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

Friday, 02 October 2020

BBC News

• E-scooters should be legalised says Transport CommitteeBut the Transport Committee also said riding on pavements is

The Guardian

• Millions of British railcard holders denied Covid refundsGovernment rules out giving money back or extensions despite travel restrictions
• Legalise e-scooters in UK as alternative to short car trips, MPs sayTransport select committee also calls for robust measures to prevent use on pavementsMPs have called on the government to legalise e-scooters in the UK and advertise them to car drivers as a greener alternative for short journeys.The cross-party Commons transport select committee said the scooters, which are only legal to use in limited regional trials, should be allowed on British roads. They also called for robust enforcement to stop people using them on pavements, which they said was dangerous and antisocial, and an impediment to pedestrians and people with disabilities. Continue reading...

The Scotsman

• Caledonian Sleeper: How Covid and climate change could boost passenger numbers on Scotland's overnight trains – Alastair DaltonScotland’s overnight trains could one day travel to Gdansk, Genoa and Granada, writes Alastair Dalton.
• ScotRail train ran on Borders Railway with doors wide openAn investigation has been launched after a set of doors remained open on a train en route from Tweedbank to Edinburgh

Times Online

• Take back control, your car isn’t as clever as it claims [subscription]Car makers are exaggerating the benefits of driver-assistance technology, giving motorists the “dangerous misconception” that they do not need to steer or brake, according to research.
• Move from public transport shifts Halfords sales up a gear [subscription]Halfords has lifted its profit forecasts thanks to what it called unprecedented demand for bikes and accessories.
• Rolls-Royce rescue to generate £80m fees for advisers [subscription]News of long-awaited package sends shares down further 10%

City AM

• US airlines put 32,000 staff on unpaid leaveThe US’ biggest airlines have begun to put their employees on unpaid leave as the wait for a new economic The post US airlines put 32,000 staff on unpaid leave appeared first on CityAM.
• Give e-scooters the green light, lawmakers urgeMPs have called on the government to legalise e-scooters in the UK, saying that they could offer a low-cost and The post Give e-scooters the green light, lawmakers urge

Bolton News

• £7 million scheme to create cycle lanes outside train station is on trackA MULTI-million pound scheme to create cycle lanes outside Bolton train station is on track to be completed by this time next year.

The York Press

• Bus upgrades could cut 1,600 tonnes of emissionsYORK'S new zero emission Park&Ride buses could save 1,600 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.
• New studio for Railway MuseumThe National Railway Museum in York has launched a purpose-built studio so clients can host virtual and hybrid events onsite.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• P&O's Hull-Zeebrugge route faces the axe in major blow to regionMPs, unions and business leaders have been reacting to 'incredibly worrying' news that P&O's Hull-Zeebrugge route is to be axed.

Bucks Free Press

• 'They'll have to carry me out' - HS2 protesters refuse to leave Roald Dahl woodTreehouse protesters obstructing HS2 construction in a woodland which inspired Roald Dahl's much-loved books have clashed with eviction authorities.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Christmas presents in peril due to port delaysHauliers have alleged that chaos at the Port of Felixstowe could lead to Christmas stock being delayed, causing major financial hardship for already struggling firms.
• Can rural bus services survive Covid with only a quarter of seats filled?Bus services across the country were continuing to lose passengers even before the Covid pandemic struck according to a new report from the National Audit Office – with rural services being particularly hit.

Leeds Live

• 'Take action to stop parents driving kids to school' says health bossThe council wants to encourage more parents to walk or cycle their children to school

Other Regional Press

• Ministers to look at electrification of Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton railway lineProposals to electrify the railway line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton could move a step closer later in the year, an MP has been told.
• O2 opens driverless car lab at Harwell in OxfordshireTHE 'UK's first commercial driverless car lab' has opened in Oxfordshire.
• Railcard: Over 5 million people WON'T get a refund or an extension on their cards Over five million UK railcard holders will not get a refund or extension, despite a dramatic drop in rail travel since the start of the pandemic.

Coach and Bus Week

• First Bus helps customers keep their mask onFirst Bus says customers can now enjoy the true ‘tap-and-go’ convenience of Express Mode on Apple Pay on iPhone and Apple Watch by holding their device near the reader, which will make boarding even faster. 
• Zero hourShortly after First Bus announced its intention to operate an entirely zero-emissions fleet by 2035 back in July, Peter Jackson spoke to its Managing Director Giles Fearnley and Director of Strategy John Dowie to find out more about how it expects achieve its target
• Empower urban transport authorities to build back better from Covid-19, says UTGTransport authorities can play their part in shaping a positive legacy of Covid-19 for the UK’s city regions, provided they are given both the funding and powers they need to respond to the challenges that lie ahead, says the Urban Transport Group (UTG).
• More Shetland by busContinuing his journey through the Scottish archipelago, Jonathan Welch takes the short trip west to Scalloway, before heading south to the airport at Sumburgh
• £7.4m for ultra-low emission buses in ScotlandThe Scottish Government has awarded £7.4m through the first round of the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme.

New Civil Engineer

• Old Oak Development Corporation to submit revised plansThe body behind the redevelopment of Old Oak Common is set to submit revised plans for the vast site in West London.
• TfL takes direct control of CrossrailTransport for London (TfL) has taken over governance of Crossrail despite a number of areas of the line still awaiting completion.

Railway Gazette

• MTR depot produces face masksCHINA: Hong Kong’s MTR Corp has opened a face mask production line at its Siu Ho Wan depot which has a capacity of more than 300 000 masks per month.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Transport Minister Baroness Vere examines progress on First York’s zero carbon bus fleetTransport Minister Baroness Vere has completed a visit to York to see progress towards what is believed to become the country’s biggest zero-emission park and ride bus fleet.
• SULEBS an ‘urgent step’ in restoring bus demand, says ADLAlexander Dennis (ADL) has welcomed the Scottish Government’s award of £7.4m through the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS), describing it as an “urgently needed” first step in stimulating demand for new buses.
• UrbanThings and Newport Transport take smart ticketing solution to WalesNewport Transport is the latest user to sign up to UrbanThings’ smart mobility platform, Ticketless.
• Job Support Scheme ‘not a viable propositon’ for coach tourismMeasures put in place by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to help protect jobs beyond the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in October do not form a “viable proposition” to help coach tourism, it has been claimed.
• Stagecoach appoints new UK Managing Director Carla Stockton-JonesCarla Stockton-Jones has been appointed as Stagecoach’s new UK Managing Director (MD).
• Contactless payments rolled out across Nottingham City Transport fleetNottingham City Transport (NCT) has rolled out contactless bus tickets across its fleet, using INIT validators.
• NCT Managing Director Mark Fowles to retire next yearMark Fowles, Managing Director (MD) of Nottingham City Transport (NCT) will retire in April 2021, the business has announced.

Other News Sources

• West Fife: Boost for bid to restore historic rail link from Glasgow to DunfermlinePLANS to restore an historic Glasgow to Fife railway line are finally back on track.
• Aberystwyth to Carmarthen rail reinstatement feasibility study
• Hersham Bypass and Esher Road changes: Residents say pedestrian safety has not been securedA section of the Esher Road dual carriageway has been reduced to one lane in both directions and three pedestrian crossing points have been proposed