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

Friday, 18 March 2022

BBC News

• Travel firms confident they can bounce back in 2022Despite the threat of higher airline ticket prices, the industry is still upbeat as bookings are rising.
• P&O Ferries: 'We've been abandoned by the company', say sacked staffThe decision to immediately sack 800 staff at P&O Ferries sparks angry protests on ship and shore.
• Skye's Uig ferry port to be closed for six monthsThe work to Skye's Uig pier is to be done to replace old parts and to improve the structure.
• P&O Ferries: No ships at Larne Port for weekThe move to sack 800 workers will affect NI trade, says one minister, while an MP says it's
• Manchester Airport sorry as huge queues lead to missed flightsManchester Airport blames unexpectedly high passenger numbers as hundreds face delays.
• Govia Rail fined £23m over undeclared taxpayer fundingThe former operator of the Southeastern rail franchise, Govia, has been fined £23.5m over financial irregularities.

Department for Transport

• UK and Turkey agree clean transport deal worth £1.7 billion in boost to British rail industryThe UK government’s biggest ever sustainable, civil infrastructure deal will help finance a new high speed electric railway line in Turkey.

Financial Times

• How P&O's ruthless decision brought chaos to Britain's portsUnions hit out at ‘shameful’ move to replace UK crew with cheaper agency staff
• P&O Ferries sacks 800 sailors and halts crossings for daysUnions hit out over lack of consultation as company warns it is not ‘a viable business’

The Guardian

• Scandalous betrayal: MPs condemn P&O Ferries for mass sacking of 800 staffMinisters and unions call for action against transport company's Dubai owners

The Independent

• Rail firm fined £23.5m for ’breach of public trust’Southeastern train services between London and Kent are now state-run

Times Online

• DVLA staff off work on full pay amid application backlog crisis [subscription]undreds of civil servants at the DVLA have done no work on full pay for significant periods of the pandemic as managers boast of watching Netflix at the public’s expense, a Times investigation can reveal.
• National Express renews appeal to investors on Stagecoach deal [subscription]National Express has launched a fresh appeal urging investors to back its takeover bid for Stagecoach, after the target recommended a rival offer.
• Go-Ahead fined £23m for errors on franchise [subscription]Go-Ahead Group has received a lower than expected fine from the government over the mishandling of its former London and South Eastern Railway franchise.

The Mirror

• Huge queues at ports and demos to be held across UK after P&O sacks hundreds of workersDover and Hull are among the ports that have descended into chaos with huge queues having built up with confused passengers and protesters after 800 P&O staff were ruthlessly sacked

Sky News

• Remaining COVID restrictions for travel to UK scrapped despite rising coronavirus casesAll remaining COVID travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for unvaccinated arrivals, have now ended in the UK.
• P&O Ferries staff urged by union to protest against 'vicious' move to sack 800 workers without noticeA transport union has called on P&O Ferries staff to protest against the company's decision to sack 800 staff members in an "appalling" move to replace them with cheaper agency staff.

Belfast Telegraph

• Chancellor must cut duty on fuel and ease burden of cost of living crisis, says Alliance MLA Stewart DicksonChancellor Rishi Sunak was urged to ease the pressure on public pockets as the cost of living crisis deepens and petrol prices continue to rise.

Birmingham Post

• Airbus strike threat returns after workers reject new pay dealAirbus said they were 'extremely disappointed' after Unite members voted against the new offer

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bid to delay Clean Air Zone is defeated after heated debate in Council chamberCONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce a Clean Air Zone in Bradford have once again led to fierce debate between Councillors.

Bristol Live

• Tory MPs slam First Bus cuts which have sparked 'outrage'WECA mayor Dan Norris says he did step in and save local services like the 178 to Radstock, Y5 to Chipping Sodbury, and 5 to Downend - and blames the cuts on the "Government's approach to bus funding"
• Free electric vehicle trials for Bristol firms ahead of Clean Air Zone launchThe multi-million pound scheme is part of efforts to reduce emissions and improve air quality
• Bristol underground 'not the be all and end all' council agreeThe Greens demanded transport chiefs consider alternatives - and Labour said that's already happened

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus Broughton workers reject new pay dealUnite members voted against the new offer with Airbus saying they were 'extremely disappointed'

Derby Telegraph

• Derby's bid to be home of national rail headquarters backed by 22 regional MPsDerby is home of the largest network of rail companies in the world, according to Derby South MP Dame Margaret Becket. And that is why she is among 22 cross-party East Midlands MPs backing Derby's bid to be the home of the new Great British Rail (GBR) headquarters.

The York Press

• 'What are we doing to tackle the e-scooter menace?'I live on busy Gillygate, where my front door opens on to a very narrow pavement. One morning I opened my door to be confronted by a man on an E scooter who literally just missed me as he sped past on the pavement.

Bucks Free Press

• 'Boris bike' scheme set to launch at Marlow's Globe Business Park to cut trafficA ‘Boris bike’ scheme is finally set to be launched in Marlow in a couple of months amid ongoing plans to reduce congestion at Globe Business Park.

Other Regional Press

• Wellingborough could become home for new Great British Railways HQStation Island at the Stanton Cross development could provide the new public body with a new home
• Sacked P&O staff barricade themselves inside Yorkshire ferrySeveral trade unions have advised P&O staff to remain onboard the ship following this morning's redundancy announcements that have left over 800 without jobs

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 | Bids in for £370M Birmingham Interchange station ahead of summer decisionHS2 Ltd has received the tenders from the three shortlisted parties for the construction of the new Birmingham Interchange station on Phase One of HS2.
• Judge throws out case against DfT’s road and rail planning policyA legal challenge mounted against the government's road and rail policy guidance has been thrown out by a High Court judge.

Rail Advent

• DB Cargo UK successfully trials a ’jumbo’ freight trainDB Cargo UK has carried out a trial of running a ’jumbo’ freight train with a mix of wagons