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

Thursday, 10 April 2014

BBC News

• Clifton Suspension Bridge toll to rise from 50p to £1The cost of crossing Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge by car or motorcycle is to rise from 50p to £1 per journey from 24 April.
• Reducing car pollution easier than UN experts thoughtReducing pollution from cars has been cheaper and easier than UN experts thought, a draft report says. The UN's climate panel has admitted it underestimated the huge gains in weight and fuel efficiency achieved by car manufacturers.
• Government urged to scrap CCTV parking camera banThe government is being urged to scrap plans to ban CCTV cameras used to enforce parking rules.
• New HS2 compensation announcedHomeowners near the controversial line will be given up to £100,000, even if they decide not to move, under government proposals.
• London City Airport 'should close'London's City Airport should close and its site redeveloped to create jobs, boost local business and build new homes, a think tank says.

Financial Times

• Direct HK-Manchester flights set to startThe airline Cathay Pacific has announced it will launch a four-times-a-week service on December 8, subject to approval from government

The Guardian

• Toyota recalls more than 6.5m cars over steering and seat problemsStream of recalls continues to damage the reputation of Toyota, which since 2012 has recalled around 20m vehicles and sold 18.7mToyota is recalling more than 6.5m cars worldwide to fix a variety of problems, including faulty steering wheels and seats.The company said there had been no reported accidents or injuries relating to the problems identified. Some 27 Toyota models are affected, including the Corolla, RAV4, Hilux, Yaris, Tacoma, Urban Cruiser and Scion xD. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Roads set to be busier for EasterAs MANY as 16 million cars could be on the road over the Easter weekend, according to the AA and ­traffic information firm Trafficmaster.

The Telegraph

• HS2 compensation plans revealedHS2 compensation plans will provide full value of homes up to 120m from track but lower cash payments thereafter

Mail Online

• MH370 search teams detect two more pings in depths of Indian OceanAir Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who is co-ordinating the search in Perth, said the discovery by the Australian ship Ocean Shield was 'further encouraging' news in the search for MH370.
• Cyclist captures bad bike riders with a helmet cameraThe man, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of backlash from other cyclists, has spent the last three weeks filming the footage in York city centre.
• Solar powered plane set to fly around world with no fuelPilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg said the Solar Impulse 2 improves dramatically upon the single-seater prototype that first took flight five years ago, and hope to make their record attempt next year.
• Switching off our street lamps risks lives, says AA: Accidents on well-lit roads down by 16% in five yearsLocal authorities have been switching off street lights to save money, but driving watchdogs have said that this could be dangerous.
• Monarch Airlines is worst for delaysThe average delay was of about 5.5 minutes on the most punctual airline, while worse delays reached heights of around 15 minutes.
• More than 1.5million motorists are driving on dodgy tyres as they try to cut of maintaining their vehiclesOf the 23million sets of part-worn tyres sold over the last five years, more than a quarter were not legally roadworthy.

The Mirror

• Missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: Recap from April 9 when two more underwater 'pings' were detectedFour 'pings' have now been detected, raising hopes that search teams are closing in on the missing jetliner

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• School transport cuts are planned in Bradford Cuts to free school transport are to be made from next year but Bradford Council’s executive has pledged to look into ways of reducing the cost of a school bus pass to help those affected.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport secures Hong Kong flights deal with Cathay PacificManchester today achieved its goal of securing a direct Far East flight service, in a move that will create more than 200 jobs

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Pedestrians hit by buses: an endemic problem?With 19 pedestrians in two years injured after being hit by buses in Newcastle city centre, we chronicle every incident

Sheffield Telegraph

• An airport is essential for SheffieldAnytime now, a travesty is about to take place in Sheffield which could have repercussions for many years to come.

The York Press

• Merrett: I'm not quitting - Business bosses call for Outer Ring Road to be dualled - Pay back all Lendal Bridge fines, says MP YORK'S under-fire transport boss has said he is not going to quit in the wake of the Lendal Bridge scheme being axed.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant 'sacked' as Tory Vice-ChairmanStaffordshire MP Michael Fabricant tonight said he had been sacked as Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party due to his comments about HS2 and former Cabinet minister Maria Miller.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Yorkshire’s cycleways given a yellow Tour de France makeoverCycle paths across Yorkshire are being given a yellow glow by Tour de France-mad volunteers.

