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

Monday, 27 September 2021

BBC News

• No fuel shortage, says transport secretaryThere is "no shortage of fuel" and people should be "sensible" and fill up only when they need to, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said.
• Easyjet passengers kept on Belfast plane for two hours in security operationPassengers say they were not allowed to disembark in Belfast for two hours but were not told why.
• Fuel supply: UK suspends competition law to get petrol to forecourtsIt comes as the Petrol Retailers Association warns that up to two-thirds of its members are out of fuel.

Financial Times

• Evergrande electric car division cancels Shanghai listing Hong Kong shares of Chinese property group unit fall by a quarter as liquidity crisis broadens
• Governments must relieve supply chain turmoil, says shipping bossIntervention needed to avoid ‘out-of-control situation’, warns Mitsui OSK Lines president
• Johnson prepares to call in army as panic buying drains UK petrol pumps Competition rules eased with half of garages outside motorway network estimated to have no fuel

The Guardian

• Grant Shapps hits out at ‘manufactured’ crisis as drivers panic-buy fuelUK transport secretary tells motorists to ‘be sensible’ and blames road haulage association for leakToday’s politics news – live coverageDrivers refuelling their vehicles unnecessarily are causing shortages and queues outside forecourts across the country, the UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has said, as he hit out at what he called a “manufactured” crisis.Ministers are scrambling to avert further panic-buying, after a lack of about 100,000 delivery drivers led to some BP petrol stations having to close and to pump shortages at Esso. Emergency measures to allow 5,000 foreign truck drive...
• Do not squander cycling gains made during pandemic, Labour saysGovernment urged to invest in active travel as motor traffic returns to pre-Covid levels
• Stagecoach takeover could mark end of a profitable era for bus and train tycoonsThe fortunes of Brian Souter’s firm seem to have closely followed those of privatised public transport in the UK

The Telegraph

• No 10 clashes with London Mayor over shut cycle lanes [subscription]The Prime Minister's transport adviser has vetoed TfL plans to distribute £100m for policies that encourage "active travel"
• Shapps’ plan to let truckers work longer hours fall flat [subscription]HGV industry says policy has failed after just one in 1,700 drivers used the scheme last month
• Plans for the Army to help ease mounting fuel crisis [subscription]Prime Minister will be asked to decide on Monday whether soldiers will be drafted in to drive petrol tankers

Times Online

• Handbrake turn over lorry drivers splits Brexit backers [subscription]A chronic HGV driver shortage has forced Boris Johnson to extend EU visas after months of claiming higher wages for Britons would fill the gap. Some Leavers insist it’s proof Brexit is working after all
• Ministers scrap plans to force airlines to refund passengers [subscription]Ministers have quietly scrapped plans to hand the airlines watchdog new powers to tackle carriers that refuse to issue refunds, The Times can reveal.

City AM

• Taking off: City Airport chief on the return of business travel and the future of the Square MileIt’s been a quiet 18 months at London City airport, the Docklands-located airfield beloved of City slickers jetting into Canary The post Taking off: City Airport chief on the return of business travel and the future of the Square Mile appeared first on CityAM.
• Boris Johnson mulls calling in army to deliver fuel as pumps run dry after weekend of panic buyingPrime Minister Boris Johnson is said to be weighing the option to let soldiers drive fuel trucks as pumps ran The post Boris Johnson mulls calling in army to deliver fuel as pumps run dry after weekend of panic buying appeared first on CityAM.

Mail Online

• Smart motorways' horrors exposed: Undercover probe finds one in 10 vital safety cameras is not working... and the failings are so bad that staff are caught on tape saying 'start praying to your God'Smart motorways are plagued with shocking technical failures that put lives at risk, it can be revealed today.
• Boris calls in the Army: Hundreds of soldiers could be scrambled to drive fuel trucksMinisters will consider drafting in troops to deliver petrol and diesel later this week if panic-buying persists, sources said.

The Mirror

• Labour's Jim McMahon warns Tory transport failures could 'ruin Christmas'Shadow Transport Secretary Jim McMahon said the Government cares more about 'launching a new Royal Yacht' than keeping hardworking families afloat

Sky News

• Government considers calling up army - as competition laws suspended to tackle fuel crisisThe UK is temporarily suspending competition laws to allow the fuel industry to target petrol stations most in need of fresh supplies - as the government considers using the army to help with deliveries.
• Supply crisis: Transport secretary describes fuel crisis as 'manufactured'Over the last couple of days, cars have been seen queueing up outside petrol stations and some have even been forced to close after running out of fuel.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Volvo giant submits plans to upgrade £3m head officeOne of the region's biggest commercial vehicle distributors has lodged plans for a new head office in the Black Country.

Yorkshire Post

• Bus revolution can transform Leeds public transport – Yorkshire Post LettersIN August, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that has been described as a “code red for humanity”.

Other Regional Press

• Teesside Airport poised to reopen on Monday after runway crashAn investigation is being carried out at the scene following the incident, which resulted in three people being taken to hospital
• Pictures show work on Avanti West Coast Pendolino trainAVANTI West Coast has revealed pictures showing the transformation of the first of its ’iconic’ Pendolino trains, which is underway in Widnes.
• Controversial Slough bus lane sees more than 1,000 drivers hit with finesDrivers could have to pay £60 if they drive through the designated bus route on the A4
• Stagecoach responds to concerns over bus cancellations in BarrowCancellations in some services have occurred due to issues including the pandemic, a leading bus company has said.
• Campaigners praise plans for Southampton's public transportCAMPAIGNERS have hailed plans to overhaul transport services in Southampton but said that an improved bus network could lead to the “fastest results”.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government announces package to tackle HGV driver shortageUp to 4,000 people will soon be able to take advantage of training courses to become HGV drivers, as part of a package of measures announced by the government to ease temporary supply chain pressures in food haulage industries.    The Department for Education is investing up to £10 million to create new skills bootcamps to train up to 3,000 more people to become HGV drivers.    The free, short, intensive courses will train drivers to be road ready and gain a category C or category C&E licence, helping to tackle the current HGV driver shortage.    An addi...

New Civil Engineer

• Timeline: How plans for an Irish Sea link escalated before finally being sunkPrime minister Boris Johnson has effectively sounded the death knell for a fixed link between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, ending years of speculation about the ambitious project.
• DfT has spent £17bn on Covid measures since start of pandemicThe Department for Transport (DfT) has spent £11.5bn on Covid-19 related measures to support the rail industry since the start of the pandemic, figures from the National Audit Office reveal.

Railnews

• TSSA in talks over merger with American union MONDAY BRIEFING: TSSA in talks over merger with American union ++

road.cc

• Transport boss tells drivers: “If you’re in a car you’re part of the problem”Oxfordshire county councillor says motorists need to take ownership of congestion – and encourages them to use the bus instead

Other News Sources

• Crossrail | TfL to adjust Elizabeth line revenue prediction for post-pandemic worldTransport for London (TfL) is recalculating its Elizabeth line revenue predictions to factor in the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel and working patterns.
• Fears raised that National Highways will embark on winter infilling spreeEngineers and transport planners fear that National Highways could embark on an "infilling spree" this winter to make up for lost time on its heritage railway programme.
• Diesel trains from Ipswich to get fuel delivered by roadResidents of a busy road near Ipswich station have been told that plans to bring in diesel by road to a new rail depot will have only a minimal effect on traffic.
• Transport for Wales outline dates for additional train services as Covid causes delaysTransport for Wales (TfW) has confirmed dates for additional train services it wants to introduce to its timetable across the Wales and Borders route over the next three years.
• People urged to have say on city traffic blueprintMore than 100 people have had their say over a blueprint for the future of transport in and around Norwich.