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

Sunday, 12 April 2015

BBC News

• Unsafe taxis and minibuses clampdownMore than half of minibuses, taxis and private hire vehicles checked during a two-day clampdown in Swansea were found to be unsafe.
• Heritage railway facing £18,000 lossA heritage railway may have lost £18,000 after a glass firm helping with the renovation of a train station goes into administration.

The Guardian

• Target Pluto: fastest spaceship set for epic encounter with our remotest planetNasa’s New Horizons spaceship has travelled billions of miles in nine years to answer astronomers’ questions about the tiny worldIt is the fastest spaceship ever launched and has been hurtling towards its target at a staggering 36,000mph for the past nine years. But now Nasa engineers are preparing to put their robot craft, New Horizons, on its final course – to the tiny world of Pluto.Scheduled to reach its target on 14 July, New Horizons has already covered more than three billion miles since its launch, a distance that means signals from the spacecraft now take about 4.5 hours to r...
• Tax disc loophole leaves angry drivers facing massive finesThe paper disc on the windscreen may have vanished, but now a change of ownership can mean being clamped and towed – and money for the DVLAThousands of law-abiding motorists are having their cars towed away and having being charged fines of as much as £800 after unwittingly falling foul of car tax rule changes introduced by the DVLA. Figures obtained by Guardian Money reveal that DVLA clampings have risen dramatically since October, when the agency did away with paper vehicle excise duty discs.Before the changes DVLA was clamping about 5,000 vehicles a month, but this has surged to m...
• Lufthansa doctors recommended continued treatment for Andreas Lubitz, report claimsGerman newspaper cites documents which allegedly reveal requests that pilot ‘continue to receive psychological treatment’ Doctors at Lufthansa had recommended that pilot Andreas Lubitz, who is suspected of deliberately crashing a plane in the French Alps, be given psychological treatment after he suffered a bout of depression, a German newspaper reported.Citing documents found by Germany’s air transport authority, the Bild am Sonntag said the doctors wrote that “Lubitz should continue to receive psychological treatment, even though he was deemed fit to flyâ€� by an independent expert in 2009. Co...

The Scotsman

• Cockenzie site targeted for cruise ship terminalPLANS have been unveiled for Scotland’s first purpose-built cruise ship terminal on the mainland at the site of a decommissioned coal-fired power station.

Mail Online

• Drivers caught speeding on the rise due to 'stealth' cameras used by the police  New figures show that the number of drivers caught out by the ‘grey cameras’ have soared, with 112,000 divers given penalty notices or sent to court for offences on the motorway.

The Mirror

• David Cameron's Tories' plan to axe flagship helicopter carrier in savage cuts The disclosure comes days after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon claimed a Labour government could not be trusted to fund the military properly

Bolton News

• Taxi strike over Uber 'could bring Bolton to a standstill' HUNDREDS of taxi drivers could bring Bolton to a standstill — after plans for a strike were voted through.

Bristol Live

• The Bristol Post published Bristol Cycling Campaign slams 'awful' plans for bike and walk...The Bristol Cycling Campaign has slammed plans for new bike routes to the city's £91 million arena.Proposals have been put forward for cycle and pedestrian paths, named the Temple Greenways, for people to get to the 12,000 capacity venue, which work will begin on next year.But the cycling pressure group has deemed some of the ideas awful because most are for shared use pathways with walkers. The routes run around the eastern and southern edges of Temple Meads station in order to connect...
• The Bristol Post commented Motorway speeding tickets around Bristol rise from 750 to 23,000...The number of speeding tickets on motorways around Bristol has risen from 756 to a whopping 23,086.Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the dramatic spike in drivers getting caught for flouting regulations.Digital cameras on 'smart motorways' where speed limits vary and the hard shoulder becomes a fourth lane are thought to be the cause. Parts of the M4 and M5 around the city are where most drivers have been snapped in Avon and Somerset.Grey in colour, they have been...

