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

Wednesday, 20 January 2021

BBC News

• Smart motorway death 'treated as PR exercise by transport minister'A widow has accused the transport secretary of treating her husband's death on a smart motorway as a PR exercise. A coroner criticised the roads after hearing Jason Mercer died in a crash on part of the M1 with no hard shoulder. Mr Mercer's widow Claire said Grant Shapps had tried to "manage" her when they spoke.
• 'My car rolled six times after smart motorway crash'Drivers share their experiences of smart motorways after a review found two deaths were avoidable.
• E-scooters must follow rules of road 'same as bus'A woman banned from the roads for drink-driving an e-scooter is told the same rules and penalties apply.
• Boeing 737 Max to be cleared to fly in EuropeThe EU's aviation agency says clearance will be given next week for the aircraft, grounded after two crashes.
• Vauxhall: Future of Ellesmere Port hangs in the balanceVauxhall's parent company warns it will no longer invest in pure diesel or petrol cars at Ellesmere Port.
• Audi to make electric cars with China's oldest carmaker FAWFAW counts Red Flag limousines, used by China's communist party leaders, among its products.

Financial Times

• Boss of newly merged Fiat and Peugeot warns on UK investmentStellantis chief Carlos Tavares says electric rules and Brexit risk ‘destroying the business model’ of Vauxhall plant
• Shipping costs quadruple to record highs on China-Europe ‘bottleneck’ Soaring prices fuelled by shortage of containers and recovery in consumer demand
• UK coach sector warns of deepening crisis amid schools closuresOperators told by government minister not to expect any special treatment
• Boeing 737 Max recertified to fly in Europe from next weekEU warns US-built aircraft will be subject to closer scrutiny from region’s safety agency
• Trade/containers: the shipping forecastThe disruption adds to arguments for reducing dependence on lengthy supply chains
• European airports urge EU to loosen state aid rulesPlea comes as industry cuts its forecast for passenger numbers amid Covid crisis

The Guardian

• UK inflation rises to 0.6% as transport and clothing prices pick up – business liveRolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

The Telegraph

• Smart motorway information campaign postponed by Highways England 'who seem 'determined not to educate public' [subscription]Government-owned company was handed £5m to air public awareness broadcasts, but delay has disappointed road safety campaigners
• EU drivers will escape UK speeding fines unless caught 'there and then', chief constable says [subscription]EU cross-border enforcement directive had allowed information-sharing between UK and EU but is no longer in place

Times Online

• Safety technology covers only 37 miles of smart motorway [subscription]Only 37 miles of smart motorway have been fitted with vital technology used to detect broken-down vehicles, prompting more concerns over safety.

City AM

• Transport for London drops plans to make all stations cashlessTransport for London (TfL) has today dropped plans to make all of its underground, overground, and DLR stations cashless.
• Emirates launches vaccine passport app to collate flyer data on pre-flight testing and Covid-19 jabEmirates is among the first airlines to begin trialling a digital vaccine passport. The Dubai-based carrier, which was also one of the first to launch free pre-flight Covid-19 tests, will trial the IATA Travel Pass – a mobile app to help passengers manage their travel in line with government requirements for Covid-19 testing or vaccine information.
• UK inflation doubles in a month as transport prices riseUK inflation doubled in December as prices rose during the festive period, the Office for National Statistics has announced.

Bristol Live

• Charges that drivers could pay to enter Clean Air ZoneThe council has provided its 'current estimates' for charging drivers

London Evening Standard

• Smart motorway shares blame for driver deaths, says coronerSmart motorways “present an ongoing risk of future deathsâ€�, a coroner has concluded, following an inquest into the deaths of two men on a stretch of the M1 with no hard shoulder.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• 'Do they care about the North East?' – furious council leader blasts Government transport cutsGateshead Council leader Martin Gannon told the North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC) on Tuesday that the case for new funding was “absolutely overwhelming”

Bucks Free Press

• E-scooters receive a mixed reaction from High Wycombe residents High Wycombe saw the arrival of e-scooters, by Zipp Mobility, late last year and residents of the town already have a split opinion on them.

Other Regional Press

• Calls for Union Connectivity Review to “recommend coordinated cross-border transport investment benefitting Wales and England”Local authority leaders from North Wales, the Wirral and Cheshire West and Chester in the Growth Track 360 partnership have made a joint submission to the UK Government’s Union Connectivity Review being led by Sir Peter Hendy.
• 'They are too dangerous': Network Rail responds to plea for open access to crossingNetwork Rail has responded to calls for a barrow crossing to be openly accessed at Ulverston Station.
• 'Overspend in London' could cost the North its high speed railThere are fears the Government will cancel either the Leeds leg of HS2, or the Northern Powerhouse Rail link
• Drivers face £70 fines for breaking rules in controversial changeLocal authorities will be given more powers to fine people for certain driving faults
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway staggered at support through pandemicThe charity behind the heritage railway has received generous support during the pandemic
• JLR lends fleet of Defenders to doctors in coronavirus fightLand Rover Defenders are being used as part of the vaccination roll-out

Train Operators

• Rail passengers in the East Midlands and East Anglia set to benefit from more seats from May 2021CrossCountry is providing rail passengers in the East Midlands and East Anglia with more seats on its routes linking Birmingham with Leicester, Nottingham, Cambridge and Stansted Airport from May to reduce crowding at peak travel times, when passenger numbers recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Business Live

• The road, rail and port investments needed to boost economy of North Wales and border regionsGrowth Track 360 partnership and MPs across the regions have submitted proposals to the Union Connectivity Review

New Civil Engineer

• A9 upgrade wildlife protection row resolvedCollaboration has ended several years of dispute from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) over the dualling of the A9 between Crubenmore and Kincraig, according to Transport Scotland.
• Crossrail | TfL told to set final cost amid concerns about £275M funding ‘black hole’Transport for London (TfL) has been told to settle on an estimated final cost for completing Crossrail before the Mayor’s final 2021/22 Budget is submitted.

Transport Network

• Campaigners call on councils to help cut car useEnvironmental campaigners have called on local authorities to cancel spending on road building and redirect funds to boost public transport and active travel.

Other News Sources

• Welsh government accepts rail-based solution to tackle congestionTHE Welsh government has accepted in principle a rail-based solution to reduce congestion on the M4 corridor between Cardiff, Newport and Bristol.
• New UK consortium announced to integrate drones into wider transport systemNine UK organisations have today announced The Airspace of the Future (AoF) Consortium to work to integrate drone services within the wider UK transport ecosystem – formed in response to UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge (FFC).
• Hauliers decline to transport goods into UK at record rate, report revealsRecord numbers of hauliers declined to move goods from France into Britain in the second week of January whilst those that did raised their prices significantly
• Footage of packed London Underground platform sparks concern Footage of platforms packed with commuters piling onto the London Underground have again emerged, raising questions about the safety of key workers.

News from Europe

• Has Eurostar 'fallen through the cracks' of the transport bailout safety net?The Eurostar train service that connects the UK with mainland Europe is under threat. Controlled by French state railway SNCF, it is at risk of collapsing following a 95% drop in the number of passengers since March.