proposals discussed between the DVLA and Driving Mobility – a network of test centres – over 70s who could otherwise lose their licence because of ill health could be eligible for ‘graduated driving licences’. These would restrict them to a radius of 20 or 30 miles from home and ban them from night-time driving.

Driving licences expire when a driver turns 70, and those wanting to stay on the roads must inform the DVLA of medical conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, diabetes (if treated with insulin) and any condition that affects both eyes or the total loss of sight in one eye. Reviews take place every three years.

According to a Sunday Times report, there has been an increase in elderly drivers on the roads in the last 25 years, with the proportion of drivers over 70 doubling, from a third to two thirds. However, the number of deaths on the road in this age group leapt from 95 in 2010 to 145 last year, while fatalities for every other age group fell sharply or stayed stable.

Proposal could lead to loneliness

Edmund King, president of the AA, criticised the possible plan, warning it could lead to loneliness, and called on the medical profession to report drivers to the DVLA: “They are there to save lives and what better way to save lives than to prevent someone who you know is capable of killing through their own medical condition,” he said.

However, Edward Trewhella, chief executive of Driving Mobility, defended the proposals, saying many elderly motorists stick to their own local area already. “They go to the shop, the doctor’s surgery, go and see a granddaughter down the road, probably on minor roads with which they are familiar.

“This process would regularise that, and make it legal for them to do so as long as they didn’t take a trip outside of an area or outside of a time restriction. That would mean that they were driving safely within their familiar environment.”

ALSO READ:

What to do if you fill your car with the wrong fuel

Car finance jargon guide: what you need to know

The RAC has called on Scottish authorities to conduct “swift corrective maintenance” to the North Coast 500 route in Scotland ahead of the summer, following a report that the roads are in a “terrible” condition.  

The North Coast 500 follows the main roads along the coastal edges of northern Scotland and is popular with sightseers and car enthusiasts due to the rugged nature of the terrain – and twisting roads. 

According to The Scotsman, the 519-mile tourist trail has ‘big holes in sections’ and there are also ‘suspension-destroying’ potholes along the route.   

Fraser Mackenzie, a Highlands-based renewable energy project manager, claimed a harsh winter and underinvestment has led to a deterioration in maintenance and said some sections resemble a cart track. He said: “The surface has gone from huge sections, with an uncountable number of potholes and mere metres of newish tarmac”.

‘A blessing and a curse’

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis told Motoring Research: “The wild, exposed nature of many of the roads that make up the NC500 are both a blessing and a curse – great from a scenic point of view, but a real problem when it comes to the elements getting the better of them.”

Dennis added: “This year, the colder winter we’ve had means potholes are likely to make driving some stretches of the route a lot less enjoyable, but they also risk causing expensive damage to vehicles. 

“Between October and December last year, RAC patrols attended more than 1,400 breakdowns nationally where potholes were most likely to be the cause, and without some swift corrective maintenance it looks as though the arrival of spring could coincide with many more drivers running into problems, including on the NC500 itself.”

Responding to the complaint, a spokesman for Highland Council – which is responsible for maintaining the majority of the route – said: “The recent severe weather between January and March has caused considerable damage to Highland roads. We have a process in place regarding potholes and defects, and all incidents that are reported are followed up.”

ALSO READ:

The best car and motoring events for enthusiasts in 2021

New Honda Civic Type R 2021 review

Jaguar F-Pace SVR 2021 review

EV entrepreneur Henrik Fisker has predicted that petrol and diesel cars could fall out of favour with the public well before the UK’s 2030 ban on the sale of new fossil-fuelled vehicles (excluding hybrids).

Speaking to Motoring Research, the founder of the eponymous EV start-up suggested motorists wouldn’t buy a petrol or diesel car for fear of losing money on it. “If you buy a petrol or diesel car in 2023 – who is going to buy that car in 2026? You won’t be allowed to drive into the centre of London or Manchester and everyone hates the car because it is essentially forbidden,” he said.

“It’s like trying to sell a horse to someone who needs to commute to work every day and saying ‘why don’t you just ride that to work?’ It isn’t going to work anymore. Gasoline vehicles could be extinct much faster and the resale value is going to fall.”

Fisker’s company is set to launch its Tesla Model Y-rivalling Ocean EV in the UK in late 2022. He says British customers will pay the same price for vehicles as Americans, because European-bound models will be manufactured by Magna Steyr in Austria.

“Our vehicle has a price of $37,500, which will translate to less than €40,000 (£35,632). We won’t upcharge people in England. Because it is coming from Graz, you don’t have to factor in transport costs from America, so pricing will be pretty similar,” he said.

Specifications for the Ocean are yet to be revealed in full, but Fisker says it has a maximum range of 350 miles, calculated using the American testing cycle, so he expects the European test to record a higher figure.

Like Tesla, Fisker said the Ocean will be fitted with ‘fun’ features: “I know in England it can suddenly start raining and we are planning a special ‘UK mode’ which we will announce closer to the launch,” he teased.

‘Different plugs become annoying’

Fisker did, however, take a swipe at his Californian rival over its decision to build up its own Supercharger network and socket design.

“I don’t think it would be an advantage for the customer if every car maker makes their own charging station and own plug like Tesla has done because it becomes annoying for the consumer. Ultimately, the consumer needs to be able to go to any charging station – just like you would go to a gas station – and charge your car.”

Fisker confirmed the Ocean will be fitted with a CCS plug and will be able to accept a charging speed that adds 100 miles of range within 10 minutes.

ALSO READ:

Tesla to build UK gigafactory in Somerset?

Best electric cars to buy in 2021

Read more about EVs on Motoring Electric