As Colonial Pipeline resumes deliveries, the US faces a new roadblock: a shortage of truck drivers to transport petrol to stations.
Drivers encountering fuel shortages in parts of the U.S. East and South may find it takes weeks before …
Yesterday Congress approved the first Law against Climate Change in Spain with which it seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 23%, promote clean energy and decarbonize the economy. However, Spain falls short when it comes to collecting environmen…
A British haulier has accused migrants in Calais of attacking one of his company’s lorries in an alleged desperate attempt to cross the English channel.
Ed Rogers, owner of E.M. Rogers Transport, told the MailOnline that one of his lorries was attacked in France[2] with iron bars and breeze blocks in a road ambush.
The windscreen and door windows of the truck were smashed, and Mr Rogers said the driver was left feeling ‘very shaken and upset’ by the incident.
A British haulier has accused migrants in Calais of attacking one of their lorries in an alleged desperate attempt to cross the English channel. Ed Rogers, owner of E.M.Rogers Transport, told the MailOnline that one of his lorries was attacked in France with iron bars and breeze blocks in a road ambush
‘The Road was blocked with barriers erected by refugees trying to stop our lorry’ just outside the Calais port, Mr Rogers told the MailOnline in an email on Saturday.
‘Our driver tried to proceed by going around the barrier, at which point he was stopped again, with the lorry attacked with metal bars and rocks.’
Pictures of the lorry, shared by the businessman, showed its smashed windows and broken body work from where he claims it was attacked by the migrants.
‘One of our colleagues attacked with iron bars and breeze blocks in Calais last night by illegal immigrants attempting to cross into the UK. Not the first time and probably won’t be the last,’ the company wrote on Instagram, sharing the photographs.
Two large, circular smashes are seen in the windshield with some holes in the glass, while the door windows appear to have been totally destroyed.
‘Fortunately our driver is safe, but he is very shaken and upset.
‘In what other industry would someone be exposed to this type of assault whilst going about there daily work?’ Mr Rogers questioned.
The windscreen and door windows of the truck were smashed, and Mr Rogers said the driver was left feeling ‘very shaken and upset’ by the incident. Pictures of the lorry, shared by the businessman, shows its smashed windows and broken body work from where he claims it was attacked by migrants
Mr Rogers, whose company transports rare, valuable and classic cars across Europe on its lorries, called for more action to be taken to protect haulage workers driving in and out of mainland Europe.
‘I know the world is in Pandemic mode,’ he said, ‘but please remember 12 months ago, truck drivers were considered key workers.
The government needs ‘to provide safe passage for our truck drivers coming in and out of Europe, while these desperate people trying to get in to our country put them in danger on a daily basis,’ he added.
The alleged attack on Mr Roger’s company’s lorry would not be the first instance of British hauliers being attacked by migrants in Calais.
Pictured: Migrants run across the A 16 motorway in an attempt to climb into the back of lorries bound for Britain while traffic is stopped upon waiting to board shuttles at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel site in Calais, northern France, on December 10, 2020
In December last year, it was reported[3] that a gang of 15 migrants left a British driver bloodied after smashing the window of his cab with a rock as he waited in a queue.
Andy Couper, 57, was left with blood pouring down his face after being attacked by the gang while waiting in his vegetable-filled lorry to board a ferry at the French port.
He told The Telegraph after the incident how some of the migrants tried to get into his lorry before ‘someone hit the truck’ and the ‘whole passenger window’ was smashed, leaving him injured.
(Bloomberg) -Friday, May 14, 2021 at 1:03 pm | ג’ סיון תשפ”א
Tanker trucks parked near fuel storage tanks connected to the Colonial Pipeline Co. system in in Baltimore. (Bloomberg/Samuel Corum)
Drivers encountering fuel shortages in parts…
WE NEED shed no tears for the French fishermen claiming that they can’t survive under the proposed new regulations, and they will need to do what our fishermen were forced to do in the 1970s, when Edward Heath ceded the nation’s sovereignty to the EU/Common Market.
He personally agreed to our compliance with their CFP Common Fisheries Policy (never discussed by Parliament), wreaking economic havoc in Grimsby, Whitby, Lowestoft, Peterhead, Brixham, and dozens of smaller fishing communities.
