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

Saturday, 28 August 2021

BBC News

• 'I want to cycle without the fear of being hurt'A new safety campaign hopes to remind drivers there is a real person behind every cyclist.
• Belfast Lough: Cargo vessel captain fined after Stena 'near miss'Kolapi Utime admitted turning in front of a ferry that had 503 people on board in Belfast Lough.
• Belfast-bound cargo ship refloated after running aground on the Isle of ManA cargo ship en route to Belfast, which ran aground off the Isle of Man, is towed back into the sea.
• London Underground usage regularly reaches 50% of pre-Covid levelsPassenger numbers continue to rise on London's transport system following the Covid crisis.
• Hire UK workers to drive lorries, minister tells firmsThe business secretary rejects calls to relax immigration rules as companies struggle to fill vacancies.
• BA warns of serious cost problems when furlough endsThe airline tells staff its wage bill will increase steeply when the government scheme ends.

Financial Times

• UK businesses told to hire Britons to fix lorry driver shortageMinisters rebuff calls by industry to allow foreign hauliers to fill vacancies
• Who’s really feeling the shipping cost squeeze? The bulk of the burden is falling on smaller customers as shipping freight rates decommoditise.
• Soren Skou: Maersk’s shy helmsman charts a greener courseIndustrial group’s chief takes lead role in tackling shipping industry’s climate challenge
• British Airways hopes it’s third time lucky for low-cost plan UK’s flag carrier bets on brand loyalty as it returns to short-haul flying out of Gatwick

The Guardian

• Toyota pauses Paralympics self-driving buses after one hits visually impaired athleteJapan’s Aramitsu Kitazono was left with cuts and bruises after being hit by the e-Palette vehicle at the athletes’ villageToyota has apologised for the “overconfidenceâ€� of a self-driving bus after it ran over a Paralympic judoka in the athletes’ village and said it would temporarily suspend the service.The Japanese athlete, Aramitsu Kitazono, will be unable to compete in his 81kg category this weekend after being left with cuts and bruises following the impact with the “e-Paletteâ€� vehicle. His injuries prompted a personal intervention from the president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Nicola Sturgeon's health adviser Devi Sridhar says: 'Don't go on a cruise ship ever'One of Nicola Sturgeon’s key Covid advisers has said people should permanently avoid cruise ships because of the potential for various infections to spread on board.

The Independent

• Boat sinks in Bangladesh pond, 21 dead, others missing A passenger boat carrying more than 100 people sank after a collision in a large pond in Bangladesh, and officials said 21 people were dead and about 50 missing

Times Online

• Post-Brexit immigration rules could be eased for lorry drivers [Subscription]Ministers will consider easing post-Brexit immigration rules to help end a shortage of lorry drivers amid mounting pressure from supermarket chains.

Mail Online

• UK transport industry faces a shortfall of 100,000 lorry driversIndustry experts say the shortage of lorry drivers in the UK is largely the result of Brexit and the pandemic, which led to 14,000 European drivers going home and just 600 of those returning.
• Britain pulls the plug on Kabul airlift: UK will start getting soldiers out of AirportThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said the UK's ability to process more evacuations from Afghanistan's Kabul airport will be 'extremely reduced'.

Belfast Telegraph

• At least 21 dead as passenger boat sinks in BangladeshAt least 21 people are dead and around 50 are missing after a passenger boat carrying more than 100 people sank following a collision in Bangladesh.

Birmingham Post

• Nissan hailed for green leadership after joining UN climate change campaignThe firm has signed up to the Race to Zero campaign a month after unveiling plans for a world class gigafactory in Sunderland
• Spaceport Cornwall prepares for take off after Virgin Orbit's £352m share saleSir Richard Branson will bring Boeing onboard when satellite firm launches on US NASDAQ exchange and use funds to bolster missions from Newquay

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bus station plans to 'make it easier to move around region'THE Leader of Bradford Council said plans to transform a West Yorkshire bus station will
• Ministers urged to ‘put an end’ to HS2 doubtsMINISTERS have been urged by a business organisation to “put an end to any lingering uncertaintyâ€� over HS2.

London Evening Standard

• Spaceport 1: Historic launch for British rocket before giant leap into orbit | Tech & Science Daily Now, it’s one small test launch but a giant leap for Britain’s space race as a rocket took off in perfect weather conditions from Scotland.
• Bank holiday getaway hit by ‘severe’ congestion across motorway networkThere were jams on a number of motorways in England including the M1, M5, M6, M25 and M56 on Friday afternoon.
• New homes that respond to environmental challenges with nature reserves, underground recycling and cycle networks Our Eco-living Award champions new homes that respond to today’s environmental challenges – projects like Woodberry Down, in 13 acres of parkland and wetlands that form a haven for birds and insects.

Northern Echo

• Askew Road bus lane will remain - as changes to Gateshead stayA NORTH EAST town which saw a raft of changes made to its road layouts - including the addition of a bus lane - will see them stay.

The York Press

• Train and bus replacements: Northern on August bank holidayNORTHERN has urged customers travelling during the August bank holiday weekend to

Cambridge News

• Buses every ten minutes and cheaper fares could transform transport in Greater Cambridge regionThe Greater Cambridge Partnership has released its proposals for a future bus network in the region

Get Surrey

• Gatwick and Heathrow: Updated green, amber and red travel lists coming into force August 30Additions have been made to the green and red lists but no countries have turned amber

Reading Evening Post

• No M4 closure for Bank Holiday weekend - with smart motorway work to resume next weekClosures will resume from the coming weekend as work on the smart motorway project continues

Other Regional Press

• More buses to Witney and BanburyBUS operator Stagecoach has announced increased morning and evening bus services.
• Should Uber be allowed a pilot scheme in Oxford? Readers have their sayOxford Mail readers have joined the debate about Uber’s new pilot scheme with taxi company 001 Oxford.
• Barnsley council buys land to build new Penistone station park and rideIt could be the solution to parking problems for commuters at the railway station
• The beautiful but dangerous Yorkshire road forced to close 70 days a yearSnake Pass, linking Sheffield and Manchester, is a hotspot for accidents

Railnews

• RMT threatens national industrial action over service cuts The RMT says it is adopting a 'war-footing' in its 'campaign against a cynical and opportunist wave of post-Covid cuts to jobs and services on Britain's railways'. The union is predicting that service reductions planned by ScotRail and South Western Railway 'are set to be mirrored across the network'. RMT general secretary said: 'It is crystal clear that the planned cutbacks on both ScotRail and South Western Railway are just the tip of the iceberg.'

Other News Sources

• Bangladesh Ferry Accident Kills at Least 19, Many MissingAt least 19 people were killed and dozens were missing after a boat packed with passengers slammed into a vessel transporting sand on Friday in the latest waterways tragedy to hit Bangladesh.
• British Airways to launch subsidiary for short-haul flights at GatwickBRITISH Airways is planning to launch a low-cost subsidiary to operate short-haul flights to and from Gatwick Airport.
• Gatwick and Heathrow: Entry rules for Switzerland, the Azores, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Liechtenstein and CanadaTravel guidance including testing requirements, forms needed for travel and quarantine periods
• Gatwick and Heathrow: Is Canada letting UK citizens in and what are entry requirements?Canada has been added to the green list, but it has its own entry rules for visiting