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

Monday, 28 September 2009

BBC News

• Trial run to start on bus routes Bus passengers in Lincolnshire are set to benefit from an expanded timetable in the run-up to Christmas.
• Port bucks trend as traffic grows Portsmouth's port says it is defying the recession by taking more passengers and vehicles over the past few months.
• Sunday first for coast rail route Train passengers can travel the full length of Cumbria's coastal route for the first time in 30 years on Sunday. Trains on a Sunday normally only run between Whitehaven and Carlisle but a one-off service to Barrow will operate as part of a community rail festival.
• Police target rail cable thieves Police have warned thieves in St Helens they are risking their lives by stealing rail cables.

Financial Times

• Shipping chief wants anti-trust easingCC Tung, head of OOIL, has joined calls for a relaxation of the industry's anti-trust regulations to speed up the trimming of its vast over capacity
• Rail freight liberalisation feels the strainConcerns mount after a wave of takeovers of recently started private operators by the dominant state-owned companies

The Guardian

• Speeding tickets to follow Britons home from holiday From this week, Britons caught speeding in Europe face a greater chance of being forced to pay up in the UK if they fail to settle their fines abroad.
• In defence of the electric bicycle It's great. Just ignore the stares of other cyclists
• A fast rail link could make all of Britain middle class Without high-speed trains, London would become a first world island isolated from an impoverished hinterland

The Independent

• Cameron's school buses face the axe A pioneering school-bus scheme personally backed by David Cameron as part of a Tory policy to stop parents driving their children to school, is to be scrapped by a flagship Tory council. The fleet of 22 yellow Pegasus buses, which ferry hundreds of children between 14 schools, was piloted in 2006 before a high-profile launch attended by the Conservative leader.

The Telegraph

• Innocent motorists to be asked to pay court costs Drivers will fall victim to reforms which will see people who are acquitted by the courts expected to foot the majority of their own defence costs. It is thought some innocent motorists will plead guilty to reduce their costs.
• British Airways attacked for 'copying budget airlines'A leading trade union has accused British Airways of suffering an ''identity crisis'' over the latest moves to cut costs.

Times Online

• Thousands more parking places created at stations “ but only for cyclistsThe daily misery of hunting for a space in the railway station car park and being charged up to £20 for the privilege will soon be over for thousands of commuters ” if they switch from petrol to pedal power.

Reuters News

• Air France-KLM, Veolia may end rail project-report Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) and Veolia (VIE.PA) are no longer planning to launch a high-speed train project in continental Europe together, Les Echos reported on Monday.

Transport Briefing

• Mott designs to inform Nottingham tram bidders Mott MacDonald has been appointed by Nottingham City Council to support companies bidding for the Nottingham Express Transit phase two operating concession.
• Second power incident disrupts Eurostar passengers Eurostar is counting the cost of a power cut on Friday (25 September) night which left hundreds of passengers stranded on trains between London, Paris and Brussels.

Birmingham Post

• Government pledges commitment to high speed rail project Labour’s leaders have come under pressure to ensure planned high-speed rail services connect cities across England and Scotland. MPs warned that services reaching up to 225mph must not be limited to Birmingham and London, as they launched a campaign for an extended route at the Labour conference.

Bolton News

• VOTE: Bosses to fight for rail cashTHE fight to secure cash for investment in the “congested” railway network in and around Bolton will be taken to the Labour Party Conference this week.

London Evening Standard

• Minister keeps signal green to steer Crossrail past cuts Crossrail will be spared from the Chancellor's public spending cuts, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis signalled today.
• Adonis unveils 10,000 new parking spaces for bicycles at rail stations A £14million package to transform cycling facilities at railway stations was unveiled by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis today.
• Mayor could face legal fight over scrapping of C-charge extensionBoris Johnson's plans to scrap the congestion charge extension have descended into “farce”, it was claimed today after he was threatened with legal action.

Metro

• Scrappage scheme extension urgedA business group has urged the Government to extend the car scrappage scheme or risk undermining industry's recovery from recession.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Tram tax letter a waste of money [letter]A few days ago my small business received a letter and double sided glossy sheet from Nottingham City Council about the Workplace Parking Levy – which I prefer to call the Tram Scam Tax.

Sheffield Star

• Plan to cut bus services looms FIRST has announced a series of bus route changes and some service cuts in Sheffield and Rotherham. The company said it had been hit by a decline in passengers due to the recession and the large number of redundancies in the area.

The York Press

• Have your say on public transport RESIDENTS of Pocklington and the surrounding area will have the chance to give their views on public transport services in the area at a meeting next month.

Washington Post

• Airline baggage fees on international flights -- The big U.S. airlines are charging baggage fees on some international flights, generally coach tickets between Europe and the U.S. or Canada. What you should know:

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Port freight traffic levels dip in 2008The level of port freight handled by UK facilities fell by three per cent year-on-year in 2008, new figures have shown.According to statistics from the Department for Transport, 562 million tonnes (Mt) of cargo passed through ports in Britain last year, with inward traffic down by three per cent and outward loads by four per cent compared with 2007.Liquid bulk goods accounted for the largest proportion of freight (43 per cent), while 29 per cent was roll-on/roll-off traffic, 23.5 per cent of loads were dry bulk and four per cent other cargo.Grimsby & Immingham was the busiest port last...

Other News Sources

• Transport cuts fuel railway call Labour MP Graham Stringer is calling on the Government to scrap London’s £16bn Crossrail project and spend the money on Greater Manchester’s rail system instead.
• Blackburn bus changes called a 'shambles' BLACKBURN and Darwen’s beleagured bus-users have said “enough is enough” after the latest round of cuts to services.
• End strike action plead bus bosses BUS bosses are urging drivers to accept a pay offer and end strike action. Managers at First have sidestepped union officials to make their plea to drivers, urging them to return to work.
• Cardiff bus shake-up takes station off route for most services Shake-up of public transport in Cardiff takes station off route for most bus services BUS services in Cardiff are set to undergo their biggest shake-up in decades.
• Rail users urged to get on bike and green their travel The UK Government's Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has launched a major £14m package to transform facilities for cyclists at rail stations and encourage healthier, greener travel.
• Council tackles traffic at rail stations BASILDON councillors have got their heads together and conjured up ideas to tackle the ongoing problem of commuter parking and congestion at Laindon and Wickford stations.
• Councils want to control city region rail network Greater Manchester wants the same powers as Transport for London, according to a senior official.
• Bridge boss to meet minister over debts e boss to meet minister over debts A GOVERNMENT minister will meet with the Humber Bridge Board in late October to discuss the implications of the toll freeze.
• Japan minister says JAL won't be liquidated TOKYO — Japan's transport minister said Sunday he will not force the struggling Japan Airlines, Asia's biggest airline, into bankruptcy.
• Macquarie Group could cancel Macquarie Airports dealThe Macquarie Group is threatening to pull the plug on a deal to relinquish management control of Macquarie Airports (MAp), saying that the agreement may...
• Research Shows Support for Used Car Fuel Efficiency Labelling SchemeNew DfT research shows support for developing a used car labelling scheme.