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

Friday, 14 May 2010

BBC News

• Weymouth's Olympic transport exhibition to open A public exhibition is set to open in Weymouth displaying information about a £9m Olympic transport project.
• Artist denies lost bikes are a waste of public money A Scottish artist has denied press criticism that his "White Bike Plan" has been a waste of public money.
• Bus interchange work at Cambridge station is completed Work to improve public transport access at Cambridge Railway Station has been completed.
• 'BA needs to modernise to secure future' [video clip]New transport secretary Philip Hammond said British Airways needs to secure its future by modifying its working practices.
• Northern Rail franchise extended Northern Rail is to continue to run services across the north of England for another three years, the Department for Transport has confirmed.
• Crackdown on rural road speedingPolice forces across Scotland launch a three-day campaign to tackle dangerous driving and speeding on country roads.
• Airport parking fees 'ridiculous'Car parking charges at some UK airports are
• Tube moneyCan the London learn from Moscow's Metro?
• BA outlines Heathrow strike planBritish Airways plans to run at least half its flights from Heathrow Airport during next week's cabin crew strike.

Financial Times

• BA draws up plan to defy strikeBritish Airways is to mount a complex contingency plan to limit the effect of a five-day cabin crew strike but tens of thousands of passengers are still likely to be unable to fly each day

The Guardian

• Airline watchdog says industry must take share of blame for ash crisis CAA chief executive Andrew Haines says commercial pressures and over-cautious international rules led to shutdown of UK airspace
• Cycling Boris paints the town blueLondon mayor talks of safe, direct, well-marked routes “ but critics say he's just repainting existing cyle lanesOne of Boris Johnson's projects to turn London into

The Herald

• Scots suffer most in BA strikeScotland will again bear the brunt of disruption when a five-day strike by British Airways cabin crew gets under way next Tuesday, with fewer than one in ten flights to Heathrow expected to go ahead.
• FirstGroup chief questions impact of foreign businessFirstGroup chief executive Sir Moir Lockhead wants an investigation into the impact of foreign state-backed companies on the UK transport sector.

The Independent

• Transport Secretary aims to end the 'war on motorists' but will 'sweat assets better'Philip Hammond, the new Transport Secretary, claimed yesterday that the coalition Government would
• Strikes will affect 100,000 passengers, BA warnsA strike by British Airways cabin crew will ground flights affecting at least 100,000 people next week, despite an emergency plan that should get most passengers to their destination, the company's figures showed yesterday.

The Scotsman

• Airport parking costs 'ridiculous'Prices for parking at airports can range "from sublimely low to ridiculously high", a Which? Car survey has shown.

The Telegraph

• Rail operator fined after passenger killed on tracks A rail operator has been fined £450,000 after a passenger was killed by a train nearly two minutes after staff were warned he was lying on the tracks.
• Mr Money: beware the Lib Dems' road pricing plans Clegg, Cable and Co are itching to spend billions of pounds launching and administering a nationwide toll system.
• Coalition will "end war on the motorist", Transport Secretary pledges The "war on the motorist" will be ended by the coalition Government, Philip Hammond, the new Transport Secretary, has promised.

Times Online

• BA: we will fly majority of passengers in strikeAlmost 30,000 passengers will be unable to fly on each of five strike days next week, but British Airways is confident that most travellers will reach their destinations despite the first of four cabin crew strikes due to begin on Tuesday.
• British Airways blasts new 'travel tax'The Lib-Con coalition government has wasted no time in making its intention clear on the future for air travel in the UK.

Reuters News

• BA and Virgin oppose government air tax reformsLONODN (Reuters) - British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said plans by the new coalition government for a new plane tax were unworkable and could financially disadvantage Britain's travel industry.
• BA says to fly 70 percent of passengers on strike daysLONODN (Reuters) - British Airways expects to carry more than 70 percent of its customers, or over 60,000 passengers a day, during five days of strike action due to start next week, the airline said on Thursday.

Mail Online

• BA strikes: British Airways aims to run half of Heathrow flights next weekThe walkouts by 12,000 cabin crew are in four blocks of five days, 20 days in all. But with the days in between, the disruption will cover a 23-day period.

The Mirror

• Airport parking costs 'ridiculous' Prices for parking at airports can range

The Sun

• We'll end war on motorists NEW Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to "end the war on motorists"

Bolton News

• Fears for maternity unit, school building and railway electrification THE new coalition Government has been urged to provide assurances that key Bolton projects will not be scrapped.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Northern railway deal is extended The biggest train operator in the Bradford district has secured a two-year extension to its franchise, the Department for Transport has announced.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram diversions reach endTRAM bosses have revealed details of plans to return traffic measures around Haymarket back to normal following the completion of utility diversion works.
• 400 objections to restrictions for tram trafficPROPOSED traffic restrictions linked to the city's tram project have attracted more than 400 objections.

