Latest news with #TransportCommittee
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Sustainable aviation fuel not a ‘silver bullet' to decarbonisation, warns MP
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is not a 'silver bullet' to decarbonising the industry, ministers have been warned. Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, who chairs the Transport Committee, urged the Government to 'look beyond' SAF in its mission to reduce carbon emissions. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she is 'determined to make rapid progress' on the roll-out of SAF, to ensure Britain can continue to 'grow and thrive'. In January, the Government introduced a mandate which requires an increasing amount of sustainable fuel to be used by jets, with the aim of ensuring 22% of all jet fuel comes from sustainable sources by 2040. Opening a debate on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, Ms Alexander said she wants to see more passengers 'take to the skies, not less'. She told MPs: 'We're determined to make rapid progress on this issue, because we do have an ironclad belief that our success as an island nation rests on our international connectivity. 'The flow of trade, exporting British expertise, the movement of people for business and leisure, all depend on aviation continuing to grow and thrive. 'We could put our head in the sand and pretend people do not want to fly, pretend the sector does not support hundreds of thousands of jobs, that people do not look forward to foreign holidays or family reunions, that air freight isn't a significant part of our trade by value, but we'd be on the wrong side of both reality and public aspiration. 'The truth is, demand for flight is only going in one direction. According to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), passenger levels were 7% higher in 2024 than the previous year. 'If we do not respond, if we don't set aviation up for long-term success, we don't just make ourselves poorer today, we kiss goodbye to the growth and opportunity this country needs in the decades to come. 'So I'm clear, I want a future where more passengers can take to the skies, not less. But like the rest of our economy, that must mean emitting less carbon, not more. This Bill will help to secure that future.' Intervening, Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) said: 'I gather that only last week, the International Air Transport Association highlighted the fact that sustainable aviation fuels, at the moment, cost approximately five times the cost of conventional jet fuel. 'Can she explain how the measures in the Bill will bridge that gap to make it economical?' Ms Alexander replied: 'There is constrained supply at the moment, we have one commercial production facility in the UK at Immingham.' She added: 'What we need to do is build investor confidence to commercialise some of the demonstration projects in sustainable aviation fuel that exists around the country.' During the second reading debate, Ms Cadbury said: 'I know that we need to see changes in aviation to meet our really ambitious climate goals, now that aviation and shipping are included in our carbon budget, this is even more important. 'I hope that the Government will also look beyond SAF when thinking about decarbonising aviation. SAF is not and will not be the silver bullet solution to the sector's responsibility, to this country's decarbonisation strategy.' The MP for Brentford and Isleworth added: 'The Climate Change Committee warned this Parliament in 2023 that relying on SAF alone was, I quote, high risk. 'For example, Heathrow Airport is already the single greatest source of carbon emissions in the UK, and the current plans for expansion will add an extra eight to nine megatons of CO2 a year. 'And if the Government do expand Heathrow, then it will mean that other airports across the UK would face having to make cuts to ensure that aviation didn't reach its carbon targets. 'Or, furthermore, and probably both, as continuing increases in aviation emissions grow, that will have to be offset against significant cuts in emissions in other sectors. 'So I ask the Transport Secretary, what is the Government doing to address that particular challenge?' Shadow transport minister Gareth Bacon branded the Government's pledge to begin work on the Heathrow expansion in this Parliament as 'very far-fetched'. He added: 'There are substantial logistical and financial barriers to its construction, and so far, the Government has provided no solutions on these points.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sustainable aviation fuel not a ‘silver bullet' to decarbonisation, warns MP
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is not a 'silver bullet' to decarbonising the industry, ministers have been warned. Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, who chairs the Transport Committee, urged the Government to 'look beyond' SAF in its mission to reduce carbon emissions. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she is 'determined to make rapid progress' on the roll-out of SAF, to ensure Britain can continue to 'grow and thrive'. In January, the Government introduced a mandate which requires an increasing amount of sustainable fuel to be used by jets, with the aim of ensuring 22% of all jet fuel comes from sustainable sources by 2040. Opening a debate on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, Ms Alexander said she wants to see more passengers 'take to the skies, not less'. She told MPs: 'We're determined to make rapid progress on this issue, because we do have an ironclad belief that our success as an island nation rests on our international connectivity. 'The flow of trade, exporting British expertise, the movement of people for business and leisure, all depend on aviation continuing to grow and thrive. 'We could put our head in the sand and pretend people do not want to fly, pretend the sector does not support hundreds of thousands of jobs, that people do not look forward to foreign holidays or family reunions, that air freight isn't a significant part of our trade by value, but we'd be on the wrong side of both reality and public aspiration. 'The truth is, demand for flight is only going in one direction. According to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), passenger levels were 7% higher in 2024 than the previous year. 'If we do not respond, if we don't set aviation up for long-term success, we don't just make ourselves poorer today, we kiss goodbye to the growth and opportunity this country needs in the decades to come. 'So I'm clear, I want a future where more passengers can take to the skies, not less. But like the rest of our economy, that must mean emitting less carbon, not more. This Bill will help to secure that future.' Intervening, Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) said: 'I gather that only last week, the International Air Transport Association highlighted the fact that sustainable aviation fuels, at the moment, cost approximately five times the cost of conventional jet fuel. 'Can she explain how the measures in the Bill will bridge that gap to make it economical?' Ms Alexander replied: 'There is constrained supply at the moment, we have one commercial production facility in the UK at Immingham.' She added: 'What we need to do is build investor confidence to commercialise some of the demonstration projects in sustainable aviation fuel that exists around the country.' During the second reading debate, Ms Cadbury said: 'I know that we need to see changes in aviation to meet our really ambitious climate goals, now that aviation and shipping are included in our carbon budget, this is even more important. 'I hope that the Government will also look beyond SAF when thinking about decarbonising aviation. SAF is not and will not be the silver bullet solution to the sector's responsibility, to this country's decarbonisation strategy.' The MP for Brentford and Isleworth added: 'The Climate Change Committee warned this Parliament in 2023 that relying on SAF alone was, I quote, high risk. 'For example, Heathrow Airport is already the single greatest source of carbon emissions in the UK, and the current plans for expansion will add an extra eight to nine megatons of CO2 a year. 'And if the Government do expand Heathrow, then it will mean that other airports across the UK would face having to make cuts to ensure that aviation didn't reach its carbon targets. 'Or, furthermore, and probably both, as continuing increases in aviation emissions grow, that will have to be offset against significant cuts in emissions in other sectors. 'So I ask the Transport Secretary, what is the Government doing to address that particular challenge?' Shadow transport minister Gareth Bacon branded the Government's pledge to begin work on the Heathrow expansion in this Parliament as 'very far-fetched'. He added: 'There are substantial logistical and financial barriers to its construction, and so far, the Government has provided no solutions on these points.'
