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

Saturday, 08 May 2021

BBC News

• Covid: Green list destinations for England travel announcedTransport Secretary Grant Shapps announces which countries people will be able to visit from 17 May.
• Covid-19: Cargo plane leaves NI with medical aid for IndiaThe Russian Antonov plane, one of the largest in the world, departed with oxygen generators.
• British Airways owner IAG calls for action to restart flightsThe airline group says there is a

Financial Times

• BA owner urges easing of travel restrictions as losses mount IAG plans to increase flights to 25% of normal schedules between April and June

The Guardian

• Electric car insurance in UK ‘is £45 less than for petrol or diesel vehicle’Comparethemarket.com analysis shows electric car drivers were charged an average of £566The average cost of insuring an electric car in the UK is £45 less than the cost of covering a petrol or diesel car, according to research from the website Comparethemarket.com.Analysis of annual premiums in the first three months of the year showed electric car drivers were charged an average of £566, while petrol and diesel drivers paid £611. Continue reading...

The Herald

• CalMac ferry network crisis as breakdowns cause three day island freight shutdownSCOTLAND'S crisis hit lifeline ferry network has come under fresh fire after a new series of breakdowns and setbacks with five of its fleet leading to service cancellations and restrictions as new pressure is put on ministers to take urgent action.

The Independent

• China rocket falling - latest: Experts track out-of-control spacecraft as it falls to EarthIf rocket debris landed over an inhabited area, it would be akin to a ‘small plane crash ... over 100 miles’.

Times Online

• Merger talk fires up Meggitt price [Subscription]Reports that an American engineering group could propose a merger ignited a rise in shares of Meggitt of up to 15 per cent yesterday.
• Could Volkswagen’s electric cars topple Tesla? [Subscription]Never mind Elon Musk’s reputation, there are plenty of others ready to challenge his environmental crown
• British Airways owner demands action to restart full schedules [Subscription]The owner of British Airways will fly no more than a quarter of its services on average through the spring after reporting a further €1 billion of losses in the first three months of the year.
• Leaky borders might mean boat licences [Subscription]Anyone wishing to buy a boat could be forced to obtain a licence beforehand under new laws to combat the surge of people smuggling across the Channel

Mail Online

• Tesla admits to California DMV that Elon Musk has been exaggerating about 'full self-driving' carsIn a memo written by the California DMV, Tesla's executives privately admitted that Elon Musk is exaggerating about all of the company's cars to have full self-driving technology
• Price of flights to Portugal soars by up to 20% after holiday 'green list' is revealedEager British holidaymakers rushed to book last minute getaways after the handful of quarantine-free destinations were unveiled by Grant Shapps tonight.

The Mirror

• Summer airport delays could be 15 times longer than normal, Border Chief warnsBorder Force director Paul Lincoln has advised passengers to face increased delays at "each stage" of their journey. Grant Shapps has announced 12 countries are on the UK green list

This is Money

• Montego, Maestro and Metro are the 1980s Austin cars on the brink of extinctionThe three cars, of which there were just over a million examples on the road in 1995, are among the 10 of the most endangered models today, according to research carried out by uSwitch.

Sky News

• Bookings for holidays to Portugal go 'through the roof' - but angry airlines criticise the green listBookings for holidays to Portugal have gone "through the roof" after the country was added to the government's green travel list, Thomas Cook has said.

Birmingham Post

• Aviation giants including Airbus and easyJet to work towards net zeroA group of industry leaders in the West of England are collaborating on a plan to drive forward the UK's sustainable aviation ambitions
• Brittany Ferries calls for regular reviews of 'traffic light' travel systemPlymouth-headquartered cross-channel transporter is pleased France and Spain are on 'amber list' but wants them moved to 'green' soon
• Green list for travel released - travel industry reactsSome short-haul destinations added to list of countries people will be able to visit without self-isolating on their return

London Evening Standard

• Flight prices soar before travel green list is revealedHoliday bookings surged today as Londoners took a punt on destinations they believe will be on the long-awaited “green list” of countries.
• Foreign travel rules to be ‘broadly similar’ across devolved nations – ShappsNo plans for the resumption of foreign holidays have been announced by the UK’s devolved administrations.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• British Airways announces new flights to Portugal from Newcastle AirportTickets are now on sale for flights to Faro after Portugal was announced to be on the green list of countries safe to travel to as of May 17

Wales Online

• Car park's £100 fines 'are putting people off' from visiting villageLlangrannog should be able to attract people from all over Wales and the rest of the UK, but there are fears that people are staying away because of the 'unacceptable' running of a car park

Bucks Free Press

• 'Serious concerns' raised about HS2’s Chiltern tunnel work More concerns have been raised about HS2 digging under the Chilterns AONB amid fears it could damage fragile chalk aquifers under Bucks rivers.

Cambridge News

• Grant Shapps announces countries on quarantine free green listPortugal, Gibraltar and Israel are all on the green list for travel

Peterborough Telegraph

• Peterborough develops city-wide energy network for heat, electricity and transportA major project in Peterborough involves heating and powering the city via a web of integrated smart energy systems.

Reading Evening Post

• Planned M4 closure delayed after serious incident closes carriagewayThe road had been set to shut for roadworks at 8pm on Friday

Other Regional Press

• Live Yorkshire Covid updates as foreign travel to go ahead from May 17We will be bringing you the latest coronavirus updates below

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 | Judge fast tracks train manufacturer’s legal challenge to avoid programme delaysA court case on the procurement of trains for High Speed 2 (HS2) has been brought forward to July to avoid “a severe knock on impact to the wider HS2 delivery programme”.

Other News Sources

• M6 scheme added three bridges over the Ribble at Samlesbury IT was Britain’s first motorway with the first stretch having opened in 1958.

EIN News Subscription

• British Airways’ parent loses another £1bn as Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc with aviation … passenger numbers plummeting and left many of the world’s airlines … restrictions and quarantine requirements. Passenger capacity in the current … scientific data. We’re ready to fly.” International Airlines Group … 13 million jobs in Europe alone. “There’s …
• Airlines start adding flights ahead of ‘green list’ announcement … fares reaching £530, British Airways has added another departure on … a low-risk destination. The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, will … the only major southern European country to make the … a green re-opening.” An airline captain, Dave Wallsworth, tweeted: …