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

Saturday, 11 July 2009

BBC News

• Virus passengers win refundPassengers on a cruise ship hit by an outbreak of a vomiting bug are promised a full refund of their fare and their bar bill paid.
• Fume-filled BA jet evacuated in USHundreds of people are evacuated from a British Airways jet in Phoenix in the US after the cabin fills with fumes.
• 'More job cuts' at Aston MartinAlmost 100 workers at the luxury car factory in Warwickshire are to lose their jobs, unions say.
• Singapore shipsRecession means vessels stay idle for longer in port
• Transport boss gives away bonusTransport tycoon Brian Souter handed his £1.6m bonus to his company's pensioners and charity, the Stagecoach annual report reveals
• Airlines calling for re-think on taxThe airline industry body wants the UK government to abandon a planned increase in air passenger duty.

Financial Times

• Chastened GM sets out on a fresh startGeneral Motors emerged from bankruptcy just 40 days after filing for Chapter 11 protection with the vow to become a nimbler global carmaker more in touch with its customers
• EU balks at Lufthansa concessionsThe German carrier's proposed acquisition of Austrian Airlines looks increasingly shaky after competition officials accused it of submitting concessions inferior to a previous offer
• Tui to pay some cash to Hapag groupThe troubled tourism group has agreed to meet at least some of the demands for aid from Hapag-Lloyd, the container shipping line it partly sold off in March
• More airlines gain antitrust immunityA group of carriers has been given waivers from US regulators in spite of fears over the effect of joint ventures on transatlantic competition
• BA braces for union showdownBritish Airways and its shareholders face a stormy upcoming annual meeting as Unite, the union that represents 28,000 of the airline's 40,000 employees, intends to picket the meeting in force
• India unveils plans for toll roadsIndia's new government outlines proposals to overhaul its roads with a target of building 12,000 km of highway this year.

The Guardian

• Airport passenger numbers fall 5.9%¢ 12.7m passengers pass through company's seven airports¢ Lowest figure for nine months¢ Edinburgh bucks the trendThe number of travellers using major UK airports declined to its lowest level for nine months in June, BAA said today.The airport operator said a total of 12.7m passengers passed through its airports last month, a reduction of 5.9% on the same period last year.But the firm, which saw a 7.3% fall in May, said this was the best underlying figure since last September.BAA had posted a 2.3% decline in passenger numbers in April but this rose to 6.8% when the effect of a late Easter was ...
• GM reborn after 40 bankruptcy days'Business as usual is over at GM,' said CEO Fritz HendersonAmerica's biggest carmaker, General Motors, won a second chance to prove itself as a profitable motor manufacturer today as it emerged from bankruptcy at lightning speed after a remarkably swift, smooth financial restructuring.After just 40 days under court-supervised protection from its creditors, GM was resurrected as a solvent business shortly after 6.30am when lawyers, completing an all-night paperwork session, signed over its factories, stocks, equipment and intellectual property to a new entity controlled by the US government.GM...

Times Online

• 'New' General Motors will axe 450 managersGeneral Motors (GM) today announced wide-sweeping changes to its management structure and unveiled a new strategy as the US carmaker emerged from bankruptcy after 40 days.
• GM exits bankruptcy with 27,000 job losses this yearBusiness as usual is over at General Motors. The new GM emerged from bankruptcy after 40 days today promising new products and technologies, new ways of working and even new ways of buying its cars on eBay.
• New Iberia chief pledges to complete BA mergerThe new chairman of Iberia, the Spanish airline, today pledged to close a merger with British Airways which has dragged on for almost a year.
• Iberia moves for make or break decision on drawn-out merger discussions with BAMerger talks between British Airways and Iberia, which have stumbled on for nearly a year, should be brought to a head, the new boss of the Spanish airline said yesterday.

Daily Record

• Probe launched after fake bomb breaches Scots airport securitySECURITY at a Scottish airport is under review after a fake bomb passed through undetected.
• Anger as sex attacker released after claiming bus ban is breach of his human rightsA SICK sex attacker is to be released from custody while he challenges orders designed to protect children and young girls from him.

Mail Online

• Cause of Air France Airbus crash may remain mystery as ships searching for flight recorders called off

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Transport minister sees Llanrwst HGV problemsDEPUTY First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM yesterday visited Llanrwst to see for himself the problems caused by heavy traffic using the main A470 road through the town.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Passengers on liner hit by virus get full refundsPassengers caught up in a ship™s second virus outbreak in a week have been promised full refunds and 50% off a future voyage, should they travel with Transocean Tours again.

The York Press

• Transport minister to face York rail HQ meeting TOP-LEVEL talks are to be sought in a bid to secure the long-term future of railway jobs in York.

Blackpool Gazette

• Thousands of charity riders head for BlackpoolTHOUSANDS of cyclists will arrive in Blackpool for the resort's bike bonanza.

Chester Standard

• Police make plea tp pedestrians to stay dafe in summertimePOLICE are appealing for pedestrians and cyclists to be safety conscious when using the roads this summer.
• Free new bus service for Chester Zoo visitorsVISITORS to the Chester Zoo wishing to go green will soon be able to hop aboard a free bus.

The Shields Gazette

• Fill in Tyne Dock to expand Port planA MAJOR expansion of the Port of Tyne will be on the cards if a plan to fill in the existing dock there is given the green light next week.

C.N.N.

• Smoke prompts evacuation of British Airways jetOfficials said a British Airways jet had to be evacuated Friday at a Phoenix, Arizona, airport after smoke was reported in the cabin.

International Herald Tribune

• World Briefing | The Americas: Brazil: Ships Stop Black Box HuntTwo ships using listening devices to search for the black boxes of Air France Flight 447 were ending their hunt on Friday, an American commander said.
• A Muscle Car to the RescueG.M.’s new Camaro, a throwback to another era, is creating a buzz in otherwise quiet showrooms.
• EBay Denies Partnership With G.M.G.M. said it was forging a new partnership with eBay to sell new cars. But the auction site said that no deal had been reached.
• By Degrees: Buses May Aid Climate Battle in Poor CitiesLow-emission buses could greatly reduce heat-trapping gases produced in the developing world’s booming cities.

Washington Post

• General Motors to try selling new cars on eBay NEW YORK -- As part of its turnaround plan, General Motors Corp. said Friday it plans to experiment with auctioning new cars on eBay, expanding on an existing partnership covering certified used vehicles on the online marketplace.
• CEO vows better performance as GM exits bankruptcy DETROIT -- General Motors completed an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection on Friday with ambitions of making money and building cars people are eager to buy. Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, new GM is now leaner, cleansed of massive debt and burdensome contracts that would have sunk it without federal loans.
• With Bankruptcy Behind It, GM Focuses on a Culture Change General Motors emerged from bankruptcy yesterday, with chief executive Fritz Henderson promising that the fallen corporate giant will be revived and that

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Van drivers 'worst on UK roads'Drivers of vans are the worst motorists on Britain's roads, a new poll has revealed.According to research by website Auto Trader Compare, respondents voted 'white van man' the biggest offender, followed by drivers of BMWs, the Press Association reports.Owners of Porsches, Audis and Mercedes-Benz also rated highly on the list, while Sunday drivers and Londoners were also criticised for lacking skill behind the wheel.However, lorry and bus drivers were found to be the most considerate road users.Matt Thompson, Autotrader.co.uk marketing director, said it is important that "motorists cha...

Railnews

• News: Big rise in West Coast Main Line passenger complaints TRAIN operators on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line — which has been plagued with problems and delays both during and since a £9 billion route modernisation programme — have reported big increases in passenger complaints.

Transport for London

• Mayor and TfL statement in response to London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee report on faresThe Mayor of London's office and Transport for London (TfL) today responded to the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee's report on fares.

Aviation Industry

• June traffic figures “ BAA's airportsDeclines continue to reflect difficult economic circumstances, but underlying airport traffic trends improving.
• Continental Receives Final DOT Approval to Join Alliance With United, Star CarriersContinental Receives Final DOT Approval to Join Antitrust Immunized Alliance With United, Star Carriers Posted July 10, 2009 The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today approved the application for Continental Airlines to join the existing antitrust immunized alliance including United and eight other Star Alliance member carriers.

Other News Sources

• Put Florida Back on TrackLess known is an effort that will erase the destructive efforts of another Bush - Jeb - the preceding governor of Florida. Jeb Bush scuttled Florida's high-speed-rail plan when he became governor and ...
• Cargo ship with 15 Indians aboard hijacked off Somali coastA cargo vessel with 15 Indian crew members was hijacked off the port city of Bosasso in Somalia, a media report said Saturday.
• British Airways staff offer to work for lessUnions representing British Airways cabin crew have handed shareholders a compromise deal with staff offering take a 2.6% pay cut
• Death crash lorry driver fined £500The driver of a truck that shed its unsecured load, causing the death of a female motorist, has been fined £500.
• New Survey Reveals the Highs, Lows and Illicit Loves of Britain's Motorway Service StationsFrom dirty toilets to high prices and illicit romantic liaisons - as Britain prepares for a bumper summer holiday season our motorway service stations have come under scrutiny in a new survey
• Mayor revives Silvertown crossingTransport for London has issued a review of potential of river crossings in East London, to replace the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge, which Mayor Boris Johnson has axed.
• Chinese Shipbuilding up 52%Companiesandmarkets.com reported that China accomplished shipbuilding output of 28.81 million deadweight tonnages in 2008, rising by 52.2% from the year before. According to the Clarkson, in 2008, the global newly undertook ship orders of 150 million deadweight tonnages.(Source: companiesandmarkets.com)...
• Bahrain Meeting on CounterpiracyNaval leaders and shipping industry experts from 21 nations arrived at the Royal Bahrain Naval Base July 7 for a series of counterpiracy meetings.Royal Bahrain Navy Brig. Gen. Abdulla Saeed Al Mansoori hosted the meeting. Known as the SHared Awareness and DEconfliction (SHADE) meetings, sponsored...
• KBH take London Overground contractRail outdoor contractor KBH Transport Media has been appointed to handle all onboard advertising for trains on the London Overground rail network.
• New GM emerges from bankruptcy protection A new General Motors has emerged from bankruptcy protection just 40 days after saying it was at risk of liquidation.Related StoriesRAC slams greedy wheelclampers
• BA plane evacuated in fumes scare Hundreds of people aboard a British Airways jet were evacuated just before take-off after reports of smoke in the cabin.
• Rap for SNCF revampFrench shippers and a leading workers' union have urged rail operator SNCF to abandon any plans to scrap singlewagonload rail services.
• Launch of Motorway of the Sea is delayedThe launch of the first Motorway of the Sea service between France and Spain seems unlikely to meet the planned October deadline, due to political delays.
• DOT™s final ATI approval for Star expands carve-outsAfter requiring virtually no carve-outs in its tentative approval of antitrust immunity among members of the Star Alliance, the US Department of Transportation...
• Egypt reports Suez terror plotEGYPT has arrested 26 people whom authorities suspect were planning terrorist attacks on the Suez Canal.
• Tankers play waiting gameGLOBAL oil demand will linger for 2009 at 2.5M barrels a day less than last year, but 2010 will bring a demand rebound of 1.4M bpd.
• Lufthansa-Austrian Airline ruling needs 'miracle'Merger deal likely to have expired by time Commission can make ruling.
• Chernobyl-blighted land to be used for biofuel crops Vast tracts of land contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster could be used to grow crops for the production of biofuels.
• BA jumbo evacuated in fumes scareBA jumbo evacuated in fumes scare

Other Subscription Services

• Marco Polo passengers file compensation claimSEVERAL passengers who claim to have contracted norovirus-like symptoms on board Marco Polo.
• Dockers protest move to dismiss Yarmouth employeesDOCKERS from across the country joined colleagues at the Port of Yarmouth to protest against moves to dismiss the workforce and rely entirely on casual labour.