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

Wednesday, 25 April 2018

BBC News

• North Yorkshire council plans special needs school transport chargeYoung people with special educational needs or disabilities could have to pay £490 a year for home-to-school transport.
• Carwyn Jones 'no strong preference' on M4 relief road routeThe Tories accuse Carwyn Jones of putting M4 relief road plans in doubt by comments to AMs.
• Speed limits on five roads to tackle air pollutionA 50mph speed limit on the worst polluted roads in Wales aims to tackle air quality problems.
• Belfast International Airport sold to French firmThe sale of Ireland's second biggest airport is to be completed later this year.
• End doubts over diesel's future, says Ford bossGovernment must give consumers more clarity about the future of diesel cars, says Ford's UK chief.

The Guardian

• Are ride-share electric scooters the future of urban transport?Scooters have taken over Santa Monica, caused fury in San Francisco and are spreading to other US cities and Britain. Are they fun and environmentally friendly – or a dangerous nuisance?

The Independent

• Southern Rail commuters promised better train service from 20 MaySouthern has announced a major timetable overhaul Biggest timetable change in British railway history will see many more and faster trains, but not all at once

The Scotsman

• Rail staff to go on strike in May and JuneRail workers are to go on strike over proposals to cut CCTV staff which the RMT union says would seriously compromise public safety.
• Scots drivers ‘fill gaps’ in council budgets as parking charges top £70m Motorists have faced an inflation-busting £5.6 million hike in parking charges imposed by cash-strapped councils across Scotland.

Times Online

• Japanese men object to women-only railway carriages [Subscription]They are supposed to be a safe haven in the rush hour, where women and girls can escape the “gropers” who haunt Japan’s trains. But women-only railway carriages are under assault from men who say that their human rights are being violated.

City AM

• Heathrow wants passengers to bring their own reusable cups to the airport amid plans to remove all single-use plastics from saleLondon's biggest airport has become the latest name to join efforts to clampdown on plastic pollution in the UK, saying today it will standardise and recycle all single-use coffee cups by the end of the year.
• Passengers face travel headaches with temporary cuts to commuter services as part of mass timetable shake-upCommuters using Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern could see a small number of services temporarily cut as part of the UK's biggest rail timetable shakeup in decades gets underway.
• Rail boss promises passengers The boss of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has promised thousands of Thameslink commuters "Tube-like" services by the end of 2019 as the franchise prepares to unveil a timetable shakeup that begins next month.
• Lorry fleet services company Prohire grabs Northedge investment to drive acquisitionsA lorry fleet services company has today put the foot down on its expansion, as private equity firm Northedge invested as part of its management buyout.
• PSA revenue in first quarter soars by 42 per cent following Opel-Vauxhall acquisitionRevenue at Peugeot and Citroen owner PSA grew by 42 per cent in the first quarter, largely thanks to last year's acquisition of Opel Vauxhall.

Bolton News

• 'Commuter town' fear if new housing development is approved FEARS have been raised that Horwich could become a commuter town if a new planning application is approved.

London Evening Standard

• Commuters braced for chaos amid 'biggest timetable shake-up in rail history'Commuters were today warned of three weeks of potential chaos during the "biggest timetable shake-up in rail history".
• Sainsbury's launches UK's first electric bike delivery service in LondonSainsbury's is trialling a new fleet of electric grocery delivery bikes in south London - the first of their kind in the UK.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• REVEALED: Almost £2m raked in by bus lanes cameras in WolverhamptonThere are 12 cameras across the city that capture vehicles illegally using the routes. In 2015/16 Wolverhampton council netted £1.3m, in 2016/17 £1.9m, and chiefs have confirmed they earned £1.9m in 2017/18.

Other Regional Press

• Jeremy Corbyn calls for Met Line Extension to go aheadThe leader of the Labour party has called for the Met Line Extension to still go ahead.
• Angry Blackpool MP hits out at rail upgrade delays on Blackpool North lineHe spoke out after using one of the few trains on the line to get to the resort on Friday from London.

Airportwatch

• Broken ferries damaging islands’ tourism [Subscription]Two Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services are being cancelled every day because of mechanical problems, MSPs have been told.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority

• Combined Authority’s £32 million programme of station car park extensions rolls onA report to this week's Wakefield District Consultation Sub-Committee updates members on the Combined Authority’s £32 million programme of station car park extensions.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair takes options on 25 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft Irish LCC Ryanair is exercising options on 25 Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft, bringing its total firm orders for the type to 135. read more
• Air France’s Joon to operate 28 aircraft by 2020 Air France’s hybrid, lower-cost airline Joon is aiming to operate 18 mid- and 10 long-haul aircraft by 2020, as the young airline continues to expand. read more
• Proposed FAA reauthorization amendment calls for engine safety reviewUS House Transportation Committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) has submitted an amendment to proposed FAA reauthorization legislation that would require a “call to actionâ€� review of airline engine safety in the wake of the Southwest Airlines flight 1380 engine failure. read more
• Gogo names new leadership teamInflight connectivity and entertainment provider Gogo continued its leadership overhaul April 20 with several reassignments for top executives. read more

Other News Sources

• SMART Highways and the Transport Network launch regular podcast seriesFollowing the success of its radio-style news programme podcasts from leading intelligent transport systems (ITS) and transport events around the world, SMART Highways and its sister publications are now beginning extra, regular programmes about the industry.
• 10A bus to be named after 'comedy legend' Sir Ken DoddThe rare honour is a tribute to the national treasure from Knotty Ash, who died earlier this year - which the service passes through on its route.
• Lakes MP calls for Northern to be stripped of franchiseThe MP was furious after Lakes Line users reported 14 cancelled services in one day
• Network Rail to build £46m train depot in WiganNetwork Rail has unveiled plans to adapt an existing freight yard to stable and maintain 24 electric and eight diesel trains in Wigan.