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

Sunday, 09 November 2008

The Independent

• Traffic levels fall for first time in decades: Motor firms head for crashTraffic on Britain's roads is decreasing significantly for the first time since the three-day week of the early 1970s, suggesting the car economy is heading for a crash, official figures revealed yesterday.

The Telegraph

• Aer Lingus staff vote to strike over costcutting plansAer Lingus passengers face travel chaos over the Christmas period as hundreds of airlines staff vote to strike over costcutting plans.
• Ministers to throw full weight behind third runway for HeathrowMinisters will this week throw their full weight behind the proposed third runway for Heathrow Airport by presenting a

Times Online

• Heathrow on Sea gets boost from Boris JohnsonProposals to build a replacement for Heathrow in the Thames estuary have taken significant steps forward with Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, preparing to appoint the civil engineer behind Hong Kong’s giant island airport to examine the viability of the project.
• Anger as backdated rate bills threaten port firmsUp to 500 ports companies face an uncertain future after being hit with unexpected backdated rates bills. They have been sent the demands, which in some cases run into millions of pounds, after a rerating of their premises that has been backdated three years.
• Motor groups plead for aidBritain's beleaguered carmakers are to ask Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, for a package of measures to help boost demand and safeguard manufacturing jobs.

International Herald Tribune

• Ford and GM are leaking cashGeneral Motors is running out of money, reporting a loss of $4.2 billion for the quarter. Ford lost $2.9 billion and made more cutbacks.
• Singapore Air sees slowdown in premium travelFirst-class and business-class travel within Asia has fallen victim to belt-tightening as a result of the global economic downturn, the airline said after it joined Japan Airlines in reporting lower quarterly income.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• British HGV traffic falls four per centThe number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) travelling on UK roads fell by four per cent during the third quarter of 2008.According to the latest road traffic and congestion statistics for the three months to September this year, overall traffic levels fell by 2.2 per cent compared with the same period of 2007.
• Boeing predicts growth in air cargo trafficDespite the global economic downturn, Boeing has forecast that worldwide air cargo traffic will rise by 5.8 per cent per year over the next 20 years.The US aircraft manufacturer predicts that air cargo volumes will reach three times their present level by 2027 as globalisation increases.
• MPs at odds over spy in the sky road pricingMPs have been debating the potential of 'spy in the sky' satellite tracking systems for road charging systems.The Annual Road Pricing Conference in London heard arguments both in favour of and against satellite tracking technology for road user charging.
• Brent oil prices dip below $59 per barrelThe price of Brent crude oil on London markets dropped to its lowest level in nearly two years in Tuesday trading.Brent North Sea crude for December delivery plummeted to $58.38 (£36.57) a barrel on Tuesday, though prices rallied and closed the day at more than $60.

Other News Sources

• British car plant jobs 'at risk' Thousands of jobs at two UK car plants could be at risk as a result of a worldwide sales slump.
• Airbus formally cancels collapsed Skybus' A319 order Airbus has formally cancelled the 65-strong A319 order from collapsed US start-up Skybus Airlines. The cancellations are detailed in the European manufacturer's...
• Updated blacklist: Inclusion of EU carriers unconfirmed Safety regulators are preparing to finalise an update to the 'blacklist' of airlines banned from European Union operations, as early indications suggest...

EIN News Subscription

• MP demands urgent A14 action after two more days of chaos ... caused similar problems. Mr Lansley wrote to Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon after the first accident, ... The A14, part of one of the Trans-European Networks, is the only non-motorway to be ... viaduct across the East Coast main line railway at Huntingdon as the last phase. A ...
• Paris: Saboteurs cause high-speed rail chaosThousands of French rail passengers faced delays or cancellations on Saturday ... into the incidents. Secretary of State for Transport Dominique Bussereau said he had asked police ... problem, Eurostar trains linking London to continental European cities have been disrupted for the past ...