London Evening Standard

• Boris Johnson sets out plan to make London a cycle cityBoris Johnson set out his 10-point pledge to London cyclists today in a bid to get thousands more Londoners on their bikes.
• New Transport Secretary Philip Hammond vows to finish CrossrailCrossrail will go ahead, new Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced ending fears that the Lib-Con government could pull the plug on the landmark £16billion London rail scheme
• Airport parking costs 'ridiculous'Prices for parking at airports can range

Metro

• Boris Johnson's cycle superhighways criticised by cyclists Cycling around London may soon become easier, with two cycling ’superhighways’ announced by the mayor on Thursday.
• Hammond: BA strike self-defeatingThe new Transport Secretary has warned that a series of strikes by British Airways cabin crew would be
• Airport parking costs 'ridiculous'Prices for parking at airports can range

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Minister urged on details of bypassScottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson is being urged to clear up any uncertainty over two key north-east roads projects “ by one of his party™s own MSPs.
• Holyrood group backs new Forth road bridgeConstruction of a new Forth road bridge looked a step closer yesterday with backing from a special Holyrood committee set up to scrutinise the plans.

Wales Online

• Junctions could be closed along A48 PLANS to close every junctions along a stretch of the busy A48 in Carmarthenshire will force motorists to drive thousands of extra miles a year, campaigners warned yesterday.

Burnley Express

• Dedicated police to foil East Lancs railways thefts EAST Lancashire™s railway network is to be patrolled by dedicated police in a bid to crack down on the rising menace of cable thefts.

Doncaster Free Press

• Fresh hope for axed rail employeesNEARLY 150 Doncaster workers hit by the collapse of rail firm Jarvis could be offered work with a rival firm.

Other Regional Press

• NGT trolleybus public consultation in Holt Park, LeedsFrom Thursday 20 - Saturday 22 May, members of the public will be able to find out more about the proposed trolleybus network, and give feedback to the NGT team.
• Some Blaenau Gwent street lights to be switched off STREET lights on some Blaenau Gwent's main roads will be switched off in the early hours from next month.

The Economist

• China's electric-bicycle boom: Pedals of fireThe Chinese authorities weigh the pros and cons of motorised bicyclesPEDESTRIANS in China are often terrorised by electric bicycles zipping along the country’s pavements. China’s authorities, too, seem to have been caught unawares by an industry that, like the bikes themselves, has emerged speedily and stealthily from the shadows: local output grew from a few thousand bikes a year less than a decade ago to more than 22m last year, along with millions of kits to turn ordinary bicycles into electric ones. Annual sales have reached about $11 billion. The government is suddenly paying ...

Campaign for Better Transport

• Our priorities for the new government12 May: Conservative MP Philip Hammond has just been confirmed as the new Secretary of State for Transport, and we've just written to him to tell him what we think the priorities need to be for the new government on transport. read more

Aviation Industry

• Why airlines want regulationAirlines and banks tend to be on the same page when it comes to regulation of business -- they don't want it.
• Air China's takeover of Shenzhen Airlines taking shape Air China appointed former CA President Cai Jianjiang chairman of Shenzhen Airlines, signaling that its plan to take control of Shenzhen is coming to fruition.
• UK CAA eliminates volcanic ash buffer zone The UK CAA this week altered its approach to the promulgated No-Fly Zone by removing the 60 nm. volcanic ash "buffer zone" that was proposed by Eurocontrol and accepted by the Eurocontrol member states in the week following Iceland’s volcanic eruption.

