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

Saturday, 23 April 2016

BBC News

• Probe into pupil school bus crash deathThe death of a schoolboy who was hit by a minibus being driven by a teacher will be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.
• Uber glitch charges �34 for three milesTaxi-hailing app Uber officially launches in Cardiff - but a BBC Wales reporter is mistakenly charged �34.61 for a three-mile journey.
• VIDEO: Bike couriers in workers' right fightFour bicycle couriers are taking their companies to an employment tribunal in a case that could impact on the working lives of as many as half a million people.
• Thousands expected at cycling demoThousands of cyclists are expected to take part in mass bike rides through Edinburgh and Aberdeen later.
• Rail firm wins Gatwick injunctionA rail company secures an injunction against rail union Aslef over its members' refusal to drive new Gatwick Express trains.
• BAE workers in job cuts warningWorkers at BAE Systems' shipyards on the Clyde warn they will fight to avoid further redundancies, after being told of delays to vital contracts.
• Bike couriers in legal fight over rightsFour couriers are taking their companies to a tribunal in a bid to get employed workers' rights, in what could be a landmark case affecting thousands of self-employed people.
• Mitsubishi Motors scandal widensThe emissions scandal surrounding Mitsubishi Motors widens as the company says further models may be involved and US regulators reportedly ask for information.
• VW increases emissions bill to €16.2bnVolkswagen sets aside billions more to cover emissions scandal costs as German carmakers agree to recall 630,000 diesels.
• Emissions mean bumpy ride for carmakersEuropean carmakers have a rocky week as Volkswagen sets aside billions more for the diesel emissions scandal and German firms agree to recall 630,000 cars.

Financial Times

• Global carmakers face emissions questionsThree groups to recall 630,000 diesel vehicles across Europe
• Uber settles drivers’ class-action suitRide-hailing company agrees deal that will keep drivers as independent contractors, not employees

The Guardian

• Diesel crisis deepens as German brands recall 630,000 carsPorsche, Volkswagen, Audi, Opel and Mercedes diesel cars will be recalled as part of a clampdown on nitrogen oxide emissionsGermany’s top carmakers will recall 630,000 vehicles to fix diesel engine software technology that has been blamed for causing high pollution, while the emissions scandal engulfing Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors deepened.Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, Opel and Mercedes diesel cars will be recalled as part of a clampdown on nitrogen oxide emissions, according to a German government official. BMW, which invested in fuel-saving technologies earlier than most rivals, is not part of th...
• Cuba to lift boat travel ban in time for US cruiseCold war-era law had put in doubt Carnival’s 1 May cruise, the first from the US to Cuba since the 1959 revolutionCuba has said it will lift a ban on Cubans and Cuban Americans entering and leaving the Caribbean island by commercial vessels, opening the way for the cruise operator Carnival to set sail for the country next week. Carnival’s 1 May cruise, the first from the US to the Communist-run country since the 1959 revolution, was thrown into doubt when the company triggered a backlash by refusing Cuban Americans passage due to a cold war-era law. Continue reading...
• The Uber scammers who take users for a (very expensive) rideA year on from reporting accounts being hacked, Londoners receive shock bills for ‘phantom rides’ in Mexico and New YorkEarlier this month Angie Bird woke up at her home in London to discover she had been billed for a series of minicab journeys she had allegedly made the previous evening … in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Aguascalientes, more than 5,500 miles away.While she was having dinner with friends, someone – or more than one person – in Mexico had apparently hacked into her Uber account and “went a bit crazy” ordering cabs at her expense. They made five journeys that were all ch...
• Clyde shipyard job cuts would be total betrayal, say unions800 redundancies possible if government pulls back from commitment to have eight type-26 frigates built on the ClydeUnions have accused the government of “total betrayal” as it emerged that up to 800 redundancies from Clydeside shipyards could result from backsliding on David Cameron’s pledge to provide a steady stream of orders to safeguard the industry.Representatives of the joint trade unions from the Scotstoun and Govan shipyards were told by BAE Systems at a meeting on Friday morning that a “worst-case scenario” of 800 redundancies was possible if the UK government pulled back from its co...
• Govia Thameslink wins injunction over Gatwick Express union disputeCompany secures high court ruling after Aslef members refused to drive longer trains on the Gatwick Express routeGovia Thameslink has secured an injunction against the rail union Aslef over its members’ refusal to drive new, longer trains on the Gatwick Express, the company said.The company took its case to the high court in London after accusing Aslef members of refusing to drive the first services that were due to operate in 12-car formation in recent days. Continue reading...
• How to spot a terrorist on your flight | Arwa MahdawiHaving someone with brown skin or speaking Arabic sitting next to you on the plane can be worrying – or it could just be Mile High Hysteria, inshallahThe skies are no longer a very friendly place to fly if you’re brown or “maybe-Muslim”. A few days ago, an Iraq-born researcher at UC Berkeley was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane for speaking Arabic. A passenger heard the guy end a phone call with “inshallah” and decided it must mean “this plane full of infidels is going down”. In reality inshallah (which translates as “God willing”) is a versatile Arabic phrase that can be used to mean e...

