Highways England officials have been accused of ignoring the people of Kent after refusing to face councillors to account for the traffic chaos caused by multiple roadworks on the M20 and M26.

Highways England chiefs were invited to come to the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board (JTB) to explain to councillors how they are managing the various works on the M20 and how they will operate the controversial Operation Brock post Brexit.

Parents buying Young Person's Travel Passes still have no choice but to pay upfront, or in two large payments following further delays to a direct debit system proposed back in February.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Dan Daley has called for clarification over when the scheme to allow parents to pay the £290 cost in monthly instalments would be introduced, but Mike Whiting, the Conservative Cabinet Member, has given no firm timescale.

• Kent County Council's Autumn Statement shows Conservative Austerity is set to continue
• Council Tax set to rise by another 5%, twice the rate of inflation
• Kent's Conservative Administration mulling a further £51.5 million of cuts that will hit the most vulnerable

The most vulnerable in society will suffer under a £51m raft of cuts proposed by the Tories if more money cannot be secured from Central Government, the Liberal Democrats have warned.

Community wardens, children's centres and services for pupils with special educational needs could all be in the firing line in a new round of austerity measures.

The Conservatives are also planning to charge for more council services, further disadvantaging the poorest in society, despite Tory councillors hiking council tax by almost 5%, twice the rate of inflation and the maximum allowed without a referendum.

The council tax increase is well above average pay increases, and will add £56 to the annual bill for Band D properties.

Under pressure from the Liberal Democrat opposition during the council's Autumn Statement debate, the Tories accepted a budget amendment tabled by Opposition Leader Rob Bird, calling on the Government to maintain Kent's Revenue Support Grant and protect the people of Kent from further unacceptable cuts.

The Government has promised that Thameslink trains will be running from Maidstone via West Malling to Central London from December 2019, following sustained pressure from Maidstone Liberal Democrats.

Today Rob Bird, County Councillor for Maidstone Central and Lib Dem Leader at Kent County Council, got official reassurance from the Department for Transport that the long-overdue services would finally start running at the end of next year.

As Government announces 'Green Great Britain Week', Lib Dems say policies don't go far enough
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson for Transport, Baroness Randerson, unveils suite of policies in report entitled 'Cleaning up the air we breathe'

Kent Liberal Democrats are calling for a ban on the sale of all new diesel cars and vans by 2025 as part of a range of measures designed to reduce air pollution and safeguard public health.

Kent Liberal Democrats have called for a ban on HGVs using the outside lane of the M20 during Operation Brock, the controversial traffic management system planned to mitigate some of the traffic chaos caused by Brexit.

If the UK leaves the customs union, the introduction of customs checks at the Port of Dover will massively increase the amount of time it takes for lorries to move through the port, causing a serious bottleneck and huge tailbacks on both sides of the Channel.

The Government's solution, dubbed 'Operation Block', will use the southbound carriageway of the M20 between junctions 8 and 9 to park lorries destined for Europe. Other traffic would be diverted onto the northbound carriageway in a contra-flow system.

Kent Liberal Democrats argue the plan will cause a severe bottleneck, gridlocking Ashford and Maidstone town centres and the surrounding roads. The narrow lanes in the contra-flow may also pose a danger to motorists, particularly if large lorries are allowed to overtake.

In response, Opposition Leader Rob Bird has written to Jim O'Sullivan, Chief Executive of Highways England, calling for a ban on HGVs using the outside lane when Operation Brock is in place.

A similar ban has been in force on the M11 since March 2017.

The party is also calling for a ban on HGV overtaking on the stretches of the M20 affected by ongoing roadworks. Highways England is carrying out work between junctions 3 and 5 as part of the installation of 'smart motorway' technology.

Drivers also have to contend with work between junctions 8 and 9, being done in preparation for Operation Brock.

As part of the work, the open lanes have been narrowed, leaving little room for the thousands of lorries that use the M20 every day. Despite the 50mph limit in force, motorists have already reported dangerous overtaking manoeuvres by HGVs, as well as left hand drive vehicles straddling both narrow lanes.

Cllr Rob Bird, Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Kent County Council, wrote: "As we have seen several times recently, accidents involving HGVs in this stretch of the M20 often result in the temporary closure of the motorway with a devastating impact on traffic congestion in the surrounding area. Yet, with 50mph limits in place, HGV drivers have little to gain from attempting to overtake each other.

"Will Highways England impose a ban on HGVs blocking the outside lane of the M20 between junctions 8 and 9 during the current works and whenever the motorway is operating as a two-lane contraflow under Operation Brock?"

Cllr Bird said: "Kent drivers will suffer enough in the event we leave the customs union, with the county potentially facing permanent gridlock. Frustration is one thing, but drivers should not be put at risk by HGVs performing dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

It is only right that Highways England does what it can to ensure drivers' safety during Operation Brock, and while this road work is being completed. There is a precedent for banning HGVs from the outside lane during roadworks, and this move will help avoid delays and perhaps even a serious accident."

Maidstone County Councillor, Rob Bird, demands answers from Secretary of State

Maidstone's high speed rail links with London have been dealt a further blow following last week's announcement that Crossrail services will be delayed until Autumn 2019.

Earlier this year Secretary of State Chris Grayling suggested Maidstone's peak time high-speed trains could be replaced by conventional services to Abbey Wood, the proposed south-east terminus of Crossrail, where commuters could connect with the new Elizabeth Line services.

Yet commuters say this is unacceptable, and Maidstone Liberal Democrats have called for the retention of the county town's direct high speed links. Keeping these services is vital as new commuter services into London continue to face delays.

The Department for Transport has already announced the long-awaited introduction of the Thameslink services from Maidstone will be further delayed to December next year. Elsewhere in Kent, there have been serious timetabling issues with Thameslink, reinforcing passengers' concerns that even this later date may not be achieved.