Professional Transport Services

11/06/2026

Police Appeal following theft of 6,000 litres of fuel from plant vehicles

Police are appealing for information following the theft of thousands of litres of fuel from a construction site in Cheltenham.

It reports that 6,000 litres of petrol were taken from plant vehicles assisting with the construction at junction 10 of the M5 last month.

The theft is believed to have taken place over the late May Bank Holiday, between 5pm on Friday, May 23, and 7am on Tuesday, May 26.

The thieves, which broke into the site near Boddington, Cheltenham, syphoned off the fuel from within a secure compound.

Officers have carried out CCTV checks and forensic investigations, and they are now appealing for anybody with information to come forward.

They would like to speak to anybody who may have witnessed any people or vehicles acting suspiciously in the area. They are also keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage which they believe to be relevant.

Anyone with information is asked to provide it through the website below, quoting occurrence 53260040774. Alternatively, they can call 101, quoting the same reference number.

On this page, find out how you can contact us in order to update a crime that has already been reported to us.

08/06/2026

No blanket requirement for in-scope closed-door home-to-school compliance with PSVAR beyond 31 July, minister Lightwood has confirmed.

04/06/2026

TC Miles Dorrington to retire

Miles Dorrington, Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands Traffic Area, is to retire from his role as a full-time Traffic Commissioner.

26/05/2026

Safety-critical temporary weight restriction on Vauxhall Bridge from July 2026

A new safety-critical 18 tonne weight restriction, except buses and emergency vehicles, will be introduced on the Vauxhall Bridge from 1 July 2026 to ensure the structure remains safe for everyone using it. A diversion route for vehicles above this weight will be put in place for those travelling both northbound and southbound. Vauxhall Bridge carries 39,500 vehicles every day, of which only around 200 - around 0.5 per cent of current traffic - are more than 18-tonnes and typically heavy goods vehicles. The bridge has been closed to abnormal loads (any vehicle exceeding 44 tonnes gross weight or 11.5 tonnes per axle) since 2023.

24/05/2026

Electric van MOT change date announced

The Department for Transport (DfT) has finally announced the date when it will change the MOT requirements for electric vans weighing between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes.
Fleets have faced continuing uncertainty over when rule changes designed to ease electric van adoption would be implemented by the UK Government.
A consultation was launched in December 2024 on the changes to the rules, which would see heavier electric vans moved from heavy goods vehicle (HGV) testing requirements to Class 7 MOT rules.
In its consultation response, which was published in November last year, the DfT said it would implement the changes.
Now, it has announced that from June 1, new electric vans weighing between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes will only need their first MOT three years after registration, rather than one year after registration and then annually.

Further information:

DfT finally announces date when it will change the MOT requirements for electric vans weighing between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes.

21/05/2026

Great British Railways first branded train unveiled



A historic moment for Britain’s railway marked as the first Great British Railways (GBR) branded train was unveiled in Brighton.

The first GBR-branded train, a Class 387 operated by Southern, has been unveiled, to mark Britain’s largest train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) joining the growing publicly owned network next Sunday, 31 May 2026. It also comes ahead of the first anniversary of South Western Railway entering public ownership.

From 31 May, Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services will enter public ownership. GTR joins West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western, which are currently managed by DfT Operator Limited (DFTO).

Chiltern Railways’ services will be next to transfer on 20 September 2026, followed by Great Western Railway on 13 December 2026, marking another significant step in plans to bring services into public ownership. The full public ownership programme is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

Further information:

First Great British Railways‑branded train unveiled as services move into public ownership, with new branding rolling out across England’s rail network.

21/05/2026

Pilot buried in France on 86th anniversary of his death

Sqn Ldr Fidler joined the RAF in 1934 and served in Egypt, with shorter postings in Cyprus and India. Praised as an exceptional pilot, he joined 607 Squadron in February 1940 and was shot down over Cambrai on 19 May 1940.

His remains were first thought to have been recovered and buried in Bachy, France. But in 2005, metal detectorists found wreckage 35km away at Oisy-le-Verger, including a piece marked ‘P3535’, suggesting it came from his Hurricane.

The MOD then investigated the grave in Bachy and found it could not confirm Fidler was buried there, as two RAF sergeants lost that day had not been considered. The headstone was changed to ‘unknown Airman’, and Fidler’s name was added to the memorial to the missing.

In 2022, canal works at Oisy-le-Verger uncovered a Hurricane with the pilot still inside, near where Fidler’s aircraft was last seen. DNA testing confirmed the pilot was Sqn Ldr Fidler.

The service was organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), or ‘MOD War Detectives’, which identifies recovered British military casualties.

Further information:

Members of the public gathered in France yesterday (19 May 2026) to witness the burial with full military honours of a World War Two Hurricane Pilot. Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) George Morley Fidler was laid to rest exactly 86 years after he was lost.

21/05/2026

Operators warned AI is moving fast

The logistics sector is entering a new era of rapid technological change, with delegates at the Microlise Transport Conference in Manchester warned that AI is now evolving faster than many operators are able to adapt. This is adding to wider pressures on supply chains, where keeping operations safe, resilient and efficient has become just as challenging as digitising them.

From AI and automation to cyber security, infrastructure and driver safety, the message from the event was that while technology may now sit at the centre of modern transport operations, people, culture and decision-making still determine whether systems succeed or fail.

Further information:

The logistics sector is entering a new era of rapid technological change, with delegates at the Microlise Transport Conference in Manchester warned that AI is now evolving faster than many operators are able to adapt. This is adding to wider pressures on supply chains, where keeping operations safe,...

18/05/2026

Chancellor expected to scrap fuel duty rise

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce later this week that she is shelving the planned 5 pence per litre increase in fuel duty.
The move, expected to be announced on Thursday May 21 as part of range of measures to help business and families, comes after fleets have been hit with unprecedented rising pump prices as result of the Iran war.

Within the Autumn Budget fuel duty was identified as being frozen at its current rate until September 2026, after which it would increase by 1p from September 1, 2026, 2p from December 1, 2026, and 2p from March 1, 2027.
The Treasury currently receives roughly half of what people pay on the forecourt.

Plans to abandon the fuel duty rise will cost an expected £2.4bn.

Further information:

Chancellor under pressure to shelve plans to increase fuel duty amid ongoing blockade on Strait of Hormuz

17/05/2026

HGV and PSV BRAKE TEST COURSE.

Understand the brake testing regime and the brake test report. Training and guidance by experts in the field, plus physical brake test experience.

Bring your questions and queries to the half day, fully certificated, training course.

Contact The Institute of Transport Administration to book your place

020 7167 3271 [email protected]