The Herald

• Airline launches new Edinburgh-Paris Orly serviceAir France-KLM Group’s low cost airline Transavia has launched its new Edinburgh-Paris Orly service.

The Scotsman

• Solar plane reaches point of no return over PacificA solar plane on an around-the-world journey has reached the point of no return over the Pacific Ocean after departing Hawaii, and now it is California or bust.
• Fears for Clyde shipbuilding jobs as frigate orders delayedShipbuilders on the Clyde fear hundreds of jobs are at risk because of delays to the UK government’s plans to build eight Type 26 Frigates in the Scotstoun and Govan yards.

The Telegraph

• Diesel recall: which cars are affected, will my MPG decrease, and should I still buy a diesel? There are black clouds gathering above diesel cars – both figuratively and literally. Should you be worried if you own a diesel car, and should you think again if you're planning to buy one?

Times Online

• Action urged as Germany recalls 630,000 diesels [Subscription]Ministers came under pressure to impose a mass recall of diesel cars in Britain yesterday after the German authorities pulled 630,000 polluting vehicles off the road.
• Rethink on Type 26 frigates puts 800 Clyde shipyard jobs at risk [Subscription]Hundreds of jobs could be under threat at shipyards on the Clyde if the UK government pulls back on frigate orders, unions have warned.

Daily Express

• Depraved Islamic State claims its CAPTURED a Syrian pilot after gunning down planeTHE barbaric Islamic State has claimed the capture of a Syrian pilot after shooting down a warplane.

Mail Online

• New airport scanners mean you don't need to remove your laptop or tablet from your bag� New security scanners are being trialled at Changi Airport in Singapore. The equipment is currently being trialled at two boarding gates but could be implemented across the board if successful.

The Mirror

• Fiat Chrysler recalling 1.1 MILLION cars and SUVs worldwide over fears they ROLL AWAY when drivers get out The automaker said the recall is linked to as many as 41 injuries because drivers mistakenly believed they had placed the vehicles in park before exiting

This is Money

• Volkswagen slumps to first annual loss since 1993 as it reveals emissions scandal cost The German car-maker reported an operating loss of €4.1billion (£3.2billion) for 2015 after it was confirmed last night that VW will make 'substantial' payouts to US owners.

Network Rail

• Green corridors: Sharing our railway with wildlifeBritain’s railway stretches for around 20,000 miles, and as you might expect, much of Network Rail’s estate of 30,000 to 40,000 hectares is teeming with wildlife and biodiversity.