Carlisle News & Star

• Parking charges and bus cuts are 'double whammy' for Cumbria's villages Cutting buses while introducing parking charges is a “double whammy” for the county’s rural communities, it has been claimed.

London24

• London buses to go cash free from July 6 this yearLondon bus passengers will no longer be able to pay for their journeys with money as buses in the capital go cash free from July 6.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Passengers see fares rise on Stagecoach buses across PeterboroughBus fares in Peterborough have risen to cope with an increase in the cost of running services across the city.

Other Regional Press

• Anti-HS2 group seeks wider compensation High speed rail opponents in North Oxfordshire say the Government’s offer of compensation does not go far enough.
• Rail station’s name change would cost Northamptonshire County Council £200,000, Labour claimsTalks are under way to officially change the name of Northampton’s rail station to Northampton Castle Station at a cost to the taxpayer of £200,000, Labour has said.
• People's Port at Port of Dover set to introduce new plansMajor new plans to transform the way the Port of Dover is run will put locals at the heart of decision making, it's been revealed.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Our NEW Fair Fares Charter - what you said we should campaign for!‏9 April 2014: Thanks to everyone who replied to our recent question “What do you want us to campaign for?” read more

Global Rail News

• HS2 joins up to UK rail safety bodyHS2 has announced that it is to partner with the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) to instill safety into the design and construction of Britain’s £45 billion high-speed rail[...]
• TfL to tender for more Overground trainsTransport for London (TfL) is seeking manufacturers to supply at least 39 new electric trains to operate on its extended Overground network from 2017. TfL has published a notice with[...]
• Putney station on trackPutney Station is one of the busiest suburban commuter stations in London, with 18 trains per hour passing through it at off-peak times alone. More than 11 million people used the station in 2012-13, making it busier than the stations of several large cities. The station opened when the Nine Elms to Richmond line came […]
• Dutch Traxx withdrawn over pantograph faultNS has withdrawn a fleet of leased Traxx locomotives currently operating IC-Direct services between Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Breda because of a pantograph fault. All 18 vehicles have been taken out[...]
• Record demand for German rail industryGermany’s rail industry experienced a sharp rise in demand last year, seeing rail manufacturing increase by 42 per cent to €14.9 billion. Although the figure set a new record for rail[...]
• Seoul and Dubai sign metro agreementThe operators of metro systems in Dubai and Seoul, South Korea, have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing to share rail sector knowledge and expertise. The Roads and[...]

Aviation Industry

• United Airlines Launches All-New Mobile App for AndroidUnited Airlines today launched its all-new mobile application for the Android platform, offering customers innovative new features, smoother functionality and an improved touch-friendly design that enables travelers to access information more quickly and easily.
• No. 1 Traveller lounge to open at Edinburgh airportEdinburgh becomes company’s fifth UK airport lounge
• Easyjet expands capacity on winter schedule100,000 more seats than winter 2013

Other News Sources

• Transport chief’s ’shock’ at council sackingSacked roads boss Janet Blake has expressed her shock and disappointment at the dismissal. Mrs Blake held the planning and transportation portfolio at Bucks County Council for just ten months.
• Transport chief visits Lewes to see problems with rail and road networkMaria Caulfield, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Lewes, met Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin this week.
• Will high-speed trains drive new business to North East Lincolnshire?he Government's flagship high-speed rail scheme HS2 is approaching its next hurdle in the seat of power at the House Of Commons. Here, the Telegraph's Parliamentary Correspondent Caroline Wheeler, reports on the wooing campaign being conducted to prove that it will benefit even those areas – like North East Lincolnshire and the wider northern Lincolnshire area – not directly served by the scheme.
• Toyota recalling 35,124 UK-registered carsToyota is recalling certain RAV4, Hilux, Yaris and Urban Cruiser models in the UK due potential defects with spiral cable assemblies, seat rail springs and steering column brackets.
• New modern bus stops being installed along A666 NEW bus stops are being installed along the A666 as part of the Pennine Reach scheme.
• Failed freight train near Leominster shuts down route A FAILED freight train is causing disruption on all northbound services out of Hereford station this afternoon.
• MP Stephen Hammond to speak at Eastnor Castle THE parliamentary under secretary of state for transport will give a talk at Eastnor Castle next month.