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

Sunday, 17 January 2016

BBC News

• Tram network will 'rival the best'The reintroduction of trams to Birmingham will
• 'Most polluted' Scots streets namedScotland's most polluted streets are named by environmental campaigners, with Edinburgh's St. John's Road branded the worst.
• Nine people hurt as bus and car collideSeven people are taken to hospital, and two are treated at the scene, after a double-decker bus and car crash in north London.
• Warnings for snow and ice in ScotlandDrivers are urged to travel with care after parts of Scotland have been hit by some of the first widespread snowfalls of winter.

The Guardian

• The tube at a standstill: why TfL stopped people walking up the escalatorsIt’s British lore: on escalators, you stand on the right and walk on the left. So why did the London Underground ask grumpy commuters to stand on both sides? And could it help avert a looming congestion crisis?On 4 December last year, the London Underground ingested 4,821,000 passengers and spat them out at their destinations, and in doing so set a new record for a single day. If you paused to contemplate this for a moment, you might think of all those Oyster cards tapping, all those doors sliding, all those people moving, consider whatever mad visionary first thought of demolishing houses to ...
• Pro-refugee activists stage 'die-in' at St Pancras against Calais Jungle clearingEmergency protest organised by London2Calais Convoy in response to French plans to bulldoze large sections of refugee campProtesters have staged a “die-in” at St Pancras station in London over plans to clear an area of the makeshift migrant camp in Calais known as the Jungle.Dozens of demonstrators gathered at the Eurostar terminal at noon on Saturday for an emergency protest organised by the London2Calais Convoy, which organises convoys of essential supplies from London to refugees in the French port. Continue reading...
• Shock figures to reveal deadly toll of global air pollutionWorld Health Organisation describes new data as ‘health emergency’, with rising concern likely to influence decision over Heathrow expansionThe World Health Organisation has issued a stark new warning about deadly levels of pollution in many of the world’s biggest cities, claiming poor air quality is killing millions and threatening to overwhelm health services across the globe. Related: ‘Yucky pollution,’ says my daughter, as Delhi chokes Continue reading...

The Herald

• Scotland's effort to tackle climate change has stalled, campaigners warn SCOTLAND'S efforts to tackle climate change have stalled, environmental campaigners have warned, after ministers slashed spending on green initiatives by tens of millions of pounds.
• Public health at risk as Scotland faces 'air pollution crisis'Toxic fumes from cars, lorries and buses are breaching pollution safety limits and endangering health in urban areas across Scotland, according to the latest government monitoring.

The Scotsman

• Back to college for bus workersBUS depots are turning into mini colleges as workers take a break from driving double-deckers and tuning engines to expand their minds.

Times Online

• Clamped – because the blundering DVLA said it wasn’t taxed (Subscription)Bugs in the new system for policing vehicle tax leave drivers at risk of being stranded even if they have paid what they owe

Daily Record

• Ladies for Lorries: Female HGV drivers needed to help save our �5bn haulage industry according to politicians and expertsHAULAGE firms plan to target women with a drive to help alleviate a shortage of drivers which could have serious implications for Scotland's economy.

Mail Online

• ISIS terrorists ‘could pose as homeless people in bomb plot on Paris Metro’ Jihadis could 'easily blend in' with the estimated 300 people who sleep rough in underground stations in Paris during the winter, senators Alain Fouche and Francois Bonhomme said in a 50-page report.

The Mirror

• 100-mile corridor of snow blankets the middle of Britain as drivers brace for road chaos The cold snap which stretches from the Isle of Skye to London is expected to last several days as forecasters blame Hurricane Alex in the Atlantic

This is Money

• New 'best practice' car and home insurance rules won't stop consumers getting ripped off by insurers at renewal, says Rebecca Rutt It's fair to say insurers aren't winning any popularity contests at the moment, or ever for that matter, and more often than not we're slating them rather than singing their praises.�
• The RAC attend more than 25K cars damaged by pothole-riddled roads Today (Friday) is National Pothole Day. But while you won't need to whip out the bunting, there is cause for concern after the RAC reported a 24 per cent rise in pothole-related call-outs.
• Aviva's �1m ticket to parking bliss: Free app shows drivers the nearest and cheapest available space and directs them via satnav Aviva Ventures, the wholly owned venture capital business of Aviva, said it will invest in a range of digital and new technology businesses and Premier Parking, a car park services firm in Ireland.
• Drivers avoid using car so they don't lose their spot in the street One report released this week said some drivers are stressing about where to park while another claimed UK home and property owners raked in �2m last year by renting their parking spaces out.
• East Coast profits are derailed by franchise costs as accounts show�company made a pre-tax loss of �41m The firm was the only state-operated railway in the UK until last March, when a partnership between Stagecoach and Virgin won the franchise for the East Coast Main Line.

