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Friday, 28 November 2008

BBC News

• MP wants rail safety improvementsA Nottinghamshire MP who called for a safety review after two people died in a rail crossing accident has met with rail officials.
• 2012 transport concerns [video]Events organisers have "serious concerns" about London's transport system coping with the Olympics.
• C-charge extension to be scrappedThe western extension of central London's congestion zone is to be scrapped, London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced.
• C-charge extension scrapped [video]Mayor Boris Johnson has announced he is in the process of dismantling plans for the western extension to the congestion zone.
• TUI Travel reports jump in profitEurope's biggest travel firm says its full year pre-tax profit rose 43% as a result of cost cuts.

Department for Transport

• Transport statistics* Road Goods Vehicles Travelling to Mainland Europe: Provisional Estimates Q3 2008 * Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2008
• Extra 14,500 seats due for Thameslink passengersPlans to introduce spacious, longer and more comfortable trains, which will provide an extra 14,500 seats for passengers travelling in South-East England, are set to move a step closer Transport Minister Andrew Adonis announced today.
• Sharp announces new safety ratings for flip-front helmetsSafety ratings for the most popular flip-front motorcycle helmets were announced today by SHARP, the Department for Transport's Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme.
• New voice for bus passengers as local transport bill gets Royal assentBus passengers will have a new champion fighting their corner thanks to the Local Transport Act, Transport Minister Paul Clark confirmed today. Royal Assent for the Bill paves the way for Passenger Focus to represent bus users in England, who make over 4 billion journeys a year.

The Guardian

• TfL bloggers briefingAnother event I've missed this week due to my confinement in the Hackney House of the Sick was a special briefing for bloggers organised by TfL. It took place on Tuesday. london-underground.blogspot.com/2008/11/tfls-bloggers-briefing-transforming.html">Annie Mole was there, and approved:
• Johnson takes axe to congestion charge zoneThe move - which Transport for London estimates will result in an annual loss of £55m-£70m in revenue - follows a public consultation exercise in which more than two-thirds of people said they wanted the extension removed.
• 125mph electric bike unveiled at international show in BirminghamIt may not have the macho roar of a Harley-Davidson, but the TTX01 will ride easier on your conscience. The world's fastest all-electric motorbike, with a top speed of 125mph, has been unveiled at an international bike show.The TTX01, designed and built by British engineers, was commissioned by the organisers of the world's first emissions-free grand prix for motorbikes, which will be held on the Isle of Man's TT circuit next June. It is the most advanced emission-free bike close to commercial production: it is already road-legal in the UK and its makers claim it can go from 0-60mph in 3.5 sec...

The Telegraph

• Car manufacturers ask for Government help through downturnCar manufacturers have asked the Government for urgent help through the economic downturn to stop the industry collapsing.

Daily Record

• Tartan trams plan for Edinburgh as city looks to iconic transport for ideasTOURISTS could be whisked into Edinburgh on tartan trams under plans to customise the city's fleet.

Network Rail

• CHRISTMAS IMPROVEMENT WORK: NETWORK RAIL INVEST £8M AT CLAPHAM JUNCTION TO BOOST SERVICE PERFORMANCE AND RELIABLITY

Transport Briefing

• Crossrail trims programme partner shortlist to threeCross London Rail Links, the company delivering the Crossrail scheme, has announced that three organisations have been shortlisted for stage two of the programme partner tendering process.
• Congestion Charge western extension decision slammedBoris Johnson's decision to dump the London Congestion Charge western extension has received a mixed response from his political opponents and transport campaigners.
• Westfield London bus interchanges open to passengersTwo new bus interchanges built to serve the recently opened Westfield shopping centre (pictured) in west London will open to passengers on Saturday (29 November). The White City bus station and The Shepherd's Bush Interchange will make it easier for passengers to switch between bus and Tube services in the area.
• Planning Bill Royal Assent precedes Heathrow decisionLegislation designed to streamline and speed up development of new transport infrastructure has been put on the statute book with the Planning Bill receiving Royal Assent on Wednesday Evening (26 November).
• Congestion Charge Western Zone abolished by MayorMayor of London Boris Johnson has announced that the western extension of London's Congestion Charge zone is to be scrapped.

Birmingham Post

• Quentin Willson joins the drive for green motoringTV presenter Quentin Willson will be encouraging drivers to become more eco-friendly behind the wheel in a new driving course, which starts in the Black Country this weekend.
• More passengers on the buses in West MidlandsThe number of people travelling by bus in Birmingham and the West Midlands has risen for the first time in decades, reversing a decline which is continuing in other parts of the country.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Bus passes upgrade in GwyneddCONCESSIONARY bus passes in Gwynedd are being updated and existing card holders will receive a new card that contains an electronic chip.
• Over 60s railcard discounts for Wrexham residentsSENIOR Railcards for the over 60s are to be offered at a discounted rate to Wrexham county borough council residents.

