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

Saturday, 19 December 2020

BBC News

• RNLI sells two Ferraris to buy Pwllheli lifeboat stationThe two classic cars were donated to the charity by Richard Colton, who died in 2015.
• Electric cars will leave hole in tax revenues, says TreasuryThe Treasury says taxes must rise or services cut to compensate for the loss of fuel tax income.
• Coronavirus: Trains cancelled over Covid-related staff shortagesSouth Western Railway and Great Western Railway say they have insufficient staff to run some services.

Financial Times

• Tesla shares surge to new high on S&P 500 inclusionBig price swings amid trading frenzy as carmaker becomes sixth-largest company in index
• French customs to patrol Eurostar as Brexit border chaos looms Paris introduces temporary checks as UK and France authorities yet to agree controls

The Guardian

• 737 MAX: Boeing 'inappropriately coached' test pilots, say senatorsPlanemaker and US regulator may have tried to cover up important information relating to deadly crashes – official reportBoeing officials “inappropriately coachedâ€� test pilots during recertification efforts after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people, a US congressional report has concluded.The report by the Senate commerce committee raised questions about testing in 2020 of a key safety system known as MCAS tied to both fatal crashes. Continue reading...

The Herald

• New fleet of spy planes to be based at Scottish RAF siteA NEW FLEET of surveillance planes are to be based at RAF Lossiemouth, it has been announced
• New fleet of spy planes to be based at Scottish RAF siteA NEW FLEET of surveillance planes are to be based at RAF Lossiemouth, it has been announced
• Boost for Scottish airports as easyJet confirms new routes to launch next summerSCOTLAND’S embattled aviation sector has received a boost after easyJet unveiled plans to introduce a new daily flight between Aberdeen International Airport and London Gatwick from next summer.

Times Online

• £4.4bn drop in insurance payouts as Covid makes roads safer [Subscription]Insurers have saved about £4.4 billion this year because of fewer claims thanks to driving restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Fictional lorry handed permit for Kent [Subscription]It was hailed as the system that would help avoid gridlock across Kent with lorries stacked up for miles upon miles attempting to reach Dover and the Channel Tunnel from January 1.
• Cameras fight growing danger of tailgating [Subscription]New roadside cameras could be introduced across England under plans to target potentially deadly tailgating on motorways, The Times has learnt.

Daily Record

• EasyJet announces new Glasgow flight to Croatia for next summerKeen travellers will be delighted to know that the airline have confirmed that a new route from Glasgow to Pula in Croatia will now launch for the first time next summer.

Mail Online

• Truck tailbacks stretch 20 MILES at Dover: Thousands of lorries queue for ferriesExtraordinary photographs taken from above the M20 in Kent showed how vehicles were bumper-to-bumper amid claims businesses are stockpiling in case of a No Deal Brexit at the end of the month.

The Mirror

• Lorries queue 20 miles at Kent as no-deal Brexit fears spark more stockpilingFears of a no-deal Brexit and the usual Christmas demand has seen significant delays at 'RoRo' ports such as Holyhead and Dover
• New Covid strain '50% more contagious' as PM 'considers ban on travel'The Covid strain is currently ripping through the southeast at 'frighteningly transmissible' speeds. In a bid to stop the spread, Boris Johnson could hit parts of England with strict travel restrictions just days before Christmas, reports claim

This is Money

• Treasury says switch to electric cars will leave a hole in tax revenuesThe Treasury said: 'The government will need to consider how to offset these lost tax revenues - whether through adjustments to other taxes or reductions in government spending.'
• BA owner IAG to buy Air Europa for half the price it initially agreed The group agreed to buy the carrier for £900m in November 2019. But IAG came under fire for pursuing the takeover during the pandemic and has spent months trying to reduce the price.
• Vauxhall in talks about producing electric vans in BritainThe car maker, owned by Peugeot parent Groupe PSA, is understood to have held discussions about whether the vehicles could be made at its plant in Luton.
• What are the Government energy plans for net zero?Banning gas boilers, a new nuclear power station, electric car charging stations and greener grants are among proposals outlined by Government to cut carbon emissions.

