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

Friday, 02 July 2010

BBC News

• Bus pass and bikes to cut costsApplying for a bus pass and buying a folding bike are among methods some of Highland's councillors are using to reduce their expenses.
• Anger at airport £1 drop-off feeEdinburgh Airport is to introduce a £1 charge for dropping off passengers at its terminal building by private car.
• Final polishDelhi's new airport terminal is India's largest
• Toyota recalls 270,000 vehiclesJapanese car giant Toyota recalls 270,000 cars worldwide in the latest problem to hit the manufacturer.

Financial Times

• Rail urged to shift focus from safety to cuts The rail industry must make future safety improvements at lower cost, a key rail organisation said on Thursday as it unveiled figures showing the risks of travelling by train have fallen by more than 60 per cent during the past eight years.
• Greek public transport creaks under high debt Bus services in Athens shut down for eight hours yesterday after employees of the OASA, the Greek state-controlled transport organisation, walked off the job because June salaries had not been paid.
• BA strikes deal to offload pension riskBritish Airways has offloaded £1.3bn of pension risk in a deal with Rothesay Life as the airline cuts its exposure to the Airways Pension Scheme ahead of its merger with Iberia

The Guardian

• UK government blocking green car take-up, say electric vehicle makers Vince Cable fails to confirm green car subsidy status as climate advisers say electric vehicles are key to hitting carbon targets
• The UK's greenest car The Guardian's Adam Vaughan joined a panel of transport and environmental experts at the 2010 WhatGreenCar awards to help find the UK's best new green car
• Transport for London chiefs give up bonuses TfL has a dig at Network Rail, where executives shared bonuses of more than £2m, saying it has to 'set an example'
• Transport policy: Red for danger The problem is that an awful lot of money is being spent, almost all of it inefficiently
• Cyclists and lorries: how technology can help It's too simplistic to just blame unassertive cycling for a spate of female cyclists killed by lorries
• Network Rail study to assess impact of climate change Thousands of miles of railway track to be examined for ability to withstand storms, flooding and heatwaves
• Roadtesting the new Smart carBibi van der Zee takes part in countrywide pilot scheme to test the first electric Smart carBibi van der ZeeRachel Stevenson

The Herald

• Drivers face delays as M8 work beginsDrivers are facing major delays and disruption on the M8 from next week with the erection of two huge overhead gantries.

The Independent

• URS wins takeover battle for Scott Wilson URS last night won the takeover battle for the engineering consultancy Scott Wilson, raising its bid to 290p a share, which adds up to the second biggest premium paid for a UK company in the last decade.

The Scotsman

• Over-80s face being banned from roads ITALY is considering banning drivers aged over 80 from the roads in an effort to reduce accidents.

Mail Online

• Ryanair to sell standing room only tickets for £4... funded by charging passengers to use the toiletInstead of being allocated a seat, Ryanair travellers would perch on a narrow shelf and lean against a flat padded backboard.
• Toyota hit by new setback as Lexus models suffer engine faultThe company warned engines of 270,000 of its cars - including more than 3,200 of its Lexus models sold in the UK - could cut out while the vehicle is moving.

The Mirror

• Toyota set to recall 270,000 cars Toyota has announced it will recall 270,000 vehicles worldwide to fix faulty engines in the latest setback for the world's biggest car maker.

Network Rail

• BANBURY RAILWAY CLEAN-UP NETS 25 TONNES OF FLY-TIPPED RUBBISH

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram chiefs deny validity of internet post on scrapping of projectTRAM bosses were forced to issue a statement denying the imminent scrapping of the project “ after an internet rumour spread like wildfire.

London Evening Standard

• Six-figure salaries treble in one year at CrossrailThe number of six-figure salaries at Crossrail has almost trebled in a year and its chief executive has become the biggest earner within the Transport for London empire.
• MPs sign up to back Thames airport on 'Boris Island'An all-party group of MPs forms to rescue Boris Johnson’s vision of an island airport in the Thames Estuary
• Toyota set to recall 270,000 carsToyota has announced it will recall 270,000 vehicles worldwide to fix faulty engines in the latest setback for the world's biggest car maker.

Sheffield Star

• Fury at new 'greedy' permit zone parking scheme Furious business bosses and commuters in the latest area of Sheffield targeted by parking permits and restrictions today branded council bosses "greedy".

Sheffield Telegraph

• NEWS IN BRIEF: Stagecoach steps inBUS operator Stagecoach is stepping in to fill the gap due to be left by the pending withdrawal of the number 78 service which links Chapeltown and High Green with Sheffield c

The York Press

• OAP’s free bus scheme in East Yorkshire ’to be cut’ A TRAVEL scheme for elderly people in East Yorkshire, which is costing £220,000 a year to run, could be axed.
• £1m roads boost for East Yorkshire motoristsExtra funding has been secured for road repairs in East Yorkshire.

Wales Online

• Doubts over £1bn electrification of Swansea-London line FRESH doubts have been cast over a £1bn upgrade of the Swansea-London rail line, as the Government looks for large savings from Whitehall budgets.
• Bus service ’unfair’ say taxi driversCabbies turned the centre of Pontypridd into a rolling protest for an hour on Wednesday – claiming they’re trying to save their jobs.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Funding for Leeds bus works route 'is safe'A much-needed scheme to improve bus journeys along one of the busiest commuter routes in Leeds will survive the Government's aggressive public spending cuts, the YEP has l

Blackpool Gazette

• Bus changes 'will leave us stranded'NEIGHBOURS have hit out at plans to change bus services.