Edinburgh Evening News

• New hope for axed busCAMPAIGNERS calling for the full reinstatement of the number 42 bus through Duddingston were given new hope this week as Edinburgh City Council's transport committee agreed to look into funding options for it.
• Car club in call for a bigger share of the city's parking spacesA CAR-SHARING club is aiming to increase its number of parking bays by almost a third, despite complaints that it is taking residents' spaces.
• Strife in the slow lane for cars as £2m bus lanes plan unveiledEDINBURGH is set for even more congestion as work begins on a multi-million pound scheme to create a series of new bus lanes.

Journal Live

• Gridlock threat to North's economyRISING traffic levels on North roads could derail the regional economy for years to come, according to transport experts. The Government has been told the North could be crippled with congested roads while traffic rates in the South look set to ease.

London Evening Standard

• New hint that third Heathrow runway to get 'green' go-aheadA THIRD runway at Heathrow need not breach Britain's new legal target to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Gordon Brown's environmental adviser has hinted.
• Boris scraps congestion charge western extensionTHE western extension of the congestion charge will be scrapped, Boris Johnson announced today.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• First minister snubs A90 campaigners™ invitationFIRST Minister Alex Salmond has angered campaigners calling for improvements at a notorious north-east road junction by saying it was not œappropriate to meet them, it emerged last night.

The York Press

• Massive revamp for York stationTHEY are a common sight on the London Underground, but now York™s historic railway station is to get automatic ticket barriers as part of a £2.3 million revamp.

Blackpool Gazette

• Blackpool bus fare crisis deepensHOPES of extra government cash to cover the cost of free travel for pensioners look to have been dashed.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Lament for our lost stationsMention the word railway to anyone over the age of 50 and it is certain to bring a response, either positive or negative.
• Roadwork squads will fill in potholesPotholes, broken street signs and uneven pavements across Northamptonshire are due to be tackled by a team of roadwork hit-squads.

Transport for London

• Mayor announces £5.3m boost to local transport in BrentIncreased funding and greater freedom over spending for Brent to renew roads, cut road deaths, improve town centres and cycling facilities, tackle the school run and carry out essential main road maintenance.
• First anniversary of London OvergroundLondon Overground has marked its first anniversary with both increased passenger satisfaction and improved performance across the entire network.
• Western extension: Londoners have spoken and the Mayor has listenedThis press release was originaly issued by the Greater London Authority (GLA).

Aviation Industry

• Munich Airport launches new innovation and environmental awardAt the first-ever MUC Award ceremony for the new innovation and environmental award initiated by FMG, the Munich Airport operating company, there was high praise both for the strong response from the research community and the quality of the entries.

Other News Sources

• Rail work boosts profit at JarvisJarvis has posted a strong set of interim results, thanks to a rise in activity on Britain's railways.
• Stagecoach rated 'most ethical' transport groupSTAGECOACH has been rated the most ethical of the UK's big five public transport groups, according to a major survey.
• Dunfermline MSP calls for human rights probe into StagecoachA WEST Fife politician wants the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate bus operator Stagecoach for failing to provide better disabled access.
• Virgin demands Brussels veto BA allianceVirgin Atlantic has called on the European Commission to reject a proposed tie-up between British Airways and American Airlines, claiming the pair would control 60% of the US market from Heathrow.
• Number of trucks travelling to Europe falls by 3%The number of road goods vehicles travelling from the UK to mainland Europe fell by 3% to 695,000 in the third quarter of 2008, according to Department for Transport statistics.
• Boris axes congestion charge western extensionJust two weeks before a crucial vote in Manchester to decide the fate of the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) proposals there, London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced that western extension of the congestion charge, set-up by his predecessor Ken Livingstone, is likely to be axed in 2010.
• Legible London trial sites namedTransport for London has unveiled three pilot locations for pedestrian wayfinding system Legible London, designed by Applied Information Group, and named the designers who are to implement them.
• Airline sites see massive drop in UK user numbersVisitors to airline sites have dropped 32% year on year as a result of the continuing economic crisis, according to figures from ComScore.
• New strategy to improve traffic management unveiledA new strategy that is intended to combat a range of problems in Britain including traffic management and flooding has been launched by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
• Palletline implements new city centre delivery conceptPalletline has announced that it is launching a new concept that is intended to consolidate city deliveries and help to reduce traffic congestion in urban areas.
• IATA labels APD an "enormous mistake" Transport association attacks passenger tax rise read more

Other Subscription Services

• Pacific Carriers joins list of owners avoiding SuezDRY bulk operator is diverting vessels via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid pirate-ridden waters of the Gulf of Aden.