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

Wednesday, 18 August 2021

BBC News

• Never mind going electric, where will we park?UK roads are already jam-packed and that looks set to get worse as more people snap up EVs.
• Free bikes for children scheme to be testedSix pilot schemes are set up to help provide free bikes to children who cannot afford them
• Wrightbus to boost Ballymena workforce by 300As orders for zero-emission buses rise, the firms says 120 temporary jobs will also be made permanent.
• Covid: Australia's Qantas says all staff must be vaccinatedThe announcement came as New South Wales reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections.

Financial Times

• How extreme weather is hitting airlinesStorms, wildfire smoke and heat that reduces aircraft lift have disrupted flights this summer

The Guardian

• Bp pulse pledge to charge up its customer experiencewhile Citroen goes the extra mile to keep a customerIn June, I featured the case of WK from North Yorkshire, who had been waiting for more than two months for bp pulse to come and install a charging point at her home to enable her to start using her new Renault Zoe electric car. The charger's installation had been part of the car's purchase price.I got the matter resolved, and noted at the time that this was the first complaint we had received about the firm, previously called Chargemaster before its BP takeover. Continue reading...
• 'Greater stability' as western forces help to secure Kabul airportCommander of UK's evacuation effort says aim is 1,000 people a day leaving, but airport could be closed at any timeUS, UK and other western forces have helped to secure Kabul's international airport, allowing the RAF to begin mass airlifts out of the Afghan capital, the commander of Britain's evacuation effort has said.V-Adm Ben Key, the commander of joint operations, said there was now 'considerably greater stability' on the ground, ending the 'distressing scenes' of Monday when some desperate Afghans clung to military aircraft as they took off. Continue reading...
• Transport for the North boss calls for debate on raising cost of drivingMartin Tugwell says UK government must look at whether to make car use pricier and public transport cheaperThere needs to be an 'honest conversation' about making driving more expensive in order to subsidise public transport, according to the new head of the north of England's strategic transport body.Martin Tugwell, who took over as chief executive of Transport for the North (TfN) earlier this month, is trying to persuade the government to pay at least £30bn to build a transpennine rail line called Northern Powerhouse Rail, as well as HS2 spurs to Manchester and Leeds. Continue reading...
• United Airlines reminds crew not to restrain unruly passengers with duct tapeAirlines have encountered an unusual number of disorderly customers in recent months, occasionally leading to unorthodox methods of restraintUnited Airlines has asked its employees to not use duct tape to restrain unruly passengers.In a memo sent to employees last Friday, United flight attendants were urged to “please remember that there are designated items onboard that may be used in difficult situations, and alternative measures such as tape should never be used”. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Motorists advised to take toilet breaks on 125 mile detour in Scots ferry service disruption rowTRAVELLERS were advised to go on a massive 125 mile detour and ensure they take rest breaks - in the wake of a row over a series of cancellations affecting lifeline services in Scotland over the weekend.
• More lifeline ferry service cancellations as a second Arran vessel is sidelinedLIFELINE ferry services on one of Scotland's busiest crossings have been cancelled again after a redeployed vessel needed urgent repairs.

Times Online

• Trojan generates £2.2m for its electric car charger [Subscription]A developer of novel charging technology for electric vehicles has received £2.2 million of investment.
• Russian military aircraft crashes on test flight [Subscription]A prototype Russian military aircraft has crashed in a ball of flame near Moscow with all on board believed to be dead.
• Luxury train takes scenic new US route [Subscription]One of world’s most acclaimed luxury train services, Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer, has made its first foray across the border with a new scenic route through the US west.