Other News Sources

• Cessna chief named to transportation committeeWICHITA, Kan. — The chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Co. has been named to the U.S. Transportation Department's Future of Aviation Advisory Committee. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood...
• ’Revamp could bankrupt us’ MORE than 2,200 people have signed petitions opposing plans for the £3.5 million revamp of Kidderminster Railway Station.
• Drivers, bicyclists clash on road sharing [USA](CNN) -- Professor Peter Furth has ridden his bicycle to work at Northeastern University each day for the past six years. The two-mile trip through the Boston suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts, is usually without incident.
• Conservatives and Lib Dems unveil environmental agreement The UK™s new coalition government has pledged continued support for green energy and cancelled new UK airport runways
• Rail Dynamics Unite MPsThe railway has formed an unexpected rallying point for newly elected MPs in the House of Commons...
• RailStaff celebrates its 150th issueHow apt that on this our 150th issue we can celebrate the arrival of the first vehicle of a new fleet of trams in Edinburgh...
• London's cycling 'superhighways'London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced the first two of 12 cycling "superhighways" planned to make it easier and safer for people to commute by bike in the capital. Updated on 13/05/2010 11:46:02. © RAC breakdown cover and car insurance.
• Transport funds must be spread nationwideThe new coalition government must match regional transport spending with planned improvements for London, regional groups have warned
• Eurostar to sponsor London 2012The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announced that Eurostar has become a Tier Three sponsor of London 2012, the 30th domestic sponsor.
• Olympic Delivery Authority wins green award for London 2012 transport plansThe Olympic Delivery Authority™s (ODA™s) transport plans for the London 2012 Games have achieved the British Standard in sustainable event management, making it one of the first organisations to achieve the 2009 standard.
• Coalition plans will damage UK air freightShippers slam emissions tax plan and ban on new Heathrow runway
• Maersk pushes for higher ratesContinuing price rises the main driver for business, says CEO
• 'No new runways' pledge for Heathrow and Gatwick THE new coalition government has pledged to scrap the third runway at Heathrow Airport, as well as refusing any additional runways at Gatwick.
• Third runway plans for Heathrow scrapped Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, welcomes an announcement that plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport will be scrapped.
• Manchester Airport luggage trial has a successful startManchester Airport is trialling a new scheme which sees customers being able to purchase durable trackable luggage tags.The initiative is being run in conjunction with CallUma and the tags include identity protection and an enhanced lost luggage recovery tracking service, which means anyone who loses their luggage can be reunited with their possessions more efficiently.A 40-day trial of the tags has proved successful, with 5,000 customers purchasing the £2.50 tags from the airport's terminal 2, reports Travel Daily News.Andrew Harrison, commercial director at Manchester Airport, told the ...
• High-tech security gates open at Manchester AirportManchester Airport is set to become a world leader in terms of security thanks to its new 'smart' security gates.The new glass booths will replace traditional archway metal detectors and work by creating a holding area for passengers to stand in while they are scanned, reports the Manchester Evening News.If nothing suspicious is noted, a green door opens for passengers to exit through within two seconds.However, if the alarm sounds passengers will be asked to go through one of the new body scanners, making Manchester the first airport to stop searching passengers by hand.The installing of the ...
• EU vehicle emissions 'falling'New vehicles in Europe are emitting less emissions on average, it has been claimed.
• Toyota plans to launch $50k fuel-cell car by 2015The carmaker Toyota has said it plans to make fuel-cell cars affordable to consumers within the next five years.
• 'Nannygate' MP takes over as leading environment minister Conservative MP Caroline Spelman has taken one over minister for environment, food and rural affairs replacing Hilary Benn.
• Tube Lines buyout prompts work fears Transport for London™s £310 million buyout of public private partnership tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines could mean a reduction in work, industry figures have suggested.
• Philip Hammond appointed as transport secretaryThe Prime Minister has appointed former shadow treasury secretary Conservative MP Philip Hammond as the new transport secretary.
• Over half of BA flights remain despite strikeBritish Airways outlines how it will manage flights during strike action, as Business Correspondent John Sparks obtains an internal memo in which BA's boss describes the Unite union as
• New transport minister appointedPhilip Hammond has been appointed as the secretary of state for transport.read more

News from Europe

• Bombardier wins double-deck train order Swiss Federal Railways has awarded the biggest rolling stock order in its history – 59 double-deck trains – to Bombardier Transportation.
• Bombardier bags $1.7 bln Swiss trains contractZURICH - Montreal-based engineering group Bombardier (BBDb.TO) has clinched a 1.9 billion Swiss franc order from Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) after it saw off competition from rivals Siemens (SIEGn.DE) and Stadler.
• Telephone Box Doubles as Electric Car Charger in SpainMADRID -- The Chairman of Endesa, Borja Prado, together with the mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, and the Chairman of Telefónica, César Alierta, have today unveiled the first phone booth in Madrid which can also be used for recharging electric vehicles. The booth is located at Ronda de la Comunicación, s/n, Madrid (District C) and will carry the Endesa logo.
• EU proposes new rules on avoiding volcanic ash BRUSSELS — The European air safety agency proposed new procedures Wednesday that would drastically shrink the no-fly zone around volcanic ash particles — a move that should decrease future airspace closures and travel delays.

Other Subscription Services

• DfT confirms two year Northern Rail extensionJoint venture partners Serco and Abellio, formerly known as NedRailways, have secured a two year extension to their Northern Rail train operating franchise.The Department for Transport has now...