Birmingham Mail

• Tram driver job up for grabs - and you could earn £19kWest Midlands Metro is hiring - and there are a variety of positions to fill, both on-board and behind the scenes

Birmingham Post

• Port operator aims to create thousands of jobs with 30-year planPD Ports, operator of Teesport in the North East, has published a plan that aims to make the port one of the best in the UK
• Avanti West Coast's Voyager trains have been upgraded in £8.3m investmentPassengers travelling between London and North Wales, the West Midlands, North West and Scotland will benefit
• Airbus secures Air Greenland order for A330neo planeThe new jet will operate between the Arctic island and Denmark

Bolton News

• Councillors mixed reaction over Bolton's new cycle lanesPlans for new cycle lanes in the borough have been met with mixed reviews by councillors.
• Westhoughton and Astley Bridge cycling and walking scheme fundedFunding has been allocated to progress the seven latest Greater Manchester Bee Network cycling and walking schemes, with two in Bolton.

The York Press

• Roadworks on the A19 near Selby on course to end next Summer ROADWORKS to rebuild a section of the A19 in North Yorkshire are on course to be completed by next Summer, maybe even sooner.

Wales Online

• Cycle path designer says new scheme underway in Swansea is a mistakeDavid Judd said he couldn't keep quiet any more, but the council says the route is safe and has been approved by the Welsh Government
• Transport for Wales cancel services this week due to 'resource issues'Some services have been replaced with buses

Cambridge News

• Latest advice on travelling abroad from Stansted under new restrictionsYou need to know the rules on international travel before making any overseas trips

Other Regional Press

• BMW's Mini Plant is preparing its supply chain ahead of Brexit BMW has said its Oxford Mini Plant has not yet faced Brexit delay problems, even though a company chief has warned that no-deal could cost it 'hundreds of millions' of Euros.
• Plans for Teesport aim to create tens of thousands of new jobsThe Future Teesport outlines a vision for the port for the next 30 years
• Rapid covid testing site opens for passengers at Teesside AirportRapid tests and other tests for antibodies will be available privately at the airport from Friday
• Government funding for clean air improvements in Rotherham hangs in the balanceRotherham's cash could disappear if Sheffield scraps its plans
• Sheffield bus drivers won't challenge people about masksBosses fear that sooner or later 'somebody's going to get thumped'
• How an upgraded underground network will help coastguards save lives AN underground cable network in Weymouth is being upgraded as part of a multi-million pound project to help HM Coastguard save lives at sea and on the Dorset coast.
• Dorset Council announce changes to resident parking permits in Weymouth PARKING permits for a Weymouth district will be changing - in a move that is supported by residents and opposed by hotel and guest house owners.
• 'Chaos' as signs banning lorries travelling on Dorchester road not installedMORE than a year after traffic orders came into force to ban heavy lorries from roads leading to Dorchester’s tip – Dorset Council has not been able put up road signs warning of the restrictions.
• New electric vehicle chargepoints are coming to DorsetMORE than 40 new electric vehicle chargepoints are coming to Dorset as part of the council's commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

The Economist

• Will Brexit cause disruption in Britain’s ports?Imports are unlikely to be affected, but exports may well be

Railnews

• Network Rail launches major Christmas projects While millions of people are looking forward to turkey and treats, thousands of Network Rail workers will be spending their Christmas on the track instead. Among the many projects which will be undertaken between Christmas Eve and the New Year, the East Coast Main Line upgrade will be continuing and London King™s Cross will be closed between 26 and 30 December. Signalling at Birmingham New Street will be renewed, while there will be track upgrades in Preston and Manchester alongside more overhead line improvements at Liverpool and Crewe.

Other News Sources

• Police bikes for 'difficult to access areas'POLICE officers patrolling in Hereford are going to be using bikes following a £25,000 grant.
• Gatwick drone incident: How things have changed two years on and what happened with investigationThe infamous incident led to the airport being closed for 30 hours in total, disrupting 1,000 flights and more than 140,000 passengers

EIN News Subscription

• The 800 roads in Britain with dangerous levels of air pollution … 77mcg per cubic metre. EU limits are currently set at … further investment in public transport. ClientEarth said the UK is … stay away from public transport, efforts to encourage active … whole education about air pollution and exposure to air pollution. I still …