Birmingham Post

• Midland trains could have seats and toilets removed to ease overcrowdingTrains across Birmingham and the West Midlands could have seats and toilets removed – to reduce overcrowding

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Dozens arrested each year on North Wales railways for assault, drug possession and theftBut British Transport Police say crime levels are down for 11th consecutive year, but admits more can be done to make passengers feel safer
• A55 hailed a 'great highway, warts and all' by former ministerLord Barry Jones played a leading role in determining the route of the road in the 1970s  and says it has helped 'safeguard the economic future of North Wales'

London Evening Standard

• Heading off-road in Supacat HMT400 JackalSupacat's high-speed military off-roader gets put to the test...
• London Road Enfield crash: Nine injured after bus and Smart car crashSix bus passengers and a motorist have been taken to hospital after a double-decker and a car crashed in north London.
• VW brands scoop What Car? AwardsAudi, Skoda and Volkswagen win eight of 19 categories, with new Audi A4 taking the overall Car of the Year win
• Standing on the left is better! Controversial Tube escalator trial provides massive speed boostA trial asking Tube commuters to break with convention and stand on the left of escalators as well as the right resulted in a massive speed boost, it has been revealed.

Northern Echo

• 'Smart wall' innovation for rail passengers is "cutting edge" TRANSPORT Minister Andrew Jones, MP has helped launch the first retail ‘Smart Wall’ for rail customers in the UK.
• Call for action before there is a fatality village road CAMPAINGERS fear their concerns over road safety will not be taken seriously until there is a fatality, despite meetings with police and council officials.

Sheffield Star

• WEATHER ALERT: Ice warning where snow has fallen across Derbyshire and East MidlandsThe Met Office is warning of icy stretches of road today, Sunday, January 17, where snow has fallen across Derbyshire and the East Midlands overnight.

The York Press

• 33 people died on North Yorkshire roads THE number of people killed on North Yorkshire's roads is the lowest it has been in 25 years.
• A59 will stay closed for six weeks, as drainage starts at landslip-fears site COUNCIL engineers are starting work to drain�a dangerous slope above the A59,�but the road is expected to stay closed until the end of February.

Wales Online

• Police say cars parked at the Storey Arms while people go sledging is 'causing big problems'Dyfed Powys Police said the cars were causing disruption on the A470 on Saturday afternoon and are handing out parking tickets

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Planned roadworks in place across Yorkshire this weekMotorists could face disruptions while Highways England carries out planned roadworks on motorways across the region.

North Wales Live

• Crosby bus smashes into van and house wall on Blundellsands Road West There were passengers on board but at this stage it is not known if there were any injuries

Reading Evening Post

• Passenger hits out after his bus stops gets axed from council-funded route Courtney Buses 128 service will no longer serve several stops in Emmbrook after February 1

Sunderland Echo

• Drivers warned A1231 to close for tree fellingOne of Sunderland's busiest routes will close tomorrow to allow tree felling to take place.

Other Regional Press

• On yer bike! Gwent's best cycle routes to explore this January WHETHER for fitness, to get away from the hustle and bustle or to explore the beautiful South Wales landscape, millions of journeys are carried out on cycle routes each year.
• Councillor criticises 'difficult to see' speed bumps on Bicester road NEW speed humps on a main road in Bicester have come under fire after councillors fought against the plans for years.
• Cuts to bus services would be ‘severing lifeline’ for elderly and those in rural areas“I thought that was someone else calling to complain about service cuts,” said the councillor as he answered the phone.
• West Midlands Police to attend motorsports event to spread their road safety message Central Motorway Police Group will be at the NEC for Autosport International this weekend
• Somerset Highways urged to 'get on with building new road' in Bridgwater as traders complain of bad parking Traders in Colley Lane in Bridgwater are fed up with the chaotic parking creating congestion and blockages around the recycling centre.
• Motorists warned to brace themselves for nine months of works at busy junction MOTORISTS are bracing themselves for nearly a year of traffic chaos when the second set of major roadworks in 12 months gets under way on a busy Hampshire motorway.

Other News Sources

• Road schemes across Stanmore now over, says city council A RECENT raft of road and parking works in Stanmore has come to an end, the city council has confirmed.
• Heated roads and manual gritting offered as options to tackle icy roads HEATING the roads, manual gritters and winter tyres have all been put forward by experts as ideas to avoid accidents on icy roads.