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

Saturday, 10 October 2015

BBC News

• 'Rise' in passengers refused taxisReports of taxi drivers refusing short-distance fares in Cardiff spike after a safety campaign following three sex attacks.
• Roads still closed for pipe repairsEngineers are
• Canal 'duck lane' fits the billA temporary
• A55 tunnel closures for improvementsA tunnel on one of Wales' busiest commuter routes faces night-time closures for up to nine weeks, in the latest stage of a £42m safety upgrade.
• Meeting over village bus serviceBus users concerned about the withdrawal of services from a Gwynedd village are set to meet with councillors.
• Councils' roads spend at 11-year lowFigures show spending by councils on roads and highways falls to an 11-year low and there is a warning maintenance in the future will be more difficult.
• 150 years on from railway historyEvents are held to mark 150 years since the first narrow gauge railway journey in Britain which carried passengers.
• Man charged over Wrexham bus crashA man is charged over a collision that left a bus hanging over the embankment at Wrexham train station.
• Bus strike suspended after pay offerSunday's planned strike by Cardiff Bus workers is suspended, union officials say.
• UK flight diverted as captain falls illAn Easyjet flight from the UK to Greece was diverted and delayed for six-and-a-half hours after the captain fell ill.
• Rise in passengers at regional airportsThe operator of Scotland's 11 regional airports handled more than 1.4 million passengers in the 12 months to March 2015, according to its annual report.
• Glasgow crowned UK Airport of the YearGlasgow Airport wins its second major award this year, after being crowned UK Airport of the Year at the National Transport Awards

The Guardian

• VW scandal: 3.6m European vehicles need major changesGerman carmaker says half of models involved in emissions scandal may need complex, costly repairs such as a new fuel tank Almost half of the Volkswagen cars in Europe affected by the diesel emissions scandal require major hardware changes – including the installation of new parts – in order to meet pollution standards. The revelation by the German transport ministry that 3.6m cars in Europe require hardware changes underlines the scale and expense of the repairs that will be required as a result of the scandal. Continue reading...
• Syria air strikes: US and Russia expected to hold talks over risk of planes clashingPentagon hopeful of discussions during weekend on how to keep apart US jets bombing Isis and Russian planes fighting on the side of Assad The Pentagon has said it expects to hold new talks with Russia’s military on pilot safety in Syria’s war as soon as this weekend as the US and the Kremlin seek to avoid accidental clashes as they carry out separate bombing campaigns. Russia’s entry into Syria’s civil war has complicated America’s more than year-old campaign of air strikes against Islamic State. At least one US jet had to change course to avoid an incident. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Taking off: Record passengers for Scotland's remote and regional airportsREMOTE airports in Scotland attracted record passengers of more than 1.4 million last year.
• Operators urged to bid for latest £3 million tranche of green bus fundingBUS operators have been invited to bid for the latest round of green bus funding.

The Telegraph

• EasyJet plane carries out emergency landing after pilot blacks out during flightThe plane, which had 164 passengers on board, was travelling from London to Crete

City AM

• Volkswagen emissions scandal: Everything you need to know about what's happened so far, how to find out if your car will be recalled and which models have been affected

Daily Express

• Russian jet SHOT DOWN by Turkey after it flew into their airspace, according to reportsA RUSSIAN jet has been shot down by Turkish forces after it flew into the country's airspace, according to as yet unconfirmed reports circulating on social media.

Mail Online

• easyJet flight carries out emergency landing after pilot blacks out The plane was landed safely at Venice's Marco Polo airport by the co-pilot after his colleague fell ill at the controls.
• Mercedes, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi cars 'emit more pollution on road' The four car giants join Volkswagen on the growing list of companies whose diesel vehicles passed the EU's official regulatory test, but fail to meet them in realistic driving situations.

This is Money

• Volkswagen scandal leaves falf of UK drivers plan to buy or lease an electric or hybrid car The Institute of the Motor Industry says 53% of motorists are now considering buying an electric or hybrid car next, but is concerned not enough technicians are qualified to work on them.
• Car insurance premiums accelerate 8% on last year to £629 Average comprehensive car insurance premiums rose by £29 to £629 in the three months to the end of September - a 4.8 per cent increase on the previous quarter, and the biggest rise since the end of 2010.
• Vauxhall launches scrappage scheme deal: Trade in any old motor and get £2k off a new car Five years after the 'bangers for cash' Government incentive - prompting the sale of almost 400k new cars - Vauxhall has introduced its own Scrappage Allowance Scheme.