It required thousands to seek alternative employment.
It was a monumental betrayal, and even the ‘party of the working class’ has ignored their plight for nigh on 50 years.
Today the subject is studiously avoided by the media, remainers and Westminster, so we should applaud Jersey, Guernsey et al for putting it centre stage.
Peter McHugh
Alvechurch
LAST year the Prime Minister introduced bills that would remove many people’s rights, freedoms and civil liberties.
Since then the economy has been on its knees, small businesses ruined, hospitality killed and billions of pounds spent.
We have had restrictions on hugging friends and family and loved ones who live in different houses.
Billions have been spent on test and trace and people told to wear masks and we have been locked down on several occasions.
Children have been told to wear masks in lessons and had to have tests shoved up their noses twice a week.
According to the figures there are now hardly any deaths in the UK yet the idea of freedom passports are still being mooted for people to get into pubs, shops and other venues.
Surely with so many of people’s rights, freedoms and civil liberties eroded, if we are going to get back to normal, those civil liberties need to be returned – and returned without the condition of so-called ‘freedom passports’.
Phil Haynes
Catshill
WE ARE humbled and appreciative of all the generous support during the recent election.
Working together, we will fight for Droitwich and look to ensure we get investment and support.
We have a terrific heritage offer to champion and we must see the investment we need to support our growing population with suitable infrastructure.
Coun Richard Morris
Coun Bob Brookes
Worcestershire County Council
ACROSS the country, thousands of children and young people are subjected to horrific exploitation and abuse every year.
They are groomed by predators with offers of friendship, gifts, cash and status then coerced using terrifying threats and violence into crimes like trafficking drugs in ‘county lines’ operations. Children are also exploited for sex and some are forced to work in premises like car washes and nail bars.
In the West Midlands in 2019/20, gangs were identified as a risk 1,650 times in assessments of children referred to social services, while trafficking was deemed to be a factor on 460 occasions, both indicators of child criminal exploitation.
Risks of child sexual exploitation were highlighted in 2,040 assessments and in 1,990 instances, children going missing, also a sign of exploitation, was pinpointed as a factor.
Many children are too scared to tell adults what is happening.
That’s why we need your help. During the week from Monday, May 17, The Children’s Society is running a ‘Look Closer’ Awareness Week with the National County Lines Coordination Centre and police forces across the country including British Transport Police.
Our ongoing #Look Closer campaign urges everyone – from commuters and delivery drivers to hotel and shop staff – to look out for signs of child exploitation in public spaces and their neighbourhood and report any concerns.
Signs could include children carrying large amounts of cash, appearing under the control of others, looking lost, or travelling alone at night.
Trauma may lead to children appearing angry or aggressive rather than vulnerable or upset as people might expect – so look beyond the obvious.
Anyone worried about a child can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
If there is an immediate risk to a child dial 999. If you are on a train text British Transport Police on 61016
You may not be sure about your concerns, but trust your instincts.
Your phone call could be a crucial first step in helping a child escape a situation of terrible abuse and unimaginable trauma.
Mark Russell
Chief Executive
The Children’s Society
THIS June Animal Aid will once again be hosting our Summer Vegan Pledge.
The Summer Vegan Pledge is the perfect opportunity for those who are interested in trying a plant-based diet to do so.
The production of animal products, such as meat and dairy, is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution, land use and fresh water.
Those who sign up to the Summer Vegan Pledge will have access to all of the information they need to go vegan.
Sign up for free at: animalaid.org.uk/SVP21[1]
T Bradbury,
Animal Aid
ALTHOUGH many telephone boxes will probably have not been used for years, their ornate appearance – particularly traditional red kiosks – definitely adds something to the landscape which is why communities taking them over makes sense.
As well as ‘providing the best of both worlds’, Farrah McNutt’s vision for the ‘Digital Safety Pods’ – which will be piloted in Rubery – could also be life-saving.
So anyone out there who can support this project, please come forward and help make a difference.
What pressing issues do you feel need addressing in Droitwich and Bromsgrove? Send us your views to [email protected][2]
Sadiq Khan[2] has confirmed he will expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone in a move set to cost up to 350,000 motorists £12.50-a-day to drive into London[3].