Mail Online

• Biden plans to extend transportation mask mandate through mid-JanuaryThe Biden administration has announced that the public transportation mask mandate is continuing until mid-January after the rise in U.S. cases due to the Indian 'Delta' variant

The Mirror

• Fury as plane that carries 153 passengers leaves Afghanistan with just seven peopleThe Airbus A400M Atlas, which was the first to land, circled for five hours over the Kabul airport which was temporarily closed due to the chaotic conditions on the tarmac after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
• First UK mercy mission lands at Brize Norton as PM pledges to take 20,000 AfghansThe plane, said to be carrying Brit personnel and Afghan interpreters is one of a number of flights expected to land in the next few days as Kabul evacuation efforts continue

This is Money

• One of the world's oldest bike manufacturers Raleigh saddles up for the future with E-cargo cyclesThe cargo bikes are expensive, costing between £4,000 and £5,000 each. They are particularly useful for those who want to avoid paying the congestion charge in central London.
• Drivers caught out as 'pay at pump' ring-fences cashIncreasing numbers of stations are carrying out authorisation checks on drivers. The system is designed to stop drivers with insufficient funds buying more petrol than they can afford.

Birmingham Mail

• £83m Broad Street tram route 'can't accommodate cyclists' forcing riders onto diversionRebuilding Broad Street at a cost of £83.4 million for trams has left no room for cyclists in some parts

Bolton News

• Driving tests and MOTs set for price increase under DVSA plans - have your sayThe agency said fees have not kept up with inflation and if they had the costs of tests and car maintenance would be much higher.

London Evening Standard

• New cheaper Covid test for travelling to hit shelves in 3 months - and results only take 10 minutesA new and potential cheaper Covid test which delivers results more quickly could be used at airports in three months, according to researchers.

Northern Echo

• Labour MP raises concern at Teesside Airport after Eastern pull routesAN airline's decision to permanently scrap two routes from Teesside Airport has been met with concern.
• North Yorkshire on-demand bus service sees over a 1000 usersNORTH Yorkshire residents are being encouraged to find out more about North Yorkshire's successful on-demand bus service pilot after steady growth.
• Eastern Airways permanently cancels two routes from Teesside AirportAN airline has terminated two routes from Teesside as bookings have been cancelled this week, The Northern Echo understands.
• Concern over cuts to rural bus services in County DurhamCONCERNS are being raised about cuts to vital bus services in rural parts of the region.
• Cummins given £14.6m to develop hydrogen engine in DarlingtonThe Government-backed Brunel project is being led by Darlington-based engine maker Cummins

Cambridge News

• Stansted Airport: Latest travel advice for France, Spain, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy and GreeceThere are the Covid restrictions holidaymakers need to know about before they travel
• TUI, Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2: Ibiza travel restrictions and requirements These are the latest Covid-19 rules for travel, as well as what you can and can't do during your stay on the party island

Other Regional Press

• BMW in Oxford will develop electric battery to rival petrolA MULTI-MILLION-pound scheme could secure 1,500 jobs in the city and cut millions of tons of carbon emissions.
• Eastern Airways pulls two key routes from Teesside International AirportAirport says carrier will continue to operate from Teesside
• £14m project to develop carbon-free hydrogen engine in Darlington will safeguard 640 jobsThe project could prevent 11m tons of carbon a year going into the atmosphere
• Bournemouth Airport welcomes two new Ryanair destinationsRYANAIR is set to launch two new holiday routes from Bournemouth Airport this year.

New Civil Engineer

• Hydrogen Strategy | Four key takeaways for civil engineersThe UK’s first-ever Hydrogen Strategy has been released today.

Railnews

• Optimism increases over rail use There are more predictions that the demand for rail travel is set to continue increasing until it reaches pre-Covid levels. However, the pattern of demand seems likely to change, with softer peak hours but greater demand for leisure travel. The latest person to take this view is rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris.

Green Miscellany

• What will happen to today’s cars once they’re obsolete?By the time the entire car fleet has gone electric most of today’s vehicles will have been crushed and reincarnated as toasters, but a few it seems will be live on…as barbecues. or to be entirely accurate ’carbecues’. Under the bonnet, the Carbecue features internal combustion in the form of a gas grill. A remote control can be used to… The post What will happen to today’s cars once they’re obsolete? appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Over 1,000 sign petition to stop rail services being cut from Epsom and Mole ValleySWR Services from Dorking, Epsom and Leatherhead to London are not being restored to pre-pandemic levels under the plans
• Gatwick and Heathrow: Entry rules for Sweden, Portugal, Switzerland and Finland amber list countriesGuidance from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and links to other countries' passenger locator forms