London Evening Standard

• One dead and six injured as stolen ambulance crashes into double-decker bus A stolen ambulance last night ploughed into a car and a double-decker bus, killing the emergency vehicle's driver and injuring six people.
• Terrifying ordeal of flight saved from plunging into sea with just SECONDS to spare An autopilot nightmare saw a hero pilot save his passengers from plunging into the sea with just seconds to spare, it has emerged.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• York ambulance was stolen just minutes before fatal bus crashPolice were searching for the private ambulance when it was involved in a crash with a car and bus on the A64 and the driver died at the scene
• Man spotted on roof of a property in Slatyford sparks police operationOfficers closed several roads in the Slatyford area of Newcastle as they brought the man from the roof to safety
• Exhibitors showcase rail history at Stationary Engine Rally in ShildonA record number of exhibitors attended the opening day of the rally as vintage steam engines were put on display at the National Railway Museum

Northern Echo

• Motorists warned of Bedale bypass construction work delays WORK is under way to create roundabouts at both ends of the Bedale bypass as part of the first phase of the £42m scheme.

This Is Local London Network

• £2,000 reward after train driver left with black eye and cut in vicious and unprovoked attack A £2,000 reward is being offered as police search for a man who head butted a train driver, leaving him with a black eye and cut to the head.

Wales Online

• Roads clear in Barry Island after traffic plan is introduced to avoid weekend congestionThe Vale of Glamorgan council introduced the new measures after massive congestion following the reopening of Barry Island Pleasure Park

Yorkshire Post

• Update: Driver of stolen ambulance dies in A64 crashTHE driver of a stolen ambulance died and six people were taken to hospital in a collision between an ambulance, a car and a double-decker bus.

Blackpool Gazette

• Revamp for town’s roundabout of woeA problem roundabout which has left some motorists in a spin has finally been revamped after a car became ‘impaled’.

Bucks Free Press

• Speed signs purchased to fight dangerous drivers in village A journey to safer roads is soon to start for drivers in two south Buckinghamshire villages, as campaigners hope to implement moveable road signs alerting people when they are going over the speed limit.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Peterborough firms rewarded for sustainable travel effortsPeterborough businesses have been rewarded for going green and encouraging people to use sustainable transport.

Other Regional Press

• Crawley News published Crawley Town fans encouraged to cycle to match against Notts...FANS are being encouraged to cycle to Crawley Town's penultimate home game of the season.The club and Crawley Borough Council are supporting the initiative as part of the Cycle Crawley campaign.Fans using a bicycle to get to the match will receive a free ticket and be able to take part in a stadium lap of honour before the match. They will also be able to get their bike checked for free, take home cycle route maps and a take part in a free raffle.As well as supervised bike parking during the...
• Speed limit for lorries raised - but will it be a disaster for Hampshire motorists? IT is the sight no motorist enjoys – staring at the back end of a lorry as an otherwise clear road stretches out in front of them.
• CitizenNews published Disabled bays are being blocked by careless drivers in Kingsholm,...Disabled drivers are unable to use their own bays because their are being blocked in by careless motorists in Kingsholm, residents say.People with mobility issues cannot reach spaces dedicated to them near their St Mark's Court homes, in Sherborne Street, due to congestion.Fire engines have also reportedly been seen struggling to get through in an emergency due to the amount of cars parked by inconsiderate drivers.Residents blame parents picking up and dropping off their children from Kingsholm...
• Supersonic car will roar into Oxford THE team behind a car designed to travel at more than 1,000mph will be in Oxford with their supersonic creation.
• More train delays, more apologies from Network Rail Network Rail has apologised for signalling problems caused by “ageing equipmentâ€� that delayed trains through Oxfordshire this week.
• Tour de Yorkshire 2015: The Sportive — everything you need to know Sportive riders can get in the saddle and experience the thrills of the race
• Carriage upgrades a step closerNew carriages for passengers on the Thameslink line through Bedford and Flitwick are moving a step closer.

Railnews

• Bombardier rules out full sale of transportion division Talks are said to be underway with banks over the future of Bombardier Transportation, which has its world headquarters in Berlin and employs almost 35,000 people, including 3,500 employees in Britain at eight sites and 23 service locations. It is being reported that the Canadian company is examining how it could 'monetise its transportation unit', which is said to be potentially worth up to £3.5 billion.

Aviation Industry

• US government to review Gulf carrier subsidy claims; establishes forum for commentThe US is reviewing a report that alleges Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways receive billions of dollars of state subsidies. The government has also established an open forum where information and views on the issue can be submitted. read more

Other News Sources

• 'Keep it open' - residents rally to save Andover Road A CAMPAIGN to stop the closure of a major Winchester road gathered momentum last week despite backlash from a rival group of residents.
• Europe's pilots set out prerequisites for the Single European SkyThe Single European Sky (SES) ndash; as well as its US counterpart NextGen ndash; is a vital project for modernising Air Traffic Management. It will profoundly change the way flight operations ...