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

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

BBC News

• Passengers at Birmingham Airport head overseas as rules easeBirmingham Airport is operating at a fraction of its usual capacity as rules on overseas travel ease.
• Waymo self-driving taxi confused by traffic cones flees helpThe vehicle became stuck multiple times and repeatedly drove away when roadside assistance approached.
• Manchester Go North West bus drivers' strike called offMembers of the Unite union at Go North West in Manchester launched an all-out strike in February.
• Croydon tram crash inquest: Jury sworn inThe inquest into the 2016 crash that killed seven people begins after an initial Covid-19 delay.

Financial Times

• Aviation bosses call for further easing of UK travel restrictionsPleas come as border restrictions are loosened, allowing thousands of British holidaymakers to jet off
• Ryanair: buckle up for further turbulenceEfficiency and a strong balance sheet will help, but a return to pre-pandemic flying will take time
• UK railways braced for biggest shake-up in decadesChanges include scrapping of controversial franchise model and tickets for part-time commuters
• O'Leary slams complacent Boeing over Max delivery delaysRyanair boss accuses US manufacturer of mishandling its relationships with safety regulators
• Airbus's small jet bet gives it a big edge on BoeingEuropean group looks set to benefit from demand for cheaper and more nimble aircraft

The Guardian

• E-scooter hire schemes to be rolled out in London from JuneTo improve safety, speeds will be capped at 12.5mph and the scooters will not work in royal parksLondoners can legally use e-scooters on public roads next month“ but only slowly. E-scooters will be limited to a maximum of 12.5mph, 3mph slower than in the rest of the UK, when rental scheme trials start on 7 June.

The Telegraph

• Relax travel restrictions faster, says British Airways boss [subscription]Call comes as Ryanair posts biggest loss in its 35-year history following the pandemic and warns that fares will rise
• Activist investor calls for FirstGroup to delay US sale [subscription]FirstGroup agreed to sell its most profitable two divisions earlier this month - but its biggest investors thinks they are undervalued

Times Online

• Times letters: What HS2 can and should do for the country - Lord Berkeley [subscription]Sir, Julian Glover (“HS2 needs to think bigger if it wants to derail its critics”, Thunderer, May 17) paints a glowing picture of HS2, urging us to think beyond the messy construction and follow Brunel’s vision before concluding:
• Give us a say to fix ferry service crisis, islanders demand [subscription]Councillors on the Western Isles have warned that the ferry “crisis” off their coast shows how decisions on services cannot be competently made from Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverclyde.
• Pressure to expand green list as travel resumes [subscription]Ministers were under pressure to significantly expand the “green list” for overseas travel today as the lifting of a ban on foreign holidays triggered the busiest day of the year at UK airports.
• Three-hour queues as border staff struggle to cope with travel surge [subscription]Passengers faced border queues of up to three hours yesterday as many people appeared to defy government pleas not to take holidays in amber list countries.
• ‘No new fossil fuels to hit net zero’ [subscription]The world does not need to invest in any new fossil fuel supplies to meet its energy needs while cutting emissions to net zero by 2050, the International Energy Agency believes.

Reuters News

• EU to tighten rules on ship recycling, restore areas of seas and oceansThe European Union on Monday said it would toughen its rules on ship recycling and decommissioning offshore oil and gas sites, and set new targets to restore damaged marine ecosystems.

City AM

• London e-scooter trial to launch in the City next monthLondon's trial of rental e-scooters will begin next month, it has been confirmed, with the City and Canary Wharf among The post London e-scooter trial to launch in the City next month

The Mirror

• Heathrow chaos as passengers 'stand next to arrivals from red list countries'The UK eased travel restrictions on Monday and foreign holidays were once again re-opened to Brit tourists, with countries placed into a traffic light system of risk, from green to amber and red - but ministers have said people should not go on holiday to countries which are not on the green list
• Holidays to France and Spain with Covid vaccine passports 'to be given go ahead'The European Union is expected to sign off on plans that would allow Brits who are fully vaccinated to fly into the bloc without needing a Covid test or to quarantine.