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Buses replace trains all long weekend in Wellington
Passengers in Wellington should expect more travel time this weekend as busses replace trains across all rail lines. Greater Wellington Transport Committee Thomas Nash spoke to Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Don't let them get away with stifling our city by stealth
Ask any car or van driver and they will confirm that Edinburgh City Council will do all it can to make it as hard as possible to get around. It often seems like our buses are deliberately caught up in the created gridlock too as daft traffic schemes have knock-on effects. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Yet it is often hard to see how the council does this because the individual schemes involved are considered one by one with no clear layout to show the combined effect. This week's Transport Committee changed that with a map hidden away in a minor report about Holyrood Park where the council is working with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to close the roads. Any car driver in Edinburgh will confirm that the council will do all it can to make it as hard as possible to get around, says Iain Whyte This is a key issue for the residents I represent in Craigentinny/Duddingston Ward as the weekend park road closures regularly bring long queues on Duddingston Road West. The current closure of Duddingston Low Road for rock falls is making this all-week long. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The map exposed the very limited network of main roads that the council thinks should be available to 'general traffic' – cars and vans to me and you – in the east of Edinburgh. The four are Seafield Road, London Road/Willowbrae Road, Holyrood Park through to Holyrood Road and Niddrie Mains Road. What is obvious is that if the eco-zealots get their way and close the roads in Holyrood Park there will be no main east-west route between Queen Street and Craigmillar. The map is part of the council's Circulation Plan which it hides under the name 'Our Future Streets'. This works in tandem with another council strategy called the City Mobility Plan. It is very rare for the council to admit what the combined impact of the many individual projects in these will be. What about the remaining main roads? Niddrie Mains Road is to become a '20-minute neighbourhood' with bus and cycle lanes, narrowing and even 'raised tables' – speed bumps in plain terms. The Seafield route is planned to have road narrowing and cycle lanes at Salamander Street, a big reduction in traffic lanes at the Harry Lauder junction and a 'vision' of a local high street feel if the council's plan for housing at Seafield ever happens. If one route closes and two are narrowed and clogged only one is left. That means displaced traffic to local residential streets and no way to get about for individuals and businesses who need a vehicle. I represent the east, but it will be the same in the south and the west. Don't let them get away with stifling our city by stealth. Let your councillors know what you think. Iain Whyte is Conservative Councillor for Craigentinny/Duddingston ward and Leader of the Conservative Group on Edinburgh City Council
BreakingNews.ie
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- BreakingNews.ie
TD calls for RSA to appear in front of Transport Committee over wait for driving tests
A Fine Gael TD has called for the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to come before the Transport Committee on the significant increase in waiting times for driving tests. Michael Murphy, the Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, has urged the RSA to outline plans to address the issue of waiting times when they come before the Transport Committee. Advertisement This comes as new centres, more testers and extended opening hours are the ways the RSA plans on cutting wait times for driving tests. Tallaght in Dublin and Navan in Meath are among the centres with the longest lists however, wait times have already begun to come down. The RSA aims to have average wait times for a test at 10 weeks, down from 25 weeks last month and the current wait time of 22 weeks. In a statement, Mr Murphy said: 'I welcome that the RSA has today released an action plan on how they will cut waiting times, but we need to examine how we got into this position in the first place with an average waiting time of 27 weeks. Advertisement 'The RSA has accepted my invitation to come before the committee and I hope they will address questions on the timeline of how this plan will be rolled out. We need details of when these changes will be put in place. 'Plans for accelerating training for new testers, expanding testing hours, and updating the booking system are all welcome, but we need a guarantee that these actions work. 'A 10-week target is very welcome, but we need to see how realistic it is to have this in place by September. 'People waiting for a test are beyond frustrated with these delays. The waiting times to undergo a driving test are really proving to be a barrier to people trying to take up work or education. Advertisement 'We want to see waiting times back to an average of 10 weeks and I welcome any proposals to do this, but we also need to hear from the RSA how they will prevent this backlog from happening again. It's completely unacceptable that waiting times ever reached that level. 'I look forward to working with the RSA and speaking with them directly when they appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee on how they can implement their plans to cut waiting times',
