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

Sunday, 06 September 2009

BBC News

• Inquiry call over Sunday servicesAn MP wants a full statement from the government after a rail company cancels its Sunday services.
• Transport 'should get free wi-fi'Free wireless internet access should be available on all trains and buses in Scotland, according to Scottish Labour.
• Lack of staff threatens rail chaosRail users are facing major disruption as London Midland cancels all but one of its Sunday services due to a lack of drivers.

The Guardian

• London tube workers 'conned' out of thousandsConstruction boss for East London Line said to have made £300,000 by underpaying his menWorkers employed to build parts of London's new transport links which will be vital during the Olympics have, in effect, been conned out of thousands of pounds by a gangmaster.Between April 2008 and March this year, workers on the tube's East London Line extension project were paid as little as a third of the amount Paul Singh was charging for their work, allowing him to amass a profit of more than £300,000.

The Independent

• Dispute over Sunday working brings rail chaos A rail company faced a barrage of criticism after it was forced to cancel all but one of its Sunday services today because staff have failed to volunteer to work.

The Scotsman

• Train drivers refuse Sunday workingA rail company faces a barrage of criticism after it was forced to cancel all but one of its Sunday services because staff have refused to volunteer to work.

The Telegraph

• Train line shuts down because staff refuse Sunday working Rail company London Midland has cancelled about 1000 Sunday trains because staff have refused to volunteer to work forcing the closure of all but one of its routes.

Times Online

• US wins first round against EU over Airbus subsidiesThe World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled that subsidies given to Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer, by European governments, including the UK, were illegal.
• Europe’s carmakers drive hard for hybrid with diesel Belatedly, European manufacturers are getting into hybrid cars — but with diesel rather than petrol engines in combination with electric motors.
• Cycle Guy: Boris Johnson There are all kinds of pathetic excuses I have heard from people who refuse to use a bicycle. Some say they are worried about the rain, when it is not raining in London 94% of the time. Some say they are worried about falling off, when cycling is in fact a very safe means of transport and is statistically becoming safer all the time.
• Cycle Doc Q. What sort of shoes would you recommend for cycling in bad weather? The best option we have found is sandals, which at least mean our feet just need a quick towel down at the end of a ride — but they aren’t very cosy.
• Company report: pedalling a retro style for 80 yearsAdrian Williams, managing director of Pashley Cycles, has been with the bicycle maker for 15 years and is certain that business œhas never been better.
• IMF warns spending cuts will derail recoveryThe head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned governments not to unwind their economic stimulus packages too soon or risk derailing recovery.
• Councils to cut crashes with ˜naked streets™MOTORISTS and pedestrians will be forced to jostle for space under plans being drawn up by councils to strip roads of traffic lights, kerbs and white lines.

The Mirror

• Group warns over economic relapseA business lobby group said it was more upbeat about the UK's prospects next year but warned the chances of an economic "relapse" remained high.

Liverpool Echo

• Results of industrial action ballot by Virgin Trains catering staff posptoned after legal wrangleA BALLOT on possible strike action by Virgin Trains catering staff has been delayed by a legal wrangle with the company.

London Evening Standard

• Rail firms double prices to make up for peak fare cutsRail commuters face a record 143 per cent increase in the cost of travel as train companies sidestep government regulations aimed at keeping prices down

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Calls for end to transport monopoly backedAberdeen Civic Forum has backed calls for rival operators to move in and break First™s monopoly of bus services in the Granite City.
• Aberdeen bus strikes suspended after ˜positive™ pay deal talksBus strikes which threatened to bring chaos to Aberdeen™s Offshore Europe conference next week have been suspended after First staff were last night offered a fresh pay deal.
• New station beats expectationsPassenger numbers at a recently-reopened railway station in the Mearns have been 80% greater than was initially expected.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Major roadworks will shut A43 againMotorists in Northamptonshire are facing a 30-mile detour for the second time in eight months when one of the county's main roads closes for two weekends.

International Herald Tribune

• A Dream Interrupted at BoeingBoeing says it is getting back on track on the 787 Dreamliner, which is two years late. The company says it outsourced too much.

Washington Post

• European Governments' Aid to Airbus Ruled Illegal by WTO The World Trade Organization has ruled that billions of dollars in aid that European governments gave to aerospace giant Airbus constitutes illegal subsidies, sources familiar with the decision said, rendering a long-awaited legal victory for U.S. rival Boeing.
• Airplane trade ruling comes in era of bailouts WASHINGTON -- The World Trade Organization's ruling that European loans for Airbus were illegal subsidies is being cheered by U.S. lawmakers loyal to the Boeing Co., even though the preliminary decision may seem outdated now that government subsidies, bailouts and takeovers are common.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Scrappage scheme prompts further rise in car salesNew car sales were up six per cent-year-on-year last month, according to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).A total of 67,006 were sold in the UK during August and the body said that the success of the scrappage scheme - which offers drivers of older models a £2,000 trade-in incentive - has helped boost the market.This is the second consecutive month that sales have risen and the body predicted the trend will continue into September with the launch of the new '59' registration plate.Chief executive of the SMMT Paul Everitt said that the figures are &am...

Railnews

• News: London Midland services will not run this sunday A SHORTAGE of volunteers for Sunday working will prevent London Midland from running any train services this Sunday, 6 September.
• News: HS2 chief responds to Railnews call for Birmingham International Hub THE head of the UK Government company planning a 250 mph high speed rail line from London to the North has suggested it should serve a parkway station near Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre - within 24 hours of Railnews publishing an article calling for the new line to pass through a new 'Birmingham International Hub.'

Transport for London

• Introduction of pink Oyster route validators at selected stations From 6 September, new Oyster readers will enable some passengers to benefit from cheaper fares. The latest improvement is part of a £40m Transport for London (TfL) upgrade to prepare for Oyster roll-out on National Rail.

Other News Sources

• No let-up in G20 stimulus for recoveryFinance ministers from the world's leading countries propose a curb on banking bonuses and agree to continue spending in order to support global economic recovery. Faisal Islam reports.
• London Midland cancels all but one Sunday service A rail firm has cancelled all but one of its services because bosses cannot force staff to work on a Sunday.Related StoriesSmall firms wait up to four months for paymentKeep spending, Darling tells world governmentsGirl behind bars in 'honeytrap' murder caseG20 ministers agree action on bank bonusesAnti-fascists clash with right-wing protesters
• Drunk Drivers and Distracted Drivers Top Causes of Car AccidentsThose who have been injured or lost a loved one in a car accident, whether caused by a drunk driver, distracted driver or other cause, have remedies available to them under the law.
• New camera system will target blindspotsCoventry-based technology company Alpine is developing a camera system to remove blind spots and stop accidents in which trucks move lanes and collide with other traffic.