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

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

BBC News

• Braille bus signs to be replacedNew Braille signs at Hull's Paragon Bus Interchange are to be replaced just one week after being introduced.
• Transport fares rise by up to 3%Bus and rail fares in Northern Ireland are to increase by up to 3%. For Metro travellers it will mean a 10 pence rise. The minimum fares on Ulsterbus and train services will also be going up by 10 pence on Monday.

Financial Times

• Car emissions exceed forecastsNew roads built in the UK since 2002 have led to double the increase in carbon emissions originally forecast by the government.
• Shipping market in the doldrumsWorld shipping markets face at least two years of serious problems as excess ship orders depress rates, one of the world's
• Ford to raise up to $2bn with new share issueThe proceeds could enable the sole Detroit carmaker surviving without a government bail-out to pay cash for a sizeable chunk of its contributions to a union-managed healthcare trust

The Guardian

• Somali pirates 'guided by UK team'¢ Hub of informants plotting attacks, says leaked report¢ Several recent hijackings orchestrated from UK For the 14 crew aboard the Karagöl, a ­Turkish chemical tanker churning through the lawless waters of the Gulf of Aden, it was the moment all seafarers dread: heavily armed Somali pirates were speeding towards the slow-moving cargo vessel, and there was no chance of escape.The Turkish sailors were swiftly overpowered and the 5,850-ton tanker was diverted to a port in Somalia, where it was held for two months while its owners negotiated a ransom payment.What the crew could not know was that...

The Independent

• Britain's worst rail trip?The 76-mile journey between Kettering and London might take the average motorist one hour and 48 minutes, traffic conditions permitting. A fit cyclist would hope to complete the distance in about six hours, while a very fit runner would conceivably be collapsing from exhaustion in the capital a footsore 13 hours after setting off.

The Scotsman

• A bridge isn't too far for new railway projectA VITAL piece of early work on the Borders rail project has just been completed, with the construction of a new access road.

The Telegraph

• Luton airport shelves dropoff charges Luton Airport has shelved plans to charge drivers £1 to drop passengers off at the terminal following an outcry triggered by the Daily Telegraph's disclosure of the proposals.
• Passengers face levy to guarantee a seat Rail passengers face charges for reserving a seat for the first time since the days of British Rail after a cashstrapped operator announced plans to impose a levy from this weekend.

Times Online

• China car sales jump 37% on tax breaksCar sales in China, which in January overtook the US to become the world™s biggest automotive market, rose 37 per cent last month.
• General Motors chief Fritz Henderson ready to ˜resort to bankruptcy™ as global sell-off talks continueGeneral Motors (GM) will probably fall into bankruptcy, its chief executive warned again yesterday, as the clock ticks down to the June 1 deadline set by the US Government for the ailing carmaker to convince it that it can restructure successfully.

Mail Online

• Rail bosses replace 80 minute journey with 18 hour diversion that takes in seven changes and an overnight stay at a bus stop

Transport Briefing

• Bus operators fail to sell quality partnership to OxonOxfordshire County Council has voted to implement a two phase plan to pedestrianise parts of Oxford city centre.
• MVA examines tram and BRT Forth crossing optionsProposals to run trams across the River Forth are to be examined by a new study commissioned by the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership.
• Arriva signs up to Kenilworth station developmentTrain operator Arriva CrossCountry has pledged to support efforts to build a new railway station at Kenilworth in Warwickshire.

Manchester Evening News

• £1.3bn transport wish-listATRANSPORT masterplan for Greater Manchester has been revealed by town hall bosses in the wake of the failed congestion charge scheme. A wish-list of road and rail projects has been drawn up by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA), the umbrella group of the region's 10 council leaders.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Anger at rise in Network Railcard pricesRail commuters have reacted with fury after it was revealed railcard prices in the south-east are to increase by 25 per cent.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• BAA positive about runway extensionBAA bosses insist they are still confident that the proposed runway extension at Aberdeen Airport will go ahead, despite falling passenger numbers and the deepening recession.
• Bikers get all revved up over new testBIKERS from all over the north-east descended on Dundee yesterday to join a national protest against a new, EU-approved motorcycle test.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Hitachi bosses look at Leeds in plant searchSENIOR executives from Hitachi Europe and Hitachi Europe Rail Group have visited Leeds to view sites, which have been shortlisted as possible locations for a UK manufacturing plant.

Bucks Free Press

• New lifts planned for Amersham station ACCESS for disabled railway passengers could improve if plans for new lifts and a bridge at Amersham railway station go ahead.

Carlisle News & Star

• Carlisle MP backs Headway campaign for cycle helmetsCarlisle MP Eric Martlew is backing calls for it to be compulsory for children to wear helmets while riding bikes.

Washington Post

• Ford offering 300M shares in public offering NEW YORK -- Ford Motor Co. said Monday it is launching a public offering of 300 million shares of common stock, which it will use in part to help fund its retiree health care trust.
• GM CEO says tasks are large to avoid bankruptcy DETROIT -- Bankruptcy protection for the nation's biggest automaker is becoming more probable with a deadline just over two weeks away, the company's top executive told reporters Monday.

Aviation Industry

• Passenger traffic grows at Heathrow and Edinburgh airports in AprilPassenger traffic at Heathrow and Edinburgh airports rose in April, driven principally by a busy Easter period...
• Ryanair boss warns of 3,000 job losses at Dublin AirportRyanair boss Michael O'Leary has today said 3,000 jobs at Dublin Airport could go this year with the loss of three million passengers.
• Wi Fi slow to become ubiquitous onboard airlinesMajor airlines are scrounging for every dollar now that fewer people are flying amid the economic downturn, yet the carriers have been slow to install in-flight wireless Internet access across their fleets that could generate millions in fees.

Other News Sources

• Rail users meetingWatford Rail Users' Group will host the event, where representatives of local train operators will be in attendance, on Monday, June 1.
• Metro link to Blyth ruled outA METRO link to Blyth will not be considered by the government until after 2019, ministers say.
• East Coast rail service 'subsidising UK network'A NORTH east MP has called on the government to stop using the East Coast rail service to subsidise the UK network.
• Free bus pass scheme hits coffersFREE-WHEELING bus users are causing a multi-million pound headache for Westcountry councils after Government mistakes over the hugely popular free bus pass.
• Commuters unwilling to pay more for park and ridePARK and ride services in North Swindon still look set to face the axe after a consultation showed that commuters would be unwilling to pay higher fares to retain the service.
• Green light a long way away for road chargesNORTH East business representatives have reacted angrily to suggestions that a congestion charging system like London's could benefit businesses in the region.
• Southampton congestion charge could benefit businessesBUSINESSES in Southampton could benefit from congestion charging, a study published today reveals. Researchers say well designed and implemented road charging schemes can deliver “substantial” overall benefits to businesses.
• New Web site lets you compare bus tickets [USA]Intercity bus travel has taken off in the last few years. Now a new Web site makes it easier for riders to find their routes.
• Bombardier gets French kissCanadian train maker Bombardier will team up with its French counterpart Alstom to supply a US$1bn-plus order of trains for the Parisian subway.
• BAA and JCDecaux to renegotiate airport dealBAA and JCDecaux have ended their existing pan-airport outdoor advertising space agreement following changes to BAA™s portfolio.
• London team helping pirates?A TEAM of ˜consultants™ in London is directing Somali pirates to their targets according to a European military intelligence document obtained by national Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.
• Congestion charging no bad thing, says CBIBusiness could benefit from congestion charging in cities so long as strict criteria are met, according to new research for the CBI, the UK’s business lobbying group, and the Freight Transport Association (FTA).