Network Rail

• More seats and faster journeys between East Midlands and London - Network Rail completes major work on £1.5billion Midland Main Line UpgradeNetwork Rail has completed the biggest improvements to the Midland Main Line since it was built, meaning more seats, faster journeys and more reliable services for passengers travelling between the East Midlands and London.

Bolton News

• Electric car ownership on the rise in BoltonMOTORISTS in Bolton are going green as the number of electric vehicles registered in the area surged last year.

Bristol Live

• Bristol Airport could relaunch direct flights to New YorkThe US destination has not been on the departure board since 2010

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport to welcome travellers back this weekAirport staff are 'delighted' to be flying to Portugal tomorrow

London Evening Standard

• E-scooter trial scheme launches in London in JuneIt will be the first time the contraptions will legally be allowed on the capital’s roads.

Bucks Free Press

• How Teslas are becoming more popular in Milton Keynes Milton Keynes is reportedly a ‘Tesla hotspot’ according to a new survey.
• Bike thefts decrease in Milton Keynes over the last year A study has revealed that bike thefts in Milton Keynes have decreased over the last 12 months.

Other Regional Press

• Great Western Railway trains back after cracks foundMORE trains will be available this week after cracks were found under carriages, forcing cancellations.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Waterloo & City Line to reopen on 21 June to support London’s recovery from the pandemicTransport for London (TfL) has announced that the Waterloo & City line will reopen on 21 June, ready to play a vital role in the capital’s recovery from coronavirus. The line, which connects Waterloo and Bank stations, is an important commuter link and has been closed since March last year when those who were able to do so were told to work from home. From 21 June, people are expected to return to offices in greater numbers and TfL has been working closely with the City of London Corporation to ensure that the reopening of the Waterloo & City line aligns with Government guidance...
• BusMark membership hits new heightsBusMark, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport’s bus and coach benchmarking club, has announced that its recently recruited members means that the BusMark membership roster now has an all-time high of 29,100 passenger carrying vehicles on board, from which benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPIs) are derived.  During this past year of unprecedented challenges for the sector, an ever-increasing number of operators have joined BusMark, enabling them to compare performance across a range of business-critical disciplines such as Operation Risk & Safety, Employee...

New Civil Engineer

• Five extra bids added to shortlist of abandoned railways that could be restoredFive last-minute bids have been added to the list of projects bidding for funding under the third and final round of the Restoring Your Railways ideas fund.

Railnews

• RMT calls for zero tolerance of Covid breaches as lockdowns ease Lockdown rules are being eased again from today, but the RMT says although it supports increases in public transport services it is also calling for ™zero tolerance™ of any breach of transport Covid safety measures or abuse of staff. Many operators are boosting their service levels in response to fewer restrictions.
• Imminent Williams Review could spark major industrial unrest Reports that the Williams Review of the railway industry could be published this week have sparked protests from the RMT, which is predicting ˜a tsunami of cuts™ and widespread job losses. The main planks of Keith Williams™ reforms are said to have survived. These include the replacement of franchises by concessions, a new ˜arm™s length™ public body to award the new contracts and an end to ˜micro-management™ by the Department for Transport. The RMT, which had called for wholesale renationalisation, is gearing up for a fight.

Other News Sources

• “Terrifying” railway viaduct plan would put trains “50ft in the air” say residentsResidents have spoken of their fear of “terrifying” proposals to build a new railway viaduct north of Bedford for the controversial East West Rail project.
• Winners and losers as Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough trains go electric with new timetableThe new timetable has meant Wellingborough commuters have lost their direct weekday intercity service
• London Oxford Airport embarks on major development programmeLondon Oxford Airport has commenced construction work on a new development phase, which will, when complete this autumn, be its most significant step forward to date.