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

Saturday, 23 October 2021

BBC News

• Scotrail strikes set to go ahead during COP26 summitThe RMT union rejects the latest offer from ScotRail in a dispute over pay and conditions.
• COP26: Disruption forecast in Glasgow as busy roads begin to closeKey routes near the SEC will close over the weekend and some commuters are expecting
• Contrails: How tweaking flight plans can help the climateWhy experts say cutting contrails costs less than $1bn a year but may be worth so much more.
• Taxi-hailing firm reveals 4,158 reports of sexual assaultSafety data from US company Lyft says the incidents were reported between 2017 and 2019.
• Budget 2021: English city regions to get £6.9bn for public transportThe chancellor will announce increased funding for tram, train and bus services in England.

Financial Times

• Ryanair sued by online travel agent On The BeachThe two companies have been in a long-running legal battle over bookings
• England's big city regions to receive £7bn Budget injection for transportSunak focuses on levelling-up manifesto promises but pulls back from ambitions for scientific research

The Guardian

• Lyft admits it recorded 4,000 sexual assault claims in long-awaited reportCompany reveals figures, promised in 2019, as ride-hailing companies face growing safety scrutinyThe ride-hailing app Lyft received more than 4,000 reports of sexual assaults during rides from 2017 to 2019, the company revealed in a new report, including 1,800 reports in 2019 alone.Lyft revealed the numbers on Thursday, after having pledged in 2019 to do so. In its report, the company said the number of sexual assault reports collected through its app had risen from 1,096 in 2017 to 1,255 in 2018 and 1,807 in 2019.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is av...
• Cost of flights to rise as Rishi Sunak prepares to raise air passenger dutyExclusive: chancellor to boost green credentials by hitting environmentally damaging long-haul flightsTravellers to destinations including Australia, South Africa and Japan can expect to pay more to fly, as Rishi Sunak prepares to overhaul air passenger duty in next week's budget to reflect the environmental damage wrought by long-haul flights.The chancellor is keen to burnish his green credentials after a week in which he was accused of failing to back Boris Johnson's net-zero pledges with sufficient resources. Continue reading...
• English cities to receive transport boost of almost £7bn in budgetFunding will be used to help 'level up' regions including Greater Manchester and West MidlandsAlmost £7bn will be allocated in next week's budget to 'level up' urban transport in cities around England, the government has said.City regions will receive a total of about £5.7bn in sustainable transport cash, while another £1.2bn will go towards improving bus services. Continue reading...
• UK drivers told to shop around as petrol prices head to new highsSupermarket fuel can be up to 5p a litre cheaper for petrol and up to 6p lower for diesel, says AAMotorists are being advised to shop around for fuel before filling up this weekend as the soaring cost of car ownership heaps fresh pain on squeezed household finances.With experts predicting that fuel price records set nearly a decade ago will be eclipsed in the coming days, the AA said supermarket forecourts could offer big savings. Continue reading...

The Herald

• COP26 road closures today: Clyde Expressway and M8 junction closedDrivers in Glasgow will today face major road closures as busy routes shut down ahead of COP26.
• COP26: Glasgow face-to-face doctors' appointments reducedHUNDREDS of patients in Glasgow are having face-to-face hospital appointments cancelled or rescheduled in a bid to reduce road traffic during COP26.

The Independent

• Lyft report: Sexual assaults rose sharply in recent yearsRide-hailing company Lyft says more than 1,800 sexual assaults were reported by riders in 2019, and the number of incidents has been rising sharply in recent years
• Extra £1.5bn for train and tram upgrades but Sunak under fire for broken transport promisesTransport boost in big cities - but long-promised Northern Powerhouse Rail plan delayed in cost-cutting row

Times Online

• Trailers on trains offer quick fix for haulage backlog [Subscription]New technology to transfer long-distance lorries from motorways to railways is set to revolutionise the movement of freight and free up congested road networks.

Daily Record

• Rail strikes during COP26 to go ahead as planned, union confirmsScotRail workers will strike from November 1 to 12 amid a dispute over pay and conditions.

Mail Online

• Transport revolution will 'level up' cities outside London as £7billion is set asideCommuters in cities outside of London will have their journey times slashed in a £7billion transport overhaul that is to be announced in next week's Budget, promised by Rishi Sunak.
• ScotRail workers confirm they WILL strike during COP26 with binmen also threatening to walk outThere are fears the city will be paralysed by transport chaos and could turn into a 'huge rubbish dump' when it welcomes leaders from around the world during the first two weeks of November.
• Passengers rage at 'shocking' queues at Heathrow border in YET MORE delays at Britain's hub airportBritain's busiest airport said they delays are being caused by health checks despite the same measures being in place for months.

The Mirror

• Transport upgrades for 8 regions to be announced in Budget - full list of projectsChancellor Rishi Sunak will use his autumn Budget and spending review to trump £6.9bn of regional transport and bus funding - though only £1.5bn of it is actually new money

Sky News

• Petrol prices nearing record high, AA analysis findsPetrol prices are nearing a record high, the AA has said.

