Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Friday, 12 December 2014

BBC News

• Translink fare increases in FebruaryTranslink says fares on buses and trains are to rise from next February - by more than three times the rate of inflation.
• Road and rail priorities set outRoad and rail projects in Wales for the next five to 30 years are set out by ministers to boost the economy and people's lives.

Financial Times

• Airbus plays down fears over A380 futureManagement scramble to reassure investors about superjumbo’s medium to long term prospects

The Guardian

• Labour MP brands Stagecoach boss a dinosaur over transport plansMichael Dugher criticises Martin Griffiths for opposing party’s proposals for more public control of trains and busesLabour has lashed out at Stagecoach, Britain’s second biggest bus company and the winner of the east coast rail franchise, as “dinosaursâ€� after its chief executive criticised the party’s plans for more public control of transport.Responding to comments made by Stagecoach’s chief executive, Martin Griffiths, in an interview in the Guardian, shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said: “Martin Griffiths is complaining about being underpaid, but he earned £2.2m last ye...

The Herald

• Trams super-complaints to go before Lord HardieRESIDENTS and firms who suffered years of tramworks misery are being urged to compile

The Scotsman

• Leaked report casts doubt over Lothian Buses bossAN INVESTIGATION into complaints against Lothian Buses chief executive Ian Craig found there was “severe doubt” over his leadership abilities.

The Telegraph

• 'Basic human decency' for mums to move their pushchairs for the disabled, Nick Clegg saysThe Deputy Prime Minister says a recent ruling that parents cannot be forced to move prams from wheelchair spaces on buses is unsettling
• The councils who are making the most from parkingSearch our table to find out how much your council make on parking
• Councils make £100m extra from parking 'through industrial use of CCTV spy-cars'Communities secretary Eric Pickles attacks town halls for
• Uber: where does the online taxi service operate - and where has it been banned?Despite Uber's recent Spain and Thailand bans, the San Francisco-based taxi company continues to spread to cities around the world
• 'Spy' cars blamed as motorists stung for extra £90mCouncils in England made £549?million parking

Mail Online

• Revealed, true scale of petrol price lottery: Mail probe highlights startling cost differences  The Daily Mail carried out a snapshot survey of prices in key areas of the UK and found price differences in the same area of up to 19p a litre, with those of up to 5p a litre almost routine.
• San Francisco's deadliest shipwreck discovered: 3D scans reveal first images of 'Titanic of the Golden Gate' which sank in 1901, killing 128 immigrants on board The SS City of Rio de Janeiro struck jagged rocks near the Golden Gate Bridge in 1901 and sank immediately, killing 128 of the 210 passengers and crew aboard the ship.
• M4 worse affected motorway with 34 scheduled repairs over Christmas week Families planning car journeys face added misery this year – with a staggering 403 roadworks projects going on during Christmas week, and the M4 will be the worst affected motorway.

The Mirror

• Prosecutions for motorway rubber-neckers who photographed lorry fire and brought M6 to standstill Cops captured the offending drivers on CCTV between junctions 4 and 4a in June and then traced them from their number plates

Network Rail

• Passengers thanked for allowing extra time at Birmingham New Street stationPassengers using Birmingham New Street station are being thanked for allowing extra time to catch their trains in the build up to Christmas.
• Weather update: Rail passengers advised to check before travelling on Friday morningPassengers in south Wales and southern England are advised to check before travelling by train on Friday morning as forecast high winds and heavy rain may lead to disruption to some services.

Birmingham Post

• Budget airline Norwegian to launch Spanish services from Birmingham Airport The airline will offer regular services to the Spanish destinations, with Madrid becoming a brand new one from Birmingham

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford Council's parking charges income halves, survey shows THE 'profit' made by Bradford Council from parking charges more than halved last year, a survey revealed today.

London Evening Standard

• Diane Abbott: Freeze London fares for four years Labour MP Diane Abbott today called for a four-year freeze in Tube, rail and bus fares for Londoners.
• Jumbo jet forced to return to Heathrow following 'loud bang' A jumbo jet was forced to return to Heathrow shortly after taking off following reports from people living in the flight path of a “loud bangâ€�.

