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

Wednesday, 20 May 2015

BBC News

• Legal challenge against rail strikeNetwork Rail launches legal action against the TSSA rail union over its bank holiday strike, saying there are
• Runway 'fracture' airport reopensFlights resume at London City Airport after emergency work is carried out on a

Financial Times

• Network Rail challenges strike actionBank holiday walkout over pay would be UK railworkers biggest’ action since early 1990s
• Minicab boss warns on emission-free planAddison Lee chief says the capital is not ready for electric taxi fleets

The Guardian

• Poll finds drivers texting, tweeting and taking selfies behind the wheelSixty percent of US motorists text, study finds, 33% email and 10% even use video chat - while 30% who use Twitter while driving say they do it ‘all the time’America’s roads are getting more dangerous than ever as drivers text, tweet, take selfies and even video chat, according to a new poll by AT&T.The telecoms company has commissioned research from the data firm Braun, which found that not only do 60% of drivers admit to texting behind the wheel, 33% work on email, 10% video chat, 14% use Instagram and 28% surf the internet.mom is taking a selfie while driving are you kidding me safE...

The Telegraph

• Network Rail urges rail union to call off strike over ballot 'defects'TSSA union urged to withdraw notice of industrial action as families braced for first national rail strike in two decades on Bank Holiday Monday
• Hero pilot directed falling plane away from motorwayJohn Gill was killed instantly when his tiny Cessna aircraft plummeted to the ground unexpectedly
• Southern Railway fines passengers forced to stand in first classTrain operator Southern Railway insists it had every right to fine the commuters

City AM

• Stop the dithering: Cameron needs to make an early call on airport expansionAS MPs arrive in Westminster to take their seats in the House of Commons this week, one of the bigger decisions they will face – and one which I believe must be taken urgently – is the decision to build a new London runway.

Mail Online

• Southern Railway fines commuters forced to stand in first class carriage Passengers were told to pay £20 in penalties even though there was no room for them in standard class on the packed morning service from Surrey to London.
• Bosses at Network Rail issue High Court ultimatum to one of the unions planning walkout over the bank holiday weekend Network Rail has asked the TSSA rail union to withdraw notice of industrial action or face High Court action. Bosses have cited 'numerous defects' in the union's ballot.

The Mirror

• Faulty airbag concerns leads to 34MILLION cars being taken off the road in mass recall Japanese supplier Takata has doubled the size of its already existing safety announcement and it mainly affects cars in the US

Birmingham Mail

• Drivers face another six months of misery on the M6 as repair scheme lags behindImprovements around M6 and M5 link should have been finished this month but work will now run until November
• Plane steward jailed for smuggling fake passports into Birmingham Airport in his PANTS Shaukat Ali Cheema, 59, sentenced to five years after also hiding 13 driving licences in his underwear

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Calls to lower drink-drive limit backed in West Yorkshire CALLS from the Police Federation to lower the drink-drive limit, amid concerns that women motorists are not getting the message about the issue, have been welcomed in West Yorkshire.

London Evening Standard

• Amazon delivers parcels via New York subway - but similar plans for London 'could cause chaos' Amazon is using New York’s subway system for its new ultra-fast delivery service so couriers can beat the city’s gridlocked streets.
• Row over fallen leaves could thwart Mayor's central London cycle superhighway plans A row over fallen leaves threatens to thwart Boris Johnson’s plans to build a fully segregated cycle superhighway through central London.
• Anthony Hilton: Heathrow, not red tape, is the key for business New Business Secretary Sajid Javid was making his first major speech in his new role today, promising an audience in Bristol that the Queen’s Speech would contain plans for a series of business-friendly measures.
• Letters to the editor: More respect, fewer cyclist deaths I am a cyclist, and was hit by a car on Friday and nearly hit by three others on my journey to work.
• King's Cross swimming pond to open on Friday Londoners are being invited to take some time out of the hustle and bustle and take a dip in a new public swimming pond which is to open at King’s Cross.
• Heathrow cancels dozens of flights as London hit by high winds and thunderstorms Air passengers faced travel misery today as more than 50 flights from Heathrow were cancelled due to high winds and thunderstorms.
• Night bus network to be extended when all-night Tubes come in this year London's night bus network is to be extended when 24-hour Tube services are brought in later this year.

Yorkshire Post

• Bosses mount legal challenge as rail strike loomsNETWORK Rail is issuing a legal challenge to one of the unions threatening to strike over the bank holiday.