Birmingham Mail

• Rishi Sunak announces £1bn upgrade for West Midlands transport including metro and buses Funding will help fund Black Country Metro extension and Sprint bus lanes in Birmingham and Solihull
• DVLA makes subtle change to driving abroad that motorists should knowDrivers with a GB sticker will need to replace it

Birmingham Post

• New rail freight service launches out of Port of Immingham taking 80 HGVs off the road a dayHumber Express' arrival comes at the perfect time to help ease current logistics woes and meet Christmas demand
• Welsh Government accused of neglecting North Wales in Metro spending commitmentsConservatives hit out as North Wales Metro gets £50m of £1bn Welsh pot but Government says more is coming
• Why the Humber Express is greeted like its Polar namesake as Christmas comes calling and containers aboundNew service 'should play a big part in aiding the truck driver shortage and making sure we all have presents under the tree for Christmas'

Bolton News

• DVLA issue urgent warning over new driving licence deadlineIt comes amid a backlog of applications with renewals sent in August still being worked on.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Mass transit in Bradford a step closer after West Yorkshire awarded £830 MILLIONPLANS to develop a mass transit system linking West Yorkshire's cities and towns begin after the Government announced the region will get £830 MILLION to spend on transport.

London Evening Standard

• 'It's a matter of life and death:' Sadiq Khan refuses to delay Ulez expansionSadiq Khan has refused to delay the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone by insisting the need to clean up London's toxic air is a 'matter of life and death'�.
• 'Ongoing battle' to get people to wear masks on London Tube, says Andy ByfordEnsuring passengers wear a face mask on the Tube is a 'tough gig' and an 'ongoing battle'�, London's transport commissioner has admitted.
• ULEZ: Majority of motorists living in and around London unaware of expansion on Monday, study saysLondon's Ultra Low Emission Zone is being expanded from October 25
• Billions to be handed to metro mayors to deliver transport overhaulThe investment will be confirmed at the Budget and spending review next week.

Manchester Evening News

• Greater Manchester to get £1 billion transport boost in government 'levelling-up' packageThe Chancellor will make an announcement on the funding in next week's Budget

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Chancellor set to invest almost £7 billion to improve transport outside LondonJamie Driscoll, North of Tyne Mayor, said he has been "assured" the region's allocation has been put to one side

Northern Echo

• £804m plans to upgrade North East bus network and servicesAN £804m bid to radically upgrade the North East’s bus services has been unveiled.
• Government Spending Review: £310m for Tees Valley transport£7billion is being given by the Treasury to areas with metro mayors to give them the power - and responsibility - to improve key links

Cambridge News

• Buses to replace trains between Ely and Peterborough this weekend as engineering takes placeIt will affect a number of routes, including Birmingham to Cambridge

Get Surrey

• M25 Insulate Britain protests set to resume in Surrey next week, police saySurrey Police has spent an estimated 4,000 policing hours on the protests so far

North Wales Live

• Historic £700m boost to expand Merseyrail networkChancellor to announce massive transport funding injection for city region

Other Regional Press

• 20mph speed limit in over 30 Watford roads from NovemberNew 20mph speed limits will be introduced in more than 30 streets in Watford from next month while a slip road leading to a motorway junction is set to be temporarily closed for roadworks.
• M4 road closures and diversions this weekendSeveral motorway closures will affect drivers this weekend, according to National Highways England. These are the closures and diversions from Friday October 22 to Monday October 25.
• Plans for Headington Low Traffic Neighbourhood put on holdPLANS for a new Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme have been put on hold.Oxfordshire County Council was initially expected to launch its consultation for a new LTN in Headington and the Quarry area in either November or December this year.
• Southampton Airport named as UK's best in sustainabilitySOUTHAMPTON Airport has been named as the best in the UK for its efforts towards being green.
• OCC's new transport plan aims to reduce the need to travel and discourages unnecessary individual vehicle journeysA transport plan for Oxfordshire has set out a vision to deliver a zero-carbon transport network by 2040, tackle inequality, protect the environment and improve the health and wellbeing of residents.
• People-powered bus service finally opens new depot in WitneyA lifeline community bus service run by volunteers has finally opened its new home.
• The Tees Valley to be transformed by £310m investment, Government announcesThe cash will help to finance revolutionary projects across all modes of travel, including rail, road, bus and cycling in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool
• Highest petrol prices this centuryAs petrol prices soar to new heights it could pay to shop around, with the cost of fuel varying by as much as 13p from garage to garage.
• New regulations to limit number of taxis in Weymouth and PortlandHACKNEY Carriage licences in Weymouth and Portland are likely to be limited to 80 vehicles over the next three years.
• Major upgrade work on land surrounding Weymouth Train Station to start next monthWORK on the £1million revamp of Weymouth rail station will begin in November, it has been announced - forcing the move of the town's Covid testing site to allow it to proceed.
• UK drivers face £10,000 fines for simple mistake this winterOf the 10% of MOT fails due to tyres, worn down treads is the number one reported issue.
• Petrol prices closing in on record high, analysis showsIncreases in the wholesale cost of diesel are being ‘loaded onto petrol’, the AA said.

Aviation Industry

• Net Zero strategy: Boris's 'guilt-free' zero-emissions planes have no basis in realityOn aviation, the strategy lists as one of the Government's key policies Aim to become a world-leader in zero emission flight and kick-starting the commercialisation of the UK sustainable aviation … The post Net Zero strategy: Boris's 'guilt-free' zero-emissions planes have no basis in reality appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.

Other News Sources

• Electric buses in plan for boosting Herefordshire servicesA MASTERPLAN for revitalising bus services in Herefordshire has been revealed, including by introducing electric vehicles and a simplified ticketing system.
• Travel chaos at Brighton Mainline set to close for nine-daysRail upgrades are set to cause travel chaos for commuters early next year.

EIN News Subscription

• British Airways Extends Successful Trial of Digital Heath Pass Verifly … Africa, Cayman Islands, Egypt and European destinations including Bulgaria, France, … passenger locator form, making document submission simple. Anthony Allcock, British Airways Chief Information … multi sector journeys. All data uploaded to VeriFLY or through …