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Saab's new 9-3 (2007): first official pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 15 May 2007 11:47 Is this really an all-new Saab 9-3? It’s as new as new Saab 9-3s get, until the real new 9-3 arrives in 2010. The Swedish company has once more given its ageing 9-3 a new lease of life with this heavily revised new version – topped of by a rapid 300bhp twin-turbo performance version.

Call for reform over road repair funding

FUNDING patterns mean most road maintenance is being carried out in "less-efficient, cold and wet" times, a report from a Government spending watchdog has said. The current pattern of funding, combined with the need to spend money within the financial year, means that most maintenance work goes on between September and March, said the report from the National Audit Office (NAO). It went on: "Although this is less disruptive for road users, it is less efficient than carrying out the work at other times of year because materials can be more difficult to handle in cold and wet conditions, and daylight hours are shorter." The report went on: "As a result of the additional funding for emergency repairs, which is made available at the end of the financial year, almost all highways authorities need extra capacity from the market at the same time, which makes it less likely that they will get value for money." The NAO report said there was a "lack of predictability" over road spending adding that historically, local highway authorities spent more revenue on maintenance, but were now carrying out fewer routine activities such as clearing gullies which are essential to preventing water seeping into roads' sub-structure.

New so-called 'stealth' speed cameras: don't panic

REX Speed cameras: rumours of their death have been greatly exaggerated. Two years ago we were reporting on the number of road safety partnerships switching off their speed cameras – now the Highways Agency has revealed a new system that will offer more cost-effective motorway monitoring. Though officially called Hadsec3 – Highways Agency digital enforcement camera system – the mainstream national press has already dubbed the new speed cameras ‘stealth cameras’, on the basis that they are small and grey, rather than bright yellow.