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

Saturday, 18 April 2020

BBC News

• Coronavirus: JLR uses its 3D printers to make visorsThe car giant plans to ramp up production to 5,000 visors a day as the UK struggles to source PPE.
• Coronavirus: Who is still flying?Nearly all passengers on flights in and out of the UK are heading home, says the aviation industry.

Financial Times

• Virgin told to resubmit bailout by ‘unimpressed’ UK TreasuryAirline seeking £500m package to see it through coronavirus crisis

The Guardian

• Travel firms angry over Grant Shapps' 'no summer holiday' commentUK transport minister casts doubt on rapid lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions
• 'Huge environmental waste' as US airlines fly near-empty planesA 96% drop in passenger numbers because of coronavirus restrictions has not been matched by cuts in flightsThe coronavirus outbreak has provoked a string of unsettling sights, such as the sudden widespread use of masks, shuttered businesses and deserted streets. Another unusual phenomenon is also playing out in the skies – near-empty airplanes flying through the air.Widespread travel restrictions around the world have slashed demand for air travel, with more than eight in 10 flights canceled. But there is a disparity in the US – while the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has report...
• HS2 was always a white elephant. To launch it now is a disgrace | Simon JenkinsThe coronavirus recession will hurt all parts of society – but nothing can derail a Conservative megaprojectIt is beyond cynical. Almost every business in Britain is in lockdown. Shops are shut, factories padlocked, firms bankrupted, millions pushed into short- or long-term unemployment. They are told by the cabinet, “We are all in this together.”No we are not. Somewhere contractors are popping the champagne and consultants carting their fees to the bank. These are not medical suppliers, care home operators or testing centres. They are not the broken-backed small businesses to whose half-heart...

Times Online

• Used electric car batteries will soon power homes [subscription]After at least five years of transporting you around the country, car batteries will now spend their retirement making you tea and toast and running your washing machine.
• HS2 legal action over tunnel risk to homes threatens more delays [subscription]Plans to build the HS2 line into central London are under threat amid warnings that huge new train tunnels risk causing “catastrophic” damage to grade II listed homes.
• Coronavirus: Air filters installed on buses after drivers die [subscription]Air filters will be installed on some buses to minimise the chance of drivers and passengers contracting coronavirus on board, The Times has learnt.

Belfast Telegraph

• Bid to reroute ferries in Dublin amid row between P&O and Port of LiverpoolEfforts are under way to re-route two P&O ferries stranded at Dublin Port amid an ongoing stand-off between the company and the Port of Liverpool.

Birmingham Mail

• Bike security team protecting city centre streets during lockdownSecurity officers working for Retail BID in Birmingham city centre are reacting faster than ever thanks to old-fashioned pedal power

Birmingham Post

• Bristol space company plans to expand into Wales after landing £250kSpace Forge secured the money through Bristol Private Equity Club and Innovate UK

Bolton News

• Greece extends ban of direct flights to the UK until May - latest Foreign Office advice Greece has extended its ban of all direct flights from the UK until mid-May.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Queensbury Tunnel Society claim 'non-essential' work is being carried out - despite lockdown CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a historic railway tunnel from closure have claimed

London Evening Standard

• Number of cars on UK roads drops to levels last seen in 1955 amid coronavirus lockdown, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps saysRead our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms
• Sadiq Khan announces free bus travel in London to protect driversFollow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms

Bucks Free Press

• Bucks MP's react to HS2 go-ahead amid coronavirus crisisBuckinghamshire MP's have released a joint statement regarding the Notice to Proceed which has been announced.

Leeds Live

• Work on HS2 set to begin in 'shamelessly opportunistic' moveHS2 is expected to reach Leeds between 2035 and 2040

North Wales Live

• TUI, Ryanair, Easy Jet and British Airways' update refund policies over cancelled flights and tripsA number of airlines have updated their policies today in light of the coronavirus outbreak

Other Regional Press

• Govia Thameslink Railway trains painted with messages to thank NHS Three trains have been rebranded to pay tribute to the NHS.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Coronavirus: Government takes further action to support bus and lorry drivers who are keeping the country movingTransport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced that it will be easier for bus and lorry drivers to renew their expiring driving licences.  This latest action taken by the government and DVLA will ensure that bus and lorry drivers can continue their vital work and keep the country moving. As NHS staff rightly focus on the nationwide response to coronavirus, the government has temporarily relaxed the requirement for bus and lorry drivers to provide a doctor’s medical report in order to renew their licence. Under the scheme, drivers will be able to receive a temporary 1-year licence, ...
• Coronavirus: Government extends temporary relaxation of drivers' hours rulesThe government has extended the current relaxations, apart for break derogation in EU rules, until 31st May 2020. Drivers’ hours relaxations apply from 00:01 on Monday 23 March 2020 and will run until 23:59 on Sunday 31 May 2020. Anyone driving under the EU drivers’ hours rules or the GB drivers’ hours rules and undertaking carriage of goods by road can use the relaxations where necessary. The relaxations are not limited to specific sectors or journeys. More information. 

New Civil Engineer

• Road bridge closure extended as part of £1.5bn electrification projectThe closure of Bromham Road in Bedford will be extended until the summer to allow the upgrade of the road bridge to be completed.

Railnews

• 17 April: news in brief ++ Greater Anglia closes more ticket offices ++ Tamar rail bridge illuminated to celebrate NHS

Other News Sources

• Top-level Speakers Announced for Unmanned Maritime Systems Technology 2020 in LondonSMi Reports: Expert speakers at the event in May, will provide a discussion on unmanned systems across the full maritime domain, including undersea, surface, and aerial environments.
• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Brings its Fleet Home“Stay at home” is the global message of the moment. The fleet of the Hamburg-based cruise company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which would normally be sailing the seven seas, is now heading for the waters of its home port. The expedition ship, the HANSEATIC nature…
• Coronavirus: Brighton council closes Madeira Drive to carsJOGGERS, cyclists and walkers will be able to enjoy extra space on the seafront after the council announced a road closure.