Birmingham Post

• Revealed: More than 25% of motorists would take a nap behind the wheel The survey led by WhatCar? also found that more than 50% of drivers would not feel safe in an autonomous car.
• Watch: Shell unveil energy efficient concept carThe concept car could deliver a 34% reduction in primary energy use compared to a typical UK city car.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Drone footage of Ffestiniog Railway train The footage shows the train cross the level crossing at Penrhyndeudraeth and exit the Garnedd tunnel near Tan-y-Bwlch

Manchester Evening News

• Are these Manchester's most useless bike lanes? Transport chief defends the painted route running straight into a lamppost - and the three-second bike lane

Wales Online

• The amazing act of kindness when a bus driver stopped her bus to help a blind woman cross the road Passengers were amazed to see the driver stop to help the pensioner in Bridgend
• Pedestrian access to Cardiff Central train station will be changing so demolition work can start nearby The date has been set for bulldozers to move in to start demolishing Marland House near Cardiff Central train station in Cardiff city centre

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• HS2 bosses dismiss delay claimsBosses have vowed HS2 will still be delivered on time, despite claims from objectors the project could be delayed by more than a year.

Blackpool Gazette

• New ‘Taxi’ reality TV show wants people from North WestA brand new TV show described as a cross between Gogglebox and Carpool Karaoke is offering a free taxi service and is looking for passengers and participants from across the North West.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Tractor driver hit by Abellio Greater Anglia train at 84mph while crossing railway near Thetford had permission to do soThe organisation investigating a crash near Thetford between a train travelling at more than 80mph and a tractor has released preliminary details about the incident.

West Sussex Gazette

• Rail users offered advice ahead of strikesThe West Sussex Rail Users Association have published advice for rail users ahead of a planned strike next week.
• More bus stops to be suspended following A24 crashMore bus stops are to be suspended between Findon, Horsham and Crawley after a crash caused chaos earlier this year.

Other Regional Press

• Bikers take on charity ride to emphasise "huge importance" of road safety IT'S safety first for a group of Dorset bikers as they prepare for a special charity ride.
• Lock it up or lose it as police see increase in bike theft reports LOCK up or lose it is the message police have put out, as motorbikes, mopeds and bicycles are being stolen from outside houses in Trowbridge.
• Commuters travelling into Yeovil could be hit by lengthy delays due to roadworks on a key road COMMUTERS into and out of Yeovil could face lengthy traffic delays as the council conducts emergency roadworks.
• Banner adverts at the roadside in Taunton could 'distract drivers' says the AA PEOPLE advertising their businesses and events through banners at the side of the road could be distracting drivers, the AA has warned.
• Taunton road dug up days after it was resurfaced - but there's a perfectly good reason IT looked like a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing when workmen dug up a road repaired by the council just days earlier.
• Pedestrian crossings planned for new Westgate Centre PLANS to ensure pedestrians can reach Oxford's new �440m Westgate Centre safely have now been put forward.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government publishes research into diesel emissions levelsThe government has published the findings of its research into the potential manipulation of emission controls, as a response to consumer demand. Results have shown that there has been no detection of test cycle manipulation strategies, like those that were employed by the Volkswagen Group, reports the Department for Transport. Tests have further shown that nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are higher in real-life situations when compared with test track and laboratory conditions. Although results varied significantly between all makes and models, all of those that the UK government tested showed...

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS2 warned over putting community engagement 'second place'HS2 Ltd failed to communicate properly with six families who will lose their homes to the high-speed railway development and risk continuing to fail to engage with communities as the project goes ahead, a new report has warned. Ian Bynoe, a former Independent Police Complaints Commissioner...

Aviation Industry

• SWISS to start Bombardier CS100 operations July 15Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) expects to put its first Bombardier CSeries aircraft—a CS100—into service July 15 on its first commercial flight: LX638 from Zurich to Paris Charles de Gaulle. read more

Other News Sources

• Tube station bans walking on escalators Many London Underground users are flouting the new rule by continuing to pass to the left of those standing
• Councillors who used bus for one month call for 'modern and innovative' approach to public transport CALLS have been made for a 'modern and innovative' approach to public transport by councillors who took up a challenge to use bus services for a month.
• Heathrow Airport 'drone' collision 'may have been plastic bag', says MP Transport minister Robert Goodwill told a House of Lords committee he was aware of 'speculation' the object could have been a bag flying in the wind
• Patient transport union ballots members over strike as morale hits "all time low" A UNION is balloting members over strike action against the new provider of patient transport in Sussex amid the ongoing crisis.