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

Thursday, 30 September 2021

BBC News

• Masks on public transport: Patchwork policies lead to confusionLondon is slowly opening back up after months of changing rules on lockdowns and social distancing. But the patchwork policy on wearing face coverings on different public transport services into and across London is leaving passengers annoyed and confused.
• Don't say 'panic' amid fuel crisis, Cabinet Office warns councilsDocuments seen by the BBC reveal the government's messaging advice over petrol supply problems.
• United Airlines to fire staff who refuse vaccineThe vast majority of its 67,000 US employees comply with the airline's Covid-19 vaccine policy.
• Petrol supply: Reserve fuel tankers on the road to help boost deliveriesThe business secretary denies there is a crisis in supplies and says the situation is

Financial Times

• City of London bosses call for short-term business visasWarning of spiralling costs and threat to UK competitiveness from demands of travel rules on overseas staff
• Global supply chains at risk of collapse, warn business leadersGovernments urged to restore freedom of movement to transport workers to alleviate their mistreatment

The Guardian

• Transport bosses call on governments across world to ease Covid restrictionsAirline, shipping and trucking groups issue joint call for action in bid to avoid Christmas supply chain crisis
• Computer chip shortage stalls UK car industry productionA continuing global shortage of semiconductors further dents the sector’s post-pandemic recoveryBritish car industry output declined for the second month in a row in August as the months-long shortage of computer chips hampered the sector’s recovery effort.The number of cars built in UK factories fell by 27% year-on-year to 37,200 in August, according to lobby group the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). That was down from 51,000 in the same month in 2020, when carmakers were racing to make up for time lost to lockdowns. Continue reading...
• Searches for homes near train stations jump as UK returns to the officeRightmove sees a rise in house hunters seeking homes with good transport links to major cities The move back to the office following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions has prompted a surge in searches for homes for sale close to commuter stations, according to property website Rightmove.The property portal said there had been a big increase in searches for train stations an hour away from major cities over the summer, as people started to look for locations which allowed easy travel to work. Continue reading...

The Independent

• United Airlines to axe hundreds of unvaccinated staffAround 600 employees who refused Covid vaccine will get the chop

Times Online

• Britain isn’t an attractive destination for HGV drivers from the EU [subscription]Just like any other workers, truckers want money — but also dignity and respect. I was 25 when I came to Scotland. I came first in 2005, and then in 2006 I stayed.
• Southeastern rail faces break-up as TfL bids for London lines [subscription]The renationalised Southeastern train company could be carved up, with Transport for London demanding that lines serving inner urban areas become part of the capital’s centrally controlled rail network.

City AM

• Talent war and transport costs hit shop pricesA toxic combination of rising transport costs, severe worker shortages and soaring commodity prices is fuelling food price inflation.

Birmingham Post

• £30m investment by West Yorkshire bus and coach supplier in electric vehiclesAlmost half the Pelican order is heading to Glasgow ahead of COP26
• Haulier gives HGVs colourful makeover to help attract more visitors to Stoke-on-TrentDanny W Poole and Sons has paid for new livery on two of its trucks as part of the Re-discover Stoke-on-Trent campaign
• Poole cruise operator adds new boat to fleet, creating jobsCity Cruises Poole reported a big increase in revenue following the easing of lockdown restrictions

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• LNER releases Azuma toy train in partnership with the National Railway MuseumLONDON North Eastern Railway (LNER) has launched a new toy train in collaboration with the National Railway Museum (NRM).

Bristol Live

• Bristol Airport trials electric airside bus as part of net zero ambitionThe airport is attempting to reduce its emissions

Carlisle News & Star

• Staff from HS2 promote the railway network in Carlisle City CentreStaff set up in Carlisle City Centre to promote a widescale railway development.

Other Regional Press

• Teesside Airport board 'played no part' in ripping up deal with EskenA COUNCILLOR says the board at Teesside International Airport played no part in the decision to rip up the contract of previous operator Esken or the handing over of the company’s 25 per cent shareholding to a newly set-up charitable foundation.
• Southeastern slammed after flash new City Beam trains revealed to have no toilets30 of the new trains are expected to be in service by Spring next year in place of some older trains
• Stagecoach criticises 'fantasy pay demands' as proposed salary rise for bus staff rejected by UnionUnion threatens to cause disruption to vital community bus links as RMT rejects proposed pay rise
• Could problems at the pumps speed-up our switch to electric cars?Problems at the petrol pumps, and a rise in fuel costs, is encouraging people to consider new technology say those leasing and hiring plug-in cars.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Camden joins London’s rental e-scooter trialTfL, Camden Council and London Councils have announced an expansion of the capital's trial of rental e-scooters, with e-scooters now available to rent in Camden.   Camden becomes the tenth borough to join the trial alongside Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond, Tower Hamlets (including Canary Wharf), City of London, Lambeth, Southwark and Westminster.   There have been 165,000 trips made on the rental e-scooters since the trial launched, with the average rental lasting 22 minutes over an average distance of 2.8km.    As Camden joins the tria...

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail advertises £200M Old Oak Common deal but warns it may never happenNetwork Rail has put contractors on notice for a £200M project at Old Oak Common station – but admitted it may not ever happen.
• Transport secretary unable to name infrastructure project that supports ‘levelling up’Transport secretary Grant Shapps failed to cite an example of an infrastructure intervention that has helped “level up” the UK, when asked to do so by a cross-party group of MPs.

Railnews

• RMT calls new strike ballot on ScotRail THURSDAY BRIEFING: RMT calls new strike ballot on ScotRail ++

Other News Sources

• Network Rail’s Project ReachNetwork Rail’s Project Reach – a live process which promises bidders the opportunity to upgrade UK fibre along the rail network in exchange for the right to monetise additional capacity – has raised questions among industry watchers as to whether the enterprise is out of touch
• Tesco lets UK-Spain train take the strain to counter trucker crisisLONDON (Reuters) - Britain's biggest retailer Tesco plans to expand its use of a train service to bring goods from Spain into the country which helped it cut emissions and protect deliveries through a truck drivers' shortage, its CEO told Reuters.
• Virgin Galactic is clear to fly again following FAA's 'mishap investigation' of Branson flightThe Federal Aviation Administration has closed its "mishap investigation" into the July 11 flight of Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson and three others, the space tourism company's first dedicated passenger trip. Future flights will reserve a greater volume of airspace and the company promises better communication, but other than that the company is clear to fly again.

News from Europe

• Steering Towards Zero Emission Waterborne Transport in EuropeThe SEA Europe Research and Development Affairs Director, Mr. J. Gebraad, analyses how, with the increased demand for waterborne transport, the need to meet decarbonisation targets and ultimately mitigate climate change is more important than ever