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

Monday, 05 July 2010

BBC News

• Police number plate recognition camera rules tightened Police cameras that record motorists' movements must be more tightly regulated, Home Secretary Theresa May has ordered.
• Poetry to inspire Dunfermline bus passengers Bus passengers in Fife are having their journeys brightened up by a poet hopping on board. Kevin Cadwallender will read out some of his work to commuters on their way to work or hom
• Sir Clive Sinclair on 'elegant' electric vehicles [BBC Click video clip]Since selling his computer business to Amstrad, Sir Clive has turned his attention to transportation - the A bike is his latest project.
• Philip Hammond: Government won't 'salami slice' budgets [Andrew Marr Show Video Clip]The Treasury has told most government departments to prepare "illustrative plans" to cut spending by 40% - as well as the expected 25% - within the month.
• Cuts threaten new roads, says transport secretary There is likely to be a big reduction in the number of new roads being built in the UK over the next few years, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has indicated.
• Future road pricing 'inevitable' Charging motorists for each mile they travel is "inevitable" if future traffic gridlock is to be avoided, the RAC Foundation charity has suggested.
• Vibrating gloves and air puffs - plans for a car for blind driversUS scientists aim present a prototype car for blind drivers in 2011, using sensors to indicate turns in the road via vibrating gloves.
• Thames cable car for 2012 GamesA cable car system across the Thames, costing £25m, is being planned to link Olympic Games venues in 2012.

The Guardian

• Elderly motorists need more support Medical checks, driving evaluations and better public transport could all help older drivers stay safe on our roads
• Rural buses and ticket prices under threat Green campaigners and MPs have warned that cutting or reducing a £500m bus industry grant could push up fares and isolate rural communities after the government confirmed a review of the subsidy.
• Privatise major roads, says RAC thinktank Motorists could save money if roads were privatised on a pay-as-you-go basis, says RAC transport report
• Thames cable car plans unveiled £25m crossing between O2 arena in Greenwich and ExCel exhibition centre may open in time for London 2012 Olympics

The Herald

• Scotland to go ahead with rail electrificationThe biggest programme of rail electrification in a generation is to go ahead in Scotland, helping to cut journey times between Glasgow and Edinburgh to 35 minutes.
• Firms win tram compensationBusinesses on Edinburgh™s Princes Street affected by the city™s tram works have won a legal dispute for compensation worth millions of pounds.
• Cash, not climate change, is altering driver behaviourMotorists have turned their backs on concerns about climate change thanks to the recession™s grip on Britain, a survey has found.
• Inspectors to be given new powers to examine vehiclesVehicle examiners in Scotland are expected to be given powers to stop suspect vehicles for the first time in a bid to cut the number of dangerous trucks and coaches on the roads.

The Independent

• Cable car crossing proposed for Thames Plans for a new £25 million River Thames crossing using a cable car system were unveiled today by Transport for London (TfL).

The Scotsman

• Spending cuts could lead to 'worst strikes for decades' Tory Transport Secretary Philip Hammond admitted that if unprotected Whitehall departments faced an average of 25 per cent in cuts then some would have to suffer far more than originally.

The Telegraph

• Airline industry scraps lost baggage league table League tables which named and shamed the airlines with the worst record for punctuality and losing baggage have been scrapped because of pressure from the industry.
• Better-off pensioners 'shouldn't use free bus passes' Wealthy pensioners should consider not using their free bus passes to save public money, the transport secretary has suggested.

Mail Online

• Fares fair... don't use bus passes says Tory Pensioners who can afford the bus fare should not use their free passes, the Transport Secretary said yesterday. Philip Hammond insisted those over 60 could help tackle the national debt by 'making a contribution' while using the bus.

London Evening Standard

• London Underground overwhelmed by info feed demand Transport for London (TfL) has had to suspend access to the underground train departure data after demand for the feed overloaded the organisation's gateway system.
• Rail unions warn over cuts threat to safetyUnion leaders today raised "serious safety fears" over rail maintenance if the transport budget is slashed under government plans to curb public spending.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• MPs make first walk through new Tyne Tunnel North Tyneside mayor Linda Arkley and South Tyneside Council leader Iain Malcolm met at the middle of the 1,500m-long tunnel to celebrate the feat of construction.

Wales Online

• Ieuan to announce new direction for business support as grants for firms fall out of favourA MAJOR overhaul of business support, centred around a move away from grants towards providing the best possible environment in which businesses can thrive is expected to be unveiled today by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Other Regional Press

• Kirklees Council refuses speed bumps for busy Fartown street RESIDENTS are campaigning for speed bumps on a road blighted by traffic problems.

Other News Sources

• Alstom to bid to build 10 billion euro Saudi rail linkAIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, - French engineer Alstom will submit an offer on Saturday to supply trains and equipment for a high-speed railway linking Saudi Arabia's holy cities to the Red Sea coast.

News from Europe

• Deutsche Bahn planning high-speed trains to southern France and UK German national rail provider Deutsche Bahn plans to expand its long-haul offerings to include foreign destinations such as southern France and the UK, the company said on Friday.
• Deutsche Bahn plans to invest record $51 bln BERLIN — Germany's state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn plans to make the biggest investment in its history between now and 2014, a company official told the Berliner Zeitung on Saturday.