The newly re-elected Mayor of London will make the zone 18 times larger than it is currently.
The move will force owners of older, more-polluting vehicles that don’t comply with strict emission standards to pay a £12.50 daily fee – in addition to the congestion charge – if driving through the zone.
Around 100,000 more cars, 35,000 vans and 3,000 lorries will be affected. Lorries and buses who don’t pay the fees will be slapped with a £100 fine.
The AA put its estimate at the number of motorists affected at 350,000.
Transport for London has estimated its total income from the expanded ULEZ, along with congestion charge and low emission zones, will hit £762million this financial year.
Between 2022 and 2023, this number could hit £1.157billion.
Sadiq Khan has confirmed he will expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone which is set to cost up to 350,000 motorists £12.50-a-day to drive into London (a London road, file image)
The newly re-elected Mayor of London will make the zone 18 times larger (expansion proposal, pictured) than it is currently
The move will force owners of older, more-polluting vehicles that don’t comply with strict emission standards to pay a £12.50 daily fee – in addition to the congestion charge – if driving through the ULEZ (file image)
Petrol cars must comply with the Euro 4 engine standards – usually vehicles registered from January 2006 – or face paying the fee.
Meanwhile, diesel cars will need to pay up unless they meet the Euro 6 standard – meaning they were registered after September 2015.
The capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone – which was introduced in 2019 – will cover the streets inside the North and South Circular roads under Khan’s new plans.
The move will come into force on October 25.
Mr Khan said: ‘I pledge to be the greenest Mayor London’s ever had with a mandate from Londoners to put the environment and climate policies at the heart of my second term in office. Today I am reaffirming my commitment to speed up the cleaning of London’s toxic air.
‘In central London, the Ultra Low Emission Zone has already helped cut toxic roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution by nearly half and led to reductions that are five times greater than the national average.
‘But pollution isn’t just a central London problem, which is why expanding the ULEZ later this year will benefit Londoners across the whole of the city and is a crucial step in London’s green recovery.
‘There is no time to waste. We know pollution hits the poorest Londoners the hardest which is why I’m doing everything I can to improve the health for all Londoners.’
Jemima Hartshorn, founder of pollution campaign group Mums for Lungs, said: ‘Mums for Lungs has campaigned for an expansion of the ULEZ for over three years now, so we are glad that this scheme will be implemented very soon.
‘The ULEZ in central London has really reduced NO2-pollution across the area, and more children will benefit from ULEZ expansion.
‘But more is needed to ensure that London meets World Health Organization guidelines, so we call on the Mayor, national government, councils and business to work together to ensure breathing no longer harms the health of London’s children.’
Among the car models which will fall foul of the ULEZ charges are some 2015 Ford Focus, Fiat Panda, Citroen and Vauxhall Astra models.
The new ULEZ zone will operate 24 hours a day for seven days of the week within the same area of central London as the Congestion Charge.
Research showed the health damage from cars and vans across the UK costs £6billion a year to the NHS and society, with the bill in London £650million.
Officials said expanding the ULEZ – and stricter standards for heavy vehicles across London – would result in more than 100,000 Londoners no longer living in areas exceeding legal air quality limits in 2021.
All areas in the capital are expected to see reductions in pollution.
Furthermore, research shows that those exposed to the worst air pollution are more likely to be deprived Londoners and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
There is also emerging evidence linking air pollution with an increased vulnerability to the most severe impacts of Covid.
Mr Khan has been pushing hard for London to spearhead new measures to reduce vehicle emissions in the capital since being sworn in as mayor in 2016.
This includes the introduction of the T-Charge in 2018 – which was superseded by ULEZ in 2019.
Last year, a study by Environmental Defense Fund Europe found that harmful air pollution from diesel vehicles was 23 per cent higher outside London’s current ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ).
The study – which gathered pollution data from 231 sites in London and tracked levels of toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) – found the five worst locations were all outside the ULEZ.
In 2018, Mr Khan (pictured) confirmed the extension of the ULEZ after growing concerns about rising pollution levels in the capital
NOx pollution is an umbrella term which includes nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which can lead to health issues like inflaming airways while aggravating existing heart and lung diseases.