Network Rail

• Manchester gears up for its busy sports weekendManchester will be welcoming sports fans from across Britain and beyond when it hosts a number of major events this weekend, so train passengers are being advised to check travel news and leave plenty of time to go to or from the city.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Trans-Pennine taxi tensions escalate as Lancastrians hit back at Bradford Council ROSSENDALE Council has hit back at its Bradford counterpart in the escalating row about taxi licences.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published Last Vulcan flight: When and where you can see it in Derbyshire...The last ever flight by the legendary Vulcan aircraft will take place this weekend. And people across Derbyshire will be able to see the iconic plane on Saturday afternoon. It is due to leave Robin Hood Airport at around 1pm and will fly north in an anti-clockwise fashion. It is due to fly past East Midlands airport at around 3.20pm if air traffic control allow. The flight path then brings it north to Derby where it will fly over Rolls-Royce at around 3.30pm before heading north over Stanley...

Manchester Evening News

• Virgin's Manchester-London route gets 'most complaints in Britain' Dubious honour follows title of 'most delayed long-distance route' - but Virgin says it's because they make it so EASY for people to complain

Northern Echo

• Campaigners' anger over pedestrian crossing U-turn ANGRY Darlington residents are campaigning to ensure that a housing developer does not renege on its responsibility to create a much-needed pedestrian crossing near a new estate.
• New junction layout trialled at Sedgefield accident blackspot A JUNCTION which has seen 14 accidents this year including three in a week is being re-examined by highway chiefs after residents, councillors and an MP raised concerns.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published Dave Gretton: Only die-hards won't use cycle helmets nowDave Gretton from Gedling, former chairman of Nottingham Track Cycling Association, looks at how helmets changed from a no-no to a necessity.Cycling helmets are everywhere, at least on the heads of cyclists everywhere – they're so universal that it's hard to believe they haven't always been popular or deemed necessary. There was a time, though, when no-one wore head protection on a bike unless it was a bonnet or flat cap; and, remarkable as it seems nowadays, even motorbike riders were...

Wales Online

• Cardiff Bus strike planned for Sunday when Ireland play France is called offUnite say the industrial action has been called off after the company went to them with an improved offer
• Drivers on the A55 face nine weeks of pain as work starts to replace a key tunnel's lights The westbound carriageway near the Penmaenbach tunnel will be closed entirely at night

Blackpool Gazette

• Smoking in cars ‘not police priority’Police do not have adequate resources to enforce the new laws on smoking in cars in Lancashire, it has been claimed.

Bucks Free Press

• Chiltern Railways wins top award for service Chiltern Railways has fought off competition from train companies across the globe to win the title of best train operator.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Drivers pay more than £2m in bus lane fines in Essex over four yearsMotorists in Essex have paid more than £2million in fines for using four bus lanes in the county.

The Shields Gazette

• East Coast train workers to be balloted over strike action after worker sacked for taking KindleAlmost 1,400 workers on Virgin East Coast, which runs train services through the North East, are to be balloted for industrial action over the sacking of a colleague.