Daventry Express

• Pods and futuristic transport are back on track for townFUTURISTIC transport for the streets of Daventry looks to be back on the cards.

Sunderland Echo

• Fears growing over Nissan cash Concern was growing today over the future of a Government green-car subsidy expected to play a crucial role in safeguarding jobs at Nissan.

Other Regional Press

• Aberdeen council in road sign blunderABERDEEN council bosses were forced to perform a U-turn after a road sign blunder.

Wall Street Journal

• Nokia Siemens Gets Danish Railway Technology Deal Nokia Siemens Networks said Thursday that the Danish state railway has selected NSN's GSM-Railway technology for standardized railway safety communications.

Washington Post

• Toshiba to develop batteries for electric vehicles TOKYO -- Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Friday it's jumping into the battery business for electric vehicles in a development deal with Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

Transport for London

• Londoners to face fewer delays at traffic signals - Almost six per cent reduction in traffic delays for drivers without holding up pedestrians - Drivers now spend less time at red lights following more than 1,000 traffic signal reviews in 2009/10

Aviation Industry

• Stansted Airport in community cash bonanzaAn amazing £50,000 is up for grabs for one lucky organisation following the launch of a new airport community initiative...

Other News Sources

• Train companies help cut the cost of travel for Oyster card holders this summer Oyster card holders will be able to travel to popular UK towns and cities at massively discounted prices in a new month-long promotion.
• Fishburn Hedges holds on to Virgin Trains contract after four-way pitch Fishburn Hedges (FH) has retained its public affairs contract with Virgin Trains after its grip on the account was threatened by a competitive pitch.
• Furious rail users challenge bosses COMMUTERS' patience reached the end of the line as they challenged rail bosses to a public meeting on the poor levels of service on Southeastern trains.
• Full steam ahead for railway plan? AMBITIOUS plans to re-establish a railway line between Alnwick and Alnmouth are being recommended for approval, 42 years after the last train blew its whistle.
• Plaid - Electrification Failure Could ConDem Economy for Decades Failure to press ahead with the plan to electrify the main railway line between Swansea and London would set back economic development for decades to come according to a senior Plaid AM.
• Amey snaps up WYG rail division Amey has bought consultant WYG’s rail division to help service its growing workload in the sector.
• Amey tightens grip on UK rail consultancyAmey has bought consultant WYG’s rail division to help deliver a growing order book with Network Rail. The acquisition of WYG Engineering sees Amey secure 100 staff and a block of existing contracts and professional services frameworks.
• "Bus passengers short changed" as Countdown system roll out almost halved Passenger groups are warning that bus users will be short changed after plans to roll out Countdown were downgraded. 4,000 of the real time bus arrival information boards were planned for introduction in 2011 - Transport for London have now revised that down to 2,500. London Travelwatch called the cut to the popular system "unacceptable" to passengers.
• ANGER AT POOR WEST CUMBRIAN BUS SERVICE BUS passengers have hit out at travel firm Stagecoach over the number 58 Maryport-Cockermouth bus service.
• Growing fears that guided buses won’t run until 2011 Guided busway bosses believe it is becoming increasingly unlikely the beleaguered project will open until next year – and they might have to finish it themselves.
• Terrafugia flying car cleared for take-off It™s not quite George Jetson™s flying car, but a new roadworthy vehicle capable of deploying wings and taking off down the airport runway will bring to mind the familiar cartoon jingle. 
• MP: We need talks with highways authority on the Cock Hotel junctionA Northampton MP has called for an urgent meeting with the county council to discuss the recently shelved Cock Hotel roadworks.
• Up to six practices sought for Gatwick Airport framework under £1bn investment planBetween three and six practices will be selected in August to form a new Gatwick Airport architecture framework, which will also cover retail environment design.
• Amey buys WYG rail businessAmey has beefed up its rail consulting business with the acquisition of the national rail consultancy of WYG Engineering, for an undisclosed fee.
• Flight training rule change for group aircraftOwners of a part share in an aircraft operating under a Permit to Fly can now use it to receive paid flying training, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced. Following discussions with GA organisations, the CAA has undertaken measures that allows pilots with an existing licence, who are group owners of an aircraft, to pay for training or tests in that aircraft - providing the training does not contribute to the granting of a licence or rating. The new rules do not cover ex-military

News from Europe

• Nokia Siemens gets Danish railway tech deal Denmark’s state-owned railway infrastructure enterprise, Banedanmark, is preparing for the railway signaling and train control system to be established across the European Union by 2020. I
• SNCF may assist in Greek rail overhaul-minister ATHENS - French railway operator SNCF is in talks to help restructure Greece's state-run train company OSE, officials said on Thursday, as cash-strapped Athens looks to cut costs and turn around the loss-making firm.
• SNCF may assist in Greek rail overhaul-minister ATHENS - French railway operator SNCF is in talks to help restructure Greece's state-run train company OSE, officials said on Thursday, as cash-strapped Athens looks to cut costs and turn around the loss-making firm.

Other Subscription Services

• Busway deadlock points to 2011 opening dateCambridgeshire County Council has stepped up its criticism of busway contractor BAM Nuttall claiming the company's approach is