The York Press

• MP committed to A64 dualling as part of upgrade THE MP promising improvements to the A64 has stood by his comments that a section of the road east of York will become dualled as part of a £250 million investment in Hopgrove Roundabout.
• York wins bid to keep East Coast headquarters THE new operator of the East Coast Mainline has confirmed the headquarters for the operation will remain in York.

Wales Online

• Cardiff 'garden city' plan of 7,000 homes blasted by councillors warning of transport chaos if 900-acre development goes aheadThere has been cross-party criticism of a planned £2bn project to build thousands of new homes in the northwest of the capital over the next two decades

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Chaos warning as derby day fans and Christmas shoppers flood BirminghamThere are warnings of a weekend of chaos on the railway as bumper Christmas shopping crowds cram on to services with football fans attending a premiership derby.

Yorkshire Post

• Coining it in from Leeds council car parksLEEDS CITY Council raked in £6.8m in ‘profit’ from parking charges in 2013/14 - ten per cent more than the previous year.

Blackpool Gazette

• Masterplan unveiled for Fylde coast transportBlackpool council is teaming up with the county council to draw up a transport masterplan for the Fylde coast.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Businesses, commuters and families will be celebrating today as the completed A11 dual carriageway near Thetford is officially openedThe A11 is open for business.
• Rail services cancelled between Ipswich and FelixstoweA signalling fault has cancelled two rail services between Ipswich and Felixstowe.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Werrington and Peakirk residents’ plea on rail plansTwo petitions signed by 752 people in Peterborough opposed to plans to increase freight services on the railway have been presented to Parliament.

Other Regional Press

• Rail and road double whammy for festive travel COMMUTERS face Christ-mas motorway madness on top of planned festive rail delays.
• Roadworks will force changes to Oxford bus services THERE will be a number of changes to bus routes and timetables in Oxford in the New Year, Stagecoach and Oxford Bus Company have announced. New timetables are being introduced to allow extra journey time due to roadworks beginning on Frideswide Square, The Plain and London Road, Headington. From Sunday, January 4, special timetables will be introduced on the number 1/5, 3, 8 and 9 services operated by the two bus companies. There will also be changes to the timetable of Stagecoach’s Headington Connect services 800 and 900. On the number 3 route, which runs from Rose Hill, buses will not go ...
• Snow update: Be aware of 'hazardous driving conditions' say Met OfficePotential for icy roads this evening say forecasters :: Sub zero temperatures predicted tomorrow evening
• New Huddersfield M62 junction, Cooper Bridge and Calderdale Way improvements and more in £1.4bn West Yorkshire plan set out todayCouncil leaders from across West Yorkshire expected to back the major transport fund

Railnews

• Passenger figures rise again Statistics published today by the Office of Rail Regulation say that the number of passenger journeys on franchised rail services reached 407.7 million between July and September this year, a 4.4 per cent increase on the same quarter last year. The ORR said it was the highest number of journeys recorded in a quarter since the present series of data collection began in 2002-03.

Other News Sources

• Council stands by favoured route for Hereford's £25m southern link road Cabinet set to reject scrutiny concerns that the selection of SC2 could have breached the council's constitution, citing the
• Cambridge helps put driverless cars into overdriveCambridge University is a partner in a three-year, multi-million pound project designed to integrate driverless cars into everyday use. Read more...
• Ryanair Extends London Stansted Summer 2015 Schedule With New Route To Deauville Ryanair, Europersquo;s favourite airline, today (11 Dec) extended its London Stansted summer 2015 schedule with a new route to Deauville in France which will operate twice weekly from 3rd April....
• Thetrainline.com pilots mobile ticketing serviceSite trialling the purchase of tickets via its app
• Sixt teams up with BMW to launch Drive Now in LondonPay-by-the-minute cars available in certain London boroughs