News in brief

A road in south east England that cost £26 million just to protect from protesters opened on Tuesday night, according to Reuters.. The construction of the eight-mile Newbury bypass, which now cuts through what was once heavily wooded English countryside, was opposed at every stage by more than 1,000 anti-road protesters. The bypass, built to take traffic around the market town of Newbury, was opened to traffic just after midnight with only two hours notice.

The UK plans to alter fuel duty to encourage the use of ultra-low sulphur diesel, according to Reuters. Economic Secretary to the Treasury Patricia Hewitt said on Wednesday during a parliamentary debate on the road haulage industry, that she hoped supermarkets would soon be offering the ‘green’ diesel at the same price as regular diesel. Hewitt rejected complaints that high fuel taxes were allowing European continental haulage firms to take business from British companies. “It is important that this government ensures by the effective use of taxes that the lorries on the road are the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly that are available,” Hewitt said.