London has breached legal limits for NO2 since 2010 and last year it was revealed more than 2 million Londoners are living in areas exceeding legal air limits – including 400,000 children.
As well as NOx, common pollutants from diesel include unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter – microscopic particles of matter.
Diesel vehicles pour out more ultra-fine particles than all other vehicles, which are the most toxic of the air pollution particles.
A new rail service which will take 5,000 lorry journeys off of one of county Kilkenny’s busiest roads is due to start next month.
Iarnród Éireann, XPO Logistics and the Port of Waterford in Belview, county Kilkenny this morning announced they are to begin a new twice-weekly rail freight service between Ballina in county Mayo and Plunkett Station in Waterford.
The news comes as a huge boost to the economy of the South East and has potential to benefit both Belview Port in county Kilkenny and Rosslare Europort in county Wexford.
The twice weekly rail service – in both directions, will reduce emission on the delivery of the freight by 75% and will travel through county Kilkenny to Dublin, before heading west toe County Mayo.
The new service will take up to 100 lorries a week off the busy N24 road which has been the site of many accidents and deaths over the past two decades.
Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade said, “We are entering a very exciting phase where rail freight can offer key solutions for the movement of freight as the country addresses both environmental and congestion challenges in this sector.
“Today’s announcement with XPO and Waterford Port demonstrates the viable opportunities that can be developed that will not just support industry and the logistics sector but is also fully aligned with the country’s climate action plan,” Mr Meade concluded.
Dan Myers, managing director, transport – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said: “We take environmental protection seriously at XPO. So we are pleased to work in partnership with Irish Rail in delivering an intermodal solution, with the flexibility of loading and unloading goods in a drop-trailer setting. Our goal is always to manage supply chain activities as efficiently as possible whilst helping our customers lower their carbon footprint.”
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the announcement and said: “The way we choose to connect communities and businesses will be critically important as we look to halve our emissions by 2030.
Rail and other sustainable solutions will play an important role on our journey to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This new freight service offers a climate friendly option connecting enterprises from the West to the Southeast of the country and onwards to export markets,” Minister Ryan concluded.
The alleged incident involving a heavy truck and a small car on a narrow residential street at the junction of Wreaks Road and Kingsley Road has alarmed members of Kingsley Ward Action Group.
Action group member Gary Tremble said: “This is a residential area and it is being treated like a building site with absolutely no regard for the residents.
“The car was in a collision while stationary with a truck which was on the wrong side of the road.
“To make matters worse, no rear license plate appears appears to be visible on the rear of the truck in the photograph I have.
“Trucks have to be stopped from using our road as part of a construction site.
“It’s dangerous. Is it going to take a death to get something done?”
Residents in the tightly packed narrow part of town between Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane near Knaresborough Road have been protesting about the situation for 30 months.
Kingsley Ward Action Group have fought a running battle against developers from early 2019, usually without success.
They say the lengthy list of new housing in the same part of town by different developers in what was once greenfield space is ill-judged and ill thought-out in regard to the overall consequences for the entire area near Harrogate High School and Bilton fields leading to Nidd Gorge.
Kingsley Ward Action Group claims local residents have had to cope with hundreds of truck movements a day along with the noise, pollution, dust and damage to the existing road system.
On top of that, some of their streets have been dug up more than once to lay cables, water pipes and other infrastructure by utility companies to cate for the new developments with all the noise and mess that that entails.
As well as more than 500 new houses, the end result, they add, will be hundreds of more cars feeding into the existing traffic congestion on nearby Knaresborough Road.
While criticised by Kingsley Ward Action Group, both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council says the Local Plan and the planning system are being followed in new housing developments.
Issues such as traffic problems and transport links are assessed an, where, there are problems, they do try to intervene within correct procedure.
In fact, Harrogate Borough Council recently attempt to block one set of plans in the area for 149 new homes at Kingsley Farm.
But, after Richborough Estates’ victory at the appeal stage, they decided to relent to avoid the financial costs of a further appeal for the council and local tax payers and the risk of defeat.
Kingsley Ward Action Group has passed on details of the alleged car and lorry incident to North Yorkshire County Councils Highways & Transportation department.
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