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

Tuesday, 13 July 2010

BBC News

• Apology over wheelchair refusalBus company First apologises over a driver's refusal to operate a lift to help a wheelchair user on and off his bus.
• Tube cooling budget cut by £10mLondon Underground slashes its budget for cooling Tube carriages by £10m.
• RMT union calls off Tube strikeWednesday's planned 48-hour strike on the Tube is called off as the RMT union agrees a 4.2% pay deal.
• Airlines 'fail to refund taxes'Airlines are accused of keeping millions of pounds for themselves which ought to be refunded to passengers.
• BAA passenger numbers fallBAA says the number of people using its airports fell in June because of continued disruption from the BA strike.

Financial Times

• Greeks lift container shipping presenceGreece's cash-rich shipowners are using the financial crisis facing German shipowners to increase their presence in container shipping, where they are not currently a big force
• Air France-KLM agrees air cargo fineThe $87m settlement is the latest in a series of charges paid by international airlines amid investigations by regulators that uncovered a global air freight conspiracy

The Herald

• Anger as plug pulled on home energy schemeEnvironmental organisations have reacted with anger to the scrapping of a scheme that helped homeowners meet the cost of installing green devices such as solar panels and small wind turbines.
• Scottish airports hit by BA strikesBAA has said strikes by British Airways cabin crew had little impact on overall passenger numbers at Heathrow in June, but its Scottish airports were hit sharply by the dispute.

The Independent

• Court rejects challenge to cycle hire station The High Court today rejected a bid to bring a legal challenge over London Mayor Boris Johnson's flagship cycle hire scheme.

The Telegraph

• BA takes delivery of its first Boeing 777-300 British Airways has taken delivery of its first Boeing 777-300, which will be the longest aircraft in its fleet.
• 'Bendy bicycle' that can be wrapped round lamp-posts wins design prize A bicycle that can be wrapped around lamp-posts has won a design prize.

Birmingham Mail

• Moor Street link to pull in extra million journeys MORE than one million extra rail journeys will be undertaken between the Midlands and London within just four years thanks to the £250 million upgrade of Moor Street to Marylebone.

Edinburgh Evening News

• More tram misery as streets hit by 24-hour utility worksRESIDENTS and businesses in streets which have been among the most heavily disrupted by the trams scheme will have to endure three months of 24-hour utility works.

Liverpool Post

• Merseyside MEP Arlene McCarthy leading bid to give Euro-travellers right to compensation for delays MERSEYSIDE MEP Arlene McCarthy is leading a Brussels battle to give all bus and coach passengers the right to compensation if their travel is seriously delayed or disrupted.

London Evening Standard

• Met backs children cycling on pavements after Mayor’s plea in safety rowPolice are to take a more relaxed approach to children cycling on pavements after Boris Johnson secured support from the Met Commissioner
• Tube graffiti gang jailed for ’epidemic’ of train vandalismTeenage gang has been locked up for vandalising dozens of Tube trains and stations with graffiti
• Threat of new fare rises as London transport faces cuts London's transport system was today put in the front line for spending cuts that could force further fare rises and threaten investment.

The York Press

• Selby cabbies™ anger at road closure TAXI drivers have reacted with dismay at yet another road closure in Selby.

Yorkshire Post

• Appeal for more carriages as more travellers use rail TRANSPORT bosses in South Yorkshire have called for more carriages to serve rail passengers, after a growth in the number of people using the region's trains.

Aviation Industry

• June traffic figures “ BAA's airportsBAA's passenger traffic in June was affected by British Airways cabin crew industrial action at the start of the month. BAA's UK airports handled 9.5 million passengers, a drop of 1.7% on June 2009.
• Air France-KLM will pay freight forwarders and shippers in the United ...Air France-KLM will pay freight forwarders and shippers in the United States $87 million to settle class-action lawsuits over the carrier's participation in a global air cargo price-fixing cartel.
• Airport joins biofuels effortPortland International Airport is joining with other Northwest aviation interests to promote the development of a Northwest aviation biofuels industry.

Other News Sources

• Every driver faces average fines of £283 in a lifetime Motorists will clock up £283 in fines on average during their time in the driving seat, research revealed yesterday.
• Low Carbon Champion awards to honour green transport firmsThe Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) has announced the shortlist for its first ever ’Low Carbon Champion Awards’ and while we don’t like to boast, your very own TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has made the list!
• Basildon Council to look at its transport costs BASILDON Council has agreed to look into privatising one of its services to save money. It will look at its transport management and vehicle maintenance department, which currently employs eight permanent staff.
• Unions unite to fight for bus services Bus workers' union reps pledged on Monday to back public transport campaigners fighting the Con-Dem coalition's threat to rise fares and slash services with "Beeching-style cuts."
• New Sponsor member – Network Rail BQF is delighted to welcome Network Rail into Sponsor Membership.
• East Lancs bus cuts 'could be as devastating as Beeching'LOCAL bus services would be scrapped, fares increased and drivers™ jobs put at risk if a Government grant is cut, bosses have warned.
• Fears for future of rural bus servicesThousands of vulnerable bus users across East Anglia could lose vital lifelines if a key transport grant is scrapped by the new coalition government.

News from Europe

• HaCon buys planning and scheduling specialist GERMANY: Hannover-based HaCon has acquired Ingenieurbüro für Bahnbetriebssysteme GmbH, a specialist firm providing software and consulting in rail operations planning and simulation, vehicle and crew scheduling and performance analysis.