Other Regional Press

• Deal to help bus services keep on the right roadThe county council says it has done deals with a number of bus operators in a bid to 
maintain services despite funding cuts to the tune of half a million pounds.
• Fence 'forces' walkers into busy West Swindon traffic RESIDENTS in West Swindon claim poor pedestrian access to the new Aldi store in the area is an accident waiting to happen.
• Rail Minister Claire Perry visits Siemens' Chippenham offices DEVIZES MP and Rail Minister Claire Perry visited Siemens Rail Automation’s offices in Chippenham today, meeting some of the company’s directors and staff and taking a tour of its facilities.
• Hilperton Relief Road will open...just not yet say developers WILTSHIRE Council has been left red-faced after jumping the gun in telling the local councillor that the Hilperton Relief Road would finally open this week.
• Travelling players mark new rail link PERFORMERS from the contemporary dance company Motionhouse put on a special show to mark the imminent opening of the new Oxford Parkway Station The dance show took place in Broad Street, Oxford.
• Southampton named port of the year - again! SOUTHAMPTON is officially home to the port of the year.
• Calls for road safety measures as boy, 11, fights for life A HAMPSHIRE councillor has called for road safety measures to be introduced after a crash that left an 11-year-old boy fighting for his life.
• Southampton researchers in £11m project to create 'driverless cars' SOUTHAMPTON researchers are working on an £11m project to create driverless cars.
• Grimsby Telegraph commented New air ambulance to respond to emergency incidents in North East...A new air ambulance will be responding to emergency incidents in North East Lincolnshire from next year.The Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance charity confirmed the arrival of an Augusta Westland AW169, subject to completion of contract negotiations, in 2016.It will replace the current MD902 Explorer, which Specialist Aviation Services provides and operates on the charity's behalf.A spokesperson said: "The new helicopter will provide many benefits for our crew and of course, our...
• CitizenNews published Spare a thought for motorbike riders and help cut casualties,...Riding a motorbike may sound like a practice fraught with danger and risk – but it does not need to be.Recent high profile accidents in the county have put the spotlight on motorcycling and the risk it poses.While, overall, motorbike accidents pale in comparison with the hundreds of casualties resulting from car crashes, the chances of serious injury or death are far higher.In 2014, there were 133 deaths and injuries involving motorbikes – eight people died and 46 seriously hurt.This...
• Commuters demand better rail services RAIL passengers who live in a village near Didcot are demanding more frequent train services from Great Western Railway (GWR).
• Plan to electrify rail line is back on trackElectrification of the railway line north of Bedford is back ON.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Commercial vehicle market up 19%The latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveals that the commercial vehicle market for the first nine months of 2015 is 19 per cent on the corresponding figure recorded last year.  Truck sales had the strongest growth with 35.6 per cent year-on-year, while vans were up 19.2 per cent.  A total of 321,302 commercial vehicles have been registered in the year to date, an increase of two per cent on last year.  Overall commercial vehicle demand grew strongly in September, with registrations up by one per cent on the month to 65,453 units.  SMMT chief executive off...
• National Express spreads its wings at GatwickNational Express is spreading its wings at Gatwick Airport with the launch of a new round-the-clock service providing a daily direct link between the airport and Kent.   The UK’s largest coach operator is launching a 24/7 straight-to-the-terminal service - the only means of travelling between Gatwick and Kent direct via public transport.    Starting in December, a dedicated National Express service will serve both terminals from locations throughout Kent eight times a day, with journey times taking as little as an hour. Tickets are bookable from today (Friday, October 9). ...

Aviation Industry

• Striking Air France pilots ready to resume talksSNPL union wants to meet with airline management
• Report highlights growth potential at Birmingham airportStudy claims HS2 could attract additional 750,000 passengers to West Midlands airport

Other News Sources

• UPDATE: Blackburn road could be closed for a week after heavy rainfall A SECTION of Livesey Branch Road, in Blackburn, will be closed for a week because of damage caused by heavy rainfall.
• Flight from Gatwick in emergency landing drama as pilot "blacks out" A PLANE that took off from Gatwick had to make an emergency landing after the pilot blacked out, according to reports.
• Level crossing road closure could last until Christmas as Network Rail admits gates can no longer be operated A ROAD closure which has left villagers with a seven mile detour is likely to remain in place for three months.
• Plane drama after landing gear installed upside down PASSENGERS endured a four-hour mid-air scare after a plane part was installed upside down.
• Heathrow: 'Biggest ever protest' against third runway to gather outside ParliamentHeathrow: 'Biggest ever protest' against third runway to gather outside Parliament
• Next stage of A55 multi-million pound tunnel scheme to beginThe next stage of the Welsh Government’s multi-million pound investment to improve the safety and resilience of the tunnels on the A55 is set to begin in the Penmaenbach Tunnel next week.
• Indian Railways plans to refurbish train coaches with new design Indian Railways is taking steps to provide passenger-friendly services through revamped coaches, and new ticket booking mobile app, according to Railway Technology.Trains will be refurbished to have coaches with newly designed seats, and environment friendly and clean toilets, while optimising the space within, reported the Indian Express.The coaches will be fitted with energy saving LED lights, while the exteriors of the trains will have vibrant colours.A session is being planned with designers and coach manufacturers from nine countries, including China, Japan, Spain, Italy, Australia, Germ...
• Automated system for detecting car passengersXerox’s Vehicle Passenger Detection System boasts upwards of 95 per cent accuracy and could encourage carpooling.
• Drone defence system could thwart UAV terror attacksUK engineers have unveiled technology designed to identify and disable rogue UAVs