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

Thursday, 18 December 2014

BBC News

• German road toll plan gets go-aheadThe German government approves plans for a controversial road toll, including charging foreigners for using the Autobahn.

Financial Times

• Let London"s airports achieve potentialMore direct routes will open to economically significant destinations, writes Howard Davies
• Air travel: the long-haul gambleCan Norwegian carve out a business model that makes a profit from long-distance routes at low fares?

The Guardian

• MH370 families, nine months on: I still have hope, maybe 1%The disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines plane and its 239 passengers in March has never been explained. And until it is, the relatives cannot put their grief to rest March 2014: the day MH370 disappeared off the radar.
• Smoking in cars carrying children set to become illegal in England next yearSubject to vote by MPs and peers, ban will criminalise smoking by parents, carers or other adults in a car with under-18sSmoking in cars carrying children is set to become illegal in England late next year in the biggest crackdown on lighting up since the ban on smoking in public places in 2007.

The Herald

• Coach firm surge in Christmas bookings A MAJOR coach operator is reporting a surge in Christmas bookings between London and Glasgow as passengers avoid rail engineering works.
• Glasgow Subway users face years of disruption during £17m tunnel repairs Commuters could face years of disruption on Glasgow's Subway network as major repairs to the 118-year-old underground's tunnel system get underway in the new year.

The Telegraph

• Airlines to get rebate after computer glitch causes chaos Air traffic control company Nats has confirmed it is calculating a rebate for airlines in the wake of the aviation disruption. It comes as the firm's chief executive told MPs as many as 120 flights were cancelled and 500 delayed by an average of 45 minutes during the issues last Friday.
• Smoking banned in cars when children are present Smoking in cars with children is set be banned in England from next October under Government plans. The Department of Health (DoH) said regulations laid before Parliament to make private vehicles carrying under-18s smoke-free were to "protect young people from the serious health harms of smoked tobacco".
• Christmas traffic 2014: the UK's worst-affected roadsFriday is predicted to be the busiest days on the roads, with as many as 20 million cars on the roads
• Bad boy Uber is flawed but, admit it, we're all addictedIt has been a dark week for taxi app Uber but Emma Barnett explains why we can't get enough of transport's bad boy

Mail Online

• Road journey times to treble in giant festive getaway Major motorways including the M1, M25 and M6 are set to be the worst affected and one 40-mile trip on the London orbital could take two hours and 20 minutes - three times as long as usual.

Network Rail

• Pictures: Finishing touches to new platforms at London Bridge, ready for the New YearThe finishing touches are being made to a pair of new platforms at London Bridge rail station, ready for their introduction after Christmas.

Birmingham Mail

• Redditch fuel station runs dry after slashing petrol priceBoss reckons his forecourt chain is among Britain's cheapest

London Evening Standard

• Passenger jet forced to return to Heathrow after mid-air 'maintenance issue' A passenger jet bound for New York was forced to return to Heathrow after a 'maintenance issue' left it circling above the English Channel for hours.

Manchester Evening News

• Traffic chaos as string of multi-car pileups cause mayhem across Greater Manchester during rush hourCommuters have reported delays of at least 45 minutes in the city centre this evening

Metro

• Cyclist cruising at a speedy 30 mph has an uncomfortable collision with a deerWhether you're riding a bike or driving a truck, colliding with a buck can really put your plans on hold.

Northern Echo

• Cross border travellers warned of new drink drive limit ENGLAND’S most northerly police force has issued a drink driving warning after changes to the law in Scotland.
• New bus transports people between Northallerton and Middlesbrough hospitals A NEW bus for patients and their families in now in operation shuttling people between two of the region's towns.
• Council backs 20mph limit for 33 schools SPEED limits are to be cut to 20mph on some the region’s most dangerous school roads, after councillors backed the change today (Wednesday, December 17).

This Is Local London Network

• VIDEO: 'No incentives to stop traffic pollution' A man furious about the sheer volume of London-bound traffic each day is calling on the Government to create a release valve to help ease pollution.

Blackpool Gazette

• Dismay over talks on axing village bus routesProposals to scrap a raft of subsidised bus services across the Fylde coast in the face of savage budget cuts would leave villagers “extremely isolated”, it was today claimed.

East Anglian Daily Times

• CCTV issued after woman sexually assaulted on Essex train.CCTV has been issued by British Transport Police detectives following a sexual assault on a train.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Council leader hits out at report finding Peterborough the ˜hardest place to live without a car"Peterborough is the most difficult city to get around in without a car new research has revealed.

Sleaford Standard

• VIDEO - Railway footbridge gets the go aheadPlans for a pedestrian footbridge spanning the town’s railway near Southgate level crossing have been given the go ahead by the planning authority.

West Sussex Gazette

• UPDATE: Gatwick passengers not affected by baggage handler strikesGatwick Airport has said passengers can expect all check-ins to run as normal in the run-up to Christmas despite threats of nations strikes.

Other Regional Press

• Croxley Rail Link: London Underground could take over construction of £230m project Hertfordshire County Council and the rail provider are discussion about who will be responsible for specific aspects of the project, but it has emerged London Underground could take over the construction of the project later this year.
• Passengers stranded as Marlborough roadworks overrun BUS passengers were left stranded when a service had to change its route due to roadworks that overran.
• Soaring passenger numbers for Southampton Airport SOUTHAMPTON Airport is gearing up for an extra busy festive period after witnessing soaring numbers of passengers this winter.
• Councillors make report on bus concerns in GosportCOUNCILLORS have spent time investigating bus changes and their impact on residents.
• Portsmouth minister ‘confident’ shipbuilding is going to make a comebackminister for Portsmouth Matt Hancock says he is ‘very confident’ shipbuilding will be brought back to the city.
• Public's views sought on major Lancashire roadworksMajor roadworks to widen the carriageways between Preston and South Ribble are set to continue in the New Year, and road users are being asked for their views on how works should progress.
• Thanet council leader Iris Johnson donated to Save Manston Airport groupA council leader has brushed aside calls for her to quit after she revealed she made small donations to Manston Airport supporters group.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Cranfield University to build new transport and intelligent mobility centreCranfield University in Bedfordshire has announced it has secured funding to build a £10 million Integrated Transport Systems Engineering Centre as part of its 25 year development plan. The facility is set to open in 2016. The centre will provide teaching, training and research facilities to develop the UK’s capacity for innovation in both integrated transport systems and intelligent mobility technology. The funding for the project will be provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the South East Midland Local Enterprise Partnership and Cranfield Universi...

Other News Sources

• Jaguar Land Rover launches new windscreen technology research project UK-based automotive company Jaguar Land Rover has launched a research project to develop '360 Virtual Urban Windscreen' technology, which uses transparent roof pillars to give the driver a 360° view outside the car.
• Plane returns to Heathrow after circling English ChannelA United Airlines plane - which circulated over the English Channel for several hours - returns to Heathrow Airport due to a
• County's road crash figures not included in case for cutting full-time fire and rescue cover Councillor and fire authority member now says no cuts can be considered
• Gatwick increases runway capacity through Amadeus portalCloud-based technology helps airport increase flights to 55 per hour
• CCTV to be introduced to stop motorists using bus lanes CCTV cameras are being brought in to stop the hundreds of motorists who use bus lanes to beat the traffic every day.
• Statement: NATS confirms financial consequenceNATS confirms that there will be a financial consequence for the company from the delay caused by the technical problem at Swanwick on 12 December 2014.Under the company's regulatory performance ...

EIN News Subscription

• SNCF mulls buyout of UK govt's Eurostar stake-reportFrench rail operator SNCF is considering using its pre-emption purchase rights on the Eurostar train service to block certain bidders for the stake put up for sale by its partner, the British government, according to Les Echos newspaper.