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

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

BBC News

• Planes may be diverted for Games Security officials have revealed they may have to divert aeroplanes from the flight path above the main 2012 Olympic site in Stratford, east London.
• Free wi-fi for airport travellers Passengers from the north west travelling to either of the airports in Belfast can now stay connected.
• Minister announces new A5 route Transport Minister Conor Murphy has identified the preferred route for the A5 Western Transport Corridor.
• Ryanair reduces Stansted flights Budget airline Ryanair has announced a significant reduction in its services at Stansted Airport.
• Candidates give views on bypass For many years issues surrounding plans for a northern bypass for Norwich, also dubbed the Northern Distributor Road (NDR), have been debated.
• Tube advice on Piccadilly screens The famous screens at Piccadilly Circus are being used to give travel information for the London Underground.
• Road diverts timber from village A £4.5m road designed to take timber lorries away from a rural Dumfriesshire village has been opened.
• Bus station open after £3m revamp A "rundown" bus station has reopened after a £3m revamp which includes measures to curb anti-social behaviour.
• Airlines' planned flu ban reportedMany of the papers report that some airlines aim to stop passengers flying who show symptoms of swine flu.
• Trains 'at caution' after blazeTrain services resume after a blaze close to a railway line is put out by firefighters in Northampton.

The Guardian

• A Paris-style bicycle scheme in Bristol? Now there's an uphill slog It's a miserable morning in the centre of Bristol. The rain is tipping down and only a halfwit would think of hiring a bike in this weather. So count me in.
• Berlin leads the way on cycle-friendliness It has to be said that the German capital has a head start on most cities when it comes to cycle-friendliness. Not only is it largely flat, but the streets are also wide and straight, leaving plenty of room for designated bike paths and making it a pleasant city to traverse on two wheels. Its established cycling culture means car drivers show more tolerance towards cyclists than in other cities, such as London.
• A tax on the Caribbean A proposal to raise duty on flights to the Caribbean by almost 100% is unfair and will hurt many British families
• Boris Johnson: bendy populismIt is the bendy bus fiasco that really shows up Boris as little more than a standard issue Tory playing narrow political games. The replacement of the first three bendy bus routes - two routes linking London stations, the 507 and the 521 and the 38, which serves Hackney from Victoria, is underway but there really is no coherent case for this policy
• Nissan's plug-free electric carThe Japanese carmaker's wireless system employs the same electromagnetic field technology used to charge an electric toothbrushNissan has developed a revolutionary plug-free technology that it claims will make charging electric cars easier and faster. The wireless charging system is based on the concept of inductive charging, the same electromagnetic field technology used to charge an electric toothbrush. Nissan has scaled it up for use in their Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) electric car, which can charge in a compatible parking bay without the need for wires. Today's electric car owners, by ...
• Bristol adopts Paris-style bike schemeOn a rainy morning, few takers for country's first citywide ride-and-go planIt's a miserable morning in the centre of Bristol. The rain is tipping down and only a halfwit would think of hiring a bike in this weather. So count me in.Ride-and-go cycle schemes are a familiar part of the cityscape on mainland Europe. Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin all have well-established cycle networks, but somehow Britain has always rather lagged behind.There are small local schemes in Southport, Cardiff, Hammersmith and Fulham, in London, and only yesterday Blackpool's opened for business. But the clos...

The Scotsman

• Rail chiefs lay train and tram interchange plans on the line NETWORK Rail bosses have submitted plans for a multi-million pound train and tram interchange to be built at Gogar. The new railway station, which is expected to cost between £34 million and £37m, will be located to the east of the Gogar roundabout where the railway travels under the A8 Glasgow Road, and will be on the existing Edinburgh to Fife line.

Derby Telegraph

• Town could get new rail station PLANS to build a new railway station in Ilkeston are once again being considered after a feasibility study revealed it would make a profit.
• Train drivers' strike is crazy, say bosses EAST Midlands Trains has reacted angrily to news that its drivers plan to strike for six days – despite being offered a pay rise to £38,500.

Liverpool Post

• Virgin's Liverpool pilot scheme could go nationwide A PILOT scheme slashing first class off-peak walk-on fares by 30% on Virgin’s Liverpool to London rail service may be rolled out across the country.

Newcastle Journal

• World starts to act on climate changeFrom the G8 to shipping, the world's climate players are starting to bring their contributions to the table – is real change imminent?

Nottingham Evening Post

• Where to cross? Could Coun Brandon Bravo and the Conservatives explain where all these wonderful new buses they would provide in place of the tram extension would cross the Trent?
• Strike-busting measures to lessen rail disruption EAST Midlands Trains has pledged to maintain an hourly rail service to London during a series of strikes. Plans are in place to operate at least 70 trains on each strike day, meaning the mainline to the capital and many services to Skegness will still operate.

Sheffield Star

• Crackdown on drivers at bus gate Sheffield Council's planning board voted to approve enforcement of the restrictions, banning general traffic from travelling straight on towards the inner ring road when heading out of town at the junctions with Regent Street and Gell Street.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Improved cycle links wanted Environmentalists in Inverness are calling for major investment to improve cycling links between the city centre and the business and retail parks on the eastern edge of the Highland capital.
• Improved cycle links wantedEnvironmentalists in Inverness are calling for major investment to improve cycling links between the city centre and the business and retail parks on the eastern edge of the Highland capital.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• New commuter bike paths lifeline to LeedsA network of new cycle paths is being created to encourage people in Leeds to ditch their cars and get on their bikes.
• Road shut for £1.4m schemeROAD closures are ahead as work on a £1.4m road scheme in Selby enters its final stages. Finkle Street will shut from today for two weeks at its junction with Gowthorpe, which

Doncaster Free Press

• School holiday crackdown on borough's railwaysPOLICE have launched a crackdown against youths playing near Doncaster's railways as the school holidays get underway.

New Scientist

• Electric cars: Juiced up and ready to goThe compact, powerful batteries needed to create viable electric cars are tantalisingly close, but which of the competing options will become the next power player?

Campaign for Better Transport

• Joint call for trams to be treated fairly As the Government revises its major scheme business case guidance, Campaign for Better Transport and PTEG [1] have called for an end to the discrimination against trams.

Railnews

• News: Banaghan quits as London Midland chief for job overseas LONDON Midland’s managing director Steve Banaghan has quit to take up a new position overseas.

Other News Sources

• Icomera Introduces Rugged Wi-Fi Cellular Router for Rail and Road Vehicles Icomera, the world’s leading provider of cellular broadband gateways, has announced the introduction of a ruggedized, industrial cellular router and Wi-Fi access point designed for demanding transport applications.
• Financial rules 'stifling tram development'Transport minister Sadiq Khan has been urged to scrap financial rules that discriminate against local light rail projects.
• New shelter for Chorley bus stop Passengers waiting for buses on Union Street will be able to stay dry after a new shelter was fitted at one of the Chorley’s most popular stops.
• Aberdeen bus chief hits out at staff taking industrial action ABERDEEN’S bus boss today launched a scathing attack on his drivers taking industrial action. First Aberdeen managing director Bob Dorr claimed a “small minority” of drivers currently working to rule were making “malicious” disruption to the business.
• ESSEX: National Express Opens New Sales Desk At Stansted Airport NATIONAL Express has opened a new 'All in One' sales desk at Stansted Airport, putting coach and train ticket sales under one roof.
• Cycle Show 09 set to be most female-friendly This year’s Cycle Show, at Earls Court in October, is to have a special emphasis on the female cyclist as more women take to the road on two wheels.
• Transport chiefs ban roadside banners PLACING advertising banners on railings around the Isle of Man has been banned.
• British Transport Police officers are meeting tube passengers to discuss crime fears on the eastern part of the central line TUBE passengers will be able to speak to police officers about crime on the eastern part of the central line at a meeting on Wednesday (22).
• Coke ties up with TfL to provide transport updates Coca-Cola will use its Piccadilly Circus sign to provide commuters with travel updates around the capital in a partnership signed with Transport for London.
• Bus travel: why our fares are fair YOUR correspondent Robin Morton (July 7), who wrote in support of better bus lanes in Scarborough, also commented on our bus fares in the town.
• Shipping emissions plan 'stalls' Plans to reduce rising emissions from global shipping...
• US oil imports plungeUS OIL imports are plunging fast, demonstrating a powerful impact from OPEC cuts, a sector analyst told Fairplay today.
• Carbon trading vital to climate change success “ PM ReportA global carbon trading network will be vital to preventing dangerous climate change, a new report commissioned by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown concluded today.
• Nissan to build 'green car batteries' in UK Nissan has announced a partnership with the British and Portuguese governments to build its advanced lithium-ion batteries.
• United set to end card transactionsAirline unmoved by industry concerns United Airlines was today (July 20) set to end the rights of some travel agents in America to process credit card transactions.
• BA Planning to sell OpenSkiesAirline reviewing "all aspects" of business BA has hired an investment bank to look into the possibility of selling its all business class subsidiary OpenSkies, Reuters has reported.

Other Subscription Services

• Simpson elected chairman of EU parliament transport committeeBRITISH Euro MP Brian Simpson was today elected chairman of the European parliament transport committee.
• Officials raid Daewoo headquartersDAEWOO Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering’s headquarters in Seoul have today been raided by officials from the Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
• Fuel shortage fears dog low-sulphur debateIMO delegates raise concerns over availability of low-sulphur fuels.