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

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

BBC News

• MP against 'rushed' rail upgradeA Reading MP has argued against the idea of bringing forward an upgrade to the town's railway station.
• Live CCTV on buses to be testedA six-month trial of live CCTV on a London bus route has begun.
• Solving disabled car badge misuse [Today Programme]New powers to stop the misuse of blue disabled parking badges are expected to be announced by the government. Transport Minister Paul Clark and Liz Sayce, of the national network of disability organisations and disabled people (Radar) discuss local councils' accusation that the problem of stolen and forged passes is now "rife
• Town's parking scheme under wayA system of on-street parking charges has been introduced in an East Sussex town despite protests from business leaders, politicians and residents.

Department for Transport

• £55m overhaul of disabled parking toughest crackdown yet on Blue Badge abuseA radical overhaul of the Blue Badge scheme was announced today by Transport Minister Paul Clark. Up to £55 million will be dedicated to ensuring that the disabled parking scheme meets the needs of the 21st Century.

Financial Times

• Buses to trial new card pay systemA new payment system will go on trial in Liverpool for a year from next April that will allow commuters Stagecoachto pay with a bank card. The MasterCard Paypass and...
• Threat from private-sector rivalsThe problems posed for SNCF by private-sector competition are summed up by the freight division, which has lost out to private competitors willing to offer better...
• SNCF chief puts all Europe on his timetableGuillaume Pépy says France's national train operating company needs to expand and treat the whole of Europe as its domestic market amid the sector's rapid consolidation

The Guardian

• Will you jump on board the revamped Routemaster?As one of the proposals for the capital's new double-decker is unveiled, Jonathan Glancey wonders whether the designs can ever match up to London's much-loved original
• Trials of live CCTV on busesThe technology has been installed in 21 double deckers on "a north London route" - unnamed because it might distort the trial - for the next six months, and the results will be evaluated in partnership with CCTV expert Professor Martin Gill from the University of Leicester. This is comforting, because Gill has a track record for finding that CCTV is by no means a miracle crime cure.

The Independent

• Tory opposition to new airport runways 'baffling' Aviation companies today branded the Conservatives' opposition to new airport runways "baffling".

The Scotsman

• Inside Environment: MP says preaching won't lead to conversionTom Harris, MP for Glasgow South, who used to be a transport minister, described on his blog why he had decided to catch a train to London, instead of taking a plane.

Times Online

• Supermarket petrol war forces prices under 98p Tesco became the third supermarket today to cut the price of unleaded fuel by 2p to 97.9p a litre, following Asda and Wm Morrison.

Mail Online

• Future planes and cars may be made of paper '500 times stronger than steel' It's called 'buckypaper' and looks a lot like ordinary carbon paper, but don't be fooled by the cute name or flimsy appearance. It could revolutionize the way everything from airplanes to TVs are made.
• Government plans to cash in on fuel price drop by RAISING duty by 2p in fresh blow for motorists Motorists face a 2p a litre fuel tax hike to help fill emptying Treasury coffers, it has been claimed.

Network Rail

• NEWCASTLE BUSINESSES TO BENEFIT FROM RAILWAY ARCHES REVAMP

Transport Briefing

• Blackridge station added to Airdire-Bathgate rail specScotland's Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has given the go-ahead for an extra station on the Airdrie-Bathgate rail link, which is currently under construction.
• Reading station upgrade contract won by Invensys RailWestinghouse Rail Systems has secured a £20m contract to carry out signalling enabling works on the Reading station redevelopment project.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram bosses looking for rail cash boostTHE city's tram developers have urged Scottish ministers to divert funding from the proposed rail link between Edinburgh and the Borders into extending the tram network.

Liverpool Echo

• Port rate hikes could hit 3,000 Mersey jobsA TREASURY select committee met to discuss government business rate hikes that could lead to the loss of thousands of Merseyside jobs.

London Evening Standard

• Thameslink to close its Moorgate branch lineThe Thameslink branch line into Moorgate will close permanently from next March

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Anger as Hoon rejects school bus ˜no overtaking™ ruleTHE grandfather of a schoolgirl badly injured after stepping off a bus last night said he was œangry and disappointed after the UK Government dismissed an appeal to radically alter school bus safety.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Petrol drops to 97p a litreTHE price of petrol dropped as low as 97.9p a litre today as Britain's leading fuel retailers made a further round of reductions.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Tory opposition to new airport runways 'baffling'Aviation companies have branded the Conservatives' opposition to a new runway at Stansted as "baffling".

The Shields Gazette

• Nissan cuts production at SunderlandNISSAN has responded to a slump in car sales by stopping production of two models at its Sunderland plant for a fortnight.

C.N.N.

• Charging stations for electric cars growing in numberRead full story for latest details.

Aviation Industry

• Bicycle hybrids offer high speeds at 180 mpgImagine pulling into a gas station, and a weeks worth of gas only costs you 56 cents. That has been the reality for Bruno Fracassa ever since he bought a Derringer Cycle.
• Rail Company Eurostar Slowly Progressing In Raising GDS AvailabilityEurostar belatedly has achieved top-level distribution through global distribution systems in the United Kingdom and United States, but remains unavailable through GDSs in other countries.
• 'It's a first' as minister opens new jobs and skills academyWith the green light just given for airport expansion at Stansted, a focus was today thrown on the opportunities that exist for jobs and skills training across over 180 companies located at the airport...

Green Miscellany

• cheme could 'help the enviornment'A project which urges older cars to be scrapped could help the environment by putting more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.

Other News Sources

• Hopes high-speed train link will boost home marketThe introduction of high-speed rail services between Kent and London next year could help spark a revival of house sales in the county.
• Fuel cut is not enough, say hauliersStruggling hauliers yesterday welcomed news of further fuel price reductions but warned it was too little too late for some.
• Norfolk's rail links come under the spotlightA study into the way businesses use rail links between Norfolk and London is under way.
• 2012 deadline to scan all port cargo wonThe Homeland Security Department says it will not meet a 2012 deadline set by Congress to scan the contents of every cargo container headed to U.S. ports. Instead, it plans to gather more information ...
• Testing begins on Palm monorail systemPalm developer Nakheel has received the monorail trains from Japan and initial tests on the first monorail service in the Middle East started on Monday.  Two trains were raised on to the 5.45km track...
• Oil giants join supermarkets in cutting petrol pricesThe price of petrol dropped as low as 97.9p a litre today as Britain's leading fuel retailers made further reductions
• Beijing businesses paid to reduce pollutionBusinesses in Beijing are being offered cash incentives to reduce pollution. Authorities in the Chinese capital are offering companies up to 2.3 million yuan ($340,000) in bonuses in an attempt to clean up the dirty air in the city. The Finance Bureau of Bejing said the bonuses are intended to stimulate environmentally friendly economies, helping them to [...]
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