Other Regional Press

• Congestion charge idea mooted for people travelling to Gatwick AirportThe idea of introducing a congestion charge if a second runway is built at Gatwick has been mooted by the county council.
• Heathrow will speak for Colnbrook residents at Cranford InquiryA Public Inquiry into a scheme that could see Colnbrook overflown by 302 fewer flights a day during easterly operations is set to start in two weeks, but Colnbrook residents will not be represented.
• Gatwick bookies' favourite over Heathrow in new runway bettingBookmaker Betfair has Gatwick as 4/7 favourite to expand while Heathrow is 5/4 for a third runway

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• First electrical car ferry in the world in operation in Norway nowThe world’s first electrical car and passenger ferry powered by batteries has entered service in Norway. The ferry only uses 150 kWh per route, which corresponds to three days use of electricity in a standard Norwegian household. Built in conjunction with shipbuilder Fjellstrand, Siemens installed the complete electric propulsion system and put up charging stations with lithium-ion batteries which are charged from hydro power. With the change to battery, ship owner Norled is reducing the cost of fuel by up to 60 percent. The Norled ferry represents a milestone on the road to operating co...
• UK's largest coach operator National Express adding thousands of extra seats in face of national rail strikeNational Express is adding thousands of extra coach seats to its services this Bank Holiday Weekend - and has vowed it will continue to add as many seats as possible while the country prepares for chaos during next week’s national rail strike.   The UK’s largest coach operator has added more than 10,000 extra seats to its  unrivalled network of affordable coach services across the UK during the Bank Holiday weekend and over the strike (Friday May 22 -Tuesday May 26) – due to high demand.   During the two days of the national rail strike on Bank Holiday Monday a...
• Claire Perry leaves freight role at DfTClaire Perry is no longer responsible for freight and logistics at the DfT, following the ministerial reshuffle. Perry leaves her role on freight, while remaining at the DfT, after six months in the role. The new department line up, confirmed a week after the new government took power, sees Perry replaced by Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for the Harrogate and Knaresborough area. Perry will instead to take responsibility for rail in her new position. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon has also joined the department, following the resignation of Baroness Susan Kramer (a Liberal Democrat) and Robert Hay...
• Consultation launched on night bus servicesTransport for London (TfL) has today (19 May 2015) begun consulting on proposed changes to the night bus network ahead of the introduction of the Night Tube, which will transform night-time journeys in London from this September. The proposals follow a comprehensive review of TfL's night bus services. This looked at demand for new links on weekend-nights from suburban stations for passengers travelling to and from central London on the new Night Tube. From Saturday 12 September, the start of the Night Tube service, TfL is proposing to continue all night bus services and introduce 20 new serv...

Aviation Industry

• LOT Polish Airlines CEO: Airlines are difficult to sellLOT Polish Airlines is raising the prospect of an initial public offering (IPO) following the carrier’s reported first profit for seven years for 2014, according to several European media outlets. read more
• Disruption at London City airport after ‘hole’ in runwayDelays and cancellations to both departing and arriving flights
• Cityjet cancels Cardiff routes to Edinburgh and ParisAirline blames 'unfair' competition from Flybe

Green Miscellany

• Motorbike sat nav that finds twisty roads in 45 countriesThere is little more frustrating when motorcycling abroad than ending up on a motorway trudge, when what you wanted was twisty roads. The TomTom Rider 400 motorbike sat nav promises to find twisty or hilly roads in 45 European countries at the press of a button. Your best routes can be shared easily with friends. Motorbike sat nav The screen is designed… The post Motorbike sat nav that finds twisty roads in 45 countries appeared first on ETA.
• One bicycle coffee cup holder to goIt’s no secret that a car can sell on the strength of its cup holders, but it’s an area of bicycle design usually limited to aftermarket water bottle carriers. Swedish label Bookman redresses this imbalance with its simple bicycle coffee cup holder for your handlebars. Win your own bicycle coffee cup holder If you a cyclist who relies on a… The post One bicycle coffee cup holder to go appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Record entries in FTA everywoman Transport & Logistics AwardsRecord entries to the 2015 FTA everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards highlight how the industry is being embraced by growing numbers of ...
• Government decision on airport capacity is needed urgently says FTAA decision on airport capacity needs to be made by Government sooner rather than later – says the Freight Transport Association. ...
• Pupils put through their paces for safer cycling Schoolchildren were put through their paces at a cycling proficiency course.
• minicabit partners with Heathrow and Barclays to boost growthLatest in line of blue chip partnerships for Startups 100 2015 taxi comparison company.
• German train drivers call fresh strike actionDeutsche Bahn prepares for ninth walkout in 11 months
• Thetrainline.com and Key Travel extend partnership agreementDeal signed for further four years