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

Thursday, 29 July 2010

BBC News

• Illegal mooring boat owners face Thames and Kennet ban Boat owners who have been illegally mooring their vessels for more than 24 hours on the rivers Thames and Kennet have been served with court orders.
• Wheelchair refusal bus driver sacked pending appeal A bus driver who refused to help a wheelchair user get off his vehicle in Manchester city centre has been dismissed pending an appeal after her son filmed his actions on a mobile phone.
• School bus changes win approval Council leaders in Wrexham vote for a controversial transport policy which will mean pupils are transported to their nearest suitable school.
• Airport's £40m expansion unveiledA multi-million pound expansion of Edinburgh Airport's departure lounge and security hall is officially opened.
• MPs back disabled car clamp manThe government is urged to get tougher with clamping firms after a disabled man is charged £275 for parking.
• Snags on new Victoria Line trainsNew trains on the Victoria Line on London Underground are hit by technical problems, Transport for London says.
• Boeing profits slump by a fifthAircraft giant Boeing reports a sharp drop in profits between April and June amid falling plane deliveries.

The Guardian

• UK electric car grant scheme 'cut by 80%' Government commits to just £43m of the original £230m promised for programme to subsidise the uptake of electric cars
• London 'cycle superhighways': how is Route 3 for you? [video]This one looks a lot more sylvan and segregated than CS7, but watch out for wandering infants (also bollards, lamp posts and so. Remember, I scare easily).
• Opinion: 'No viable public transport option' to the airport MSP Gavin Brown started an online petition against the proposed £1 Edinburgh aiport drop-off fee. In this guest post he explains why he feels so strongly about the issue

The Herald

• Fat travellers ˜should pay for an extra seat™More than 70% of holiday­makers believe overweight air passengers should be made to pay for an extra seat on flights.
• Residents want road reopened after tram work pollution fearsEdinburgh residents who have suffered increased pollution as a result of the city™s tram works have won the right to have road closures reconsidered by the council.

The Telegraph

• Michael O'Leary bags €20m from sale of Ryanair shares Baggage charges on Ryanair flights have just become more affordable for one passenger – the airline's chief executive Michael O'Leary, who has sold almost €20m (£16.7m) of shares.
• London 2012 Olympics: Organisers shun public transport for life in the fast lane Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has persuaded the International Olympic Committee and the broadcasters to reschedule most of the big free Olympic events on weekends to avoid major traffic congestion in the centre of the capital. However, the Olympic organisers have won a separate battle – to have a series of lanes for quick access for athletes, officials, VIPs media and sponsors, the details of which will be announced on Thursday.

Daily Express

• Delay prone easyJet sees sales take offRISING sales at easyJet flew in the face of problems caused by the Icelandic volcano ash cloud, although the budget carrier's new boss has pledged to improve punctuality.

Airwise News

• £5,000 PLUG & PAY ConDems keep electric car cash perk Drivers will get a ''plug-in" grant of up to £5,000 if they switch to eco-friendly electric cars. v

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Minister under fire as £14m rail scheme delayed subject to spending review Transport minister Phil Hammond has been criticised for delaying talks on a proposed new railway station in Bradford and transport improvements across West Yorkshire.
• Speed limit bid on tragic road The speed limit on one of the main roads into Bradford looks set to be cut by 10mph in a bid to reduce deaths and serious injuries.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Llangollen headteacher slams Wrexham council's school bus policy A HEADTEACHER yesterday slammed a council’s decision to pass a controversial school transport policy, claiming it did not care about the pupils’ interests.

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool shipping giants Bibby Line and ACL in new shipping management deal THE two most famous names in Liverpool shipping have combined forces in a new management deal.

Liverpool Post

• Peel Ports in deal to improve efficiency at Mersey Docks operation MERSEY Docks owner Peel Ports has appointed Cannock-based Briggs Equipment UK in a bid to improve efficiency at the Liverpool operation.
• Merseytravel chief Neil Scales urges businesses to address skills issues after damning report on region’s performance THE North West is lagging most UK regions for employment rates and productivity, says a new report published today.

London Evening Standard

• App designers ride to rescue in the search for Boris bikesComputer experts are competing to launch the best iPhone application for Boris Johnson’s bike hire scheme
• London bike hire scheme's first docking station is liveCyclists were today given the chance to test some of the Mayor's hire bikes when the first docking station was switched on beside the Globe Theatre

Manchester Evening News

• 68 highways jobs face axe as roads budget cut by £7m Dozens of road workers and engineers face being made redundant as a council's highways budget is slashed by nearly £7m. Bolton council plans to save £3.5m by cutting 68 highways jobs, reducing services and shifting from planned works towards 'reactive' repairs.

Sheffield Star

• Station bridge battle could end in court SHEFFIELD Council is prepared for a legal battle with transport giant Stagecoach as it fights to have the railway station footbridge made a public right of way.
• New road crossings for two schoolsSafer road crossings for schoolchildren are to be built in two areas of Sheffield after requests from residents.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Aberdeen Airport plans could boost economy by £620mDevelopments at Aberdeen Airport over the next 30 years could boost Scotland™s economy by up to £620million, a new study claims.

The York Press

• York Minster and National Railway Museum lose £6m grants due to spending cuts TWO of York™s most popular tourist attractions have become the latest casualty of Government spending cuts.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• West Yorkshire speed cameras cash cutRoad safety bosses today insisted they have no plans to axe any of West Yorkshire's speed cameras, despite suffering a £840,000 funding cut.

Reading Evening Post

• Reading is not ’car friendly’ Reading is one of the least car friendly places in the country, according to a new survey.

Other Regional Press

• Council has 'no plans' to cut speed camerasThe number of speed cameras on the county™s roads will not be cut to save money, Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed.
• Train firm to be grilled on axed servicesTransport minister Theresa Villiers is to tackle rail company Southeastern over a claim it would cost £637,000 to restore services axed from west Kent and Maidstone.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• London transport spending 'critical to UK economic growth'Investment in London's transportation infrastructure will play a vital role in ensuring the UK makes an economy recovery, it has been suggested.In a piece published in the Guardian, Peter Hendy of Transport for London claimed that the capital is the best place for funds to be allocated, given the large amount of commuters that rely on such services.He is quoted by the publication as saying that although many regional city dwellers will resent the amount of cash put towards the south-east,

Railway Gazette

• Swiss-German cross-border upgrade EUROPE: Swiss Federal Railways CEO Andreas Meyer and Deutsche Bahn Chairman Dr Rüdiger Grube signed a memorandum in Basel on July 9 committing to upgrade infrastructure, shorten journey times and introduce new trains to step up the quality of passenger services between the two countries from December 2014. Building on the Rheinalp co-operation agreement launched in 2006, the two railways will set up a joint subsidiary to manage the business; SBB will own 60% of the new company, whose headquarters will be in Switzerland. Upgrading and electrification on the Zürich “ München corridor is set ...

Aviation Industry

• BAA (SP) Limited Results for the six months ended 30 June 2010Colin Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of BAA, said:

Green Miscellany

• Wapping Changes to London's Metro When I first found myself in Wapping London Underground Station around forty years ago it was dark and dank. It even had water running down its walls. The train serving the station was so old a member of the station staff had to kick more than one door to make them close. If the doors didn™t close the train wouldn™t move. And it took awhile to get moving.read more
• Royal Mail fears letters are too heavy for bicycles Royal Mail claims that increasingly heavy loads are the reason behind its decision to withdraw delivery bicycles in favour of diesel-powered vans.read more

Other News Sources

• Invensys Rail wins Thameslink core resignalling contract UK: Network Rail has awarded Invensys Rail a £32m contract for resignalling the Thameslink route through central London. On completion, this will allow the operation of 24 trains/h between Loughborough Junction and Kentish Town.
• Hollysys wins $12.36 million signaling contract Hollysys Automation Technologies, a provider of automation and control technologies and applications in China, has been awarded a sizable contract to supply its ground-based high-speed rail signaling system to the Phase I of Tai-Zhong-Yin Railway Line, with contract value at approximately US$ 12.36 million.
• New Android widget for cycle hire scheme Hot on the heels of the latest iPhone app for the Barclay’s Cycle Hire scheme comes a widget for Android phones that goes one step further – by indicating how many bikes are available to hire at each docking station.
• Rail station revampA KEY RAILWAY station in Llandudno may be in line for a revamp as Conwy Council makes a bid to create a new transport hub.
• HS2 compensation scheme still 'unfair and irrational' Details of a compensation scheme for people affected by the high-speed rail plans were outlined by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond this week.
• Cambridge City Council achieves carbon reduction target a year earlyCambridge City Council has published the Cambridge Environment Report for 2009-10 detailing how well residents, workplaces and the council itself recycles, saves energy or protects the local environment.28/07/10
• Air Transport Association Notes Airfares* Return to 1999 Levels; Hopeful End to The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, issued the following statement in response to today's release of the Department of...
• New sales team for Virgin Atlantic Cargo in South AfricaThe move follows the launch of V Australia's new twice-weekly flight from Johannesburg to Melbourne and high customer demand for capacity on Virgin Atlantic Cargo's daily services between...

News from Europe

• Tourist railway becomes local freight operator FRANCE: TPCF Fret became the first local freight operator (opérateur ferroviaire de proximité) to commence operations on July 27, hauling a 64 tonne consignment of dolomite rock over the 7 km from Cases-de-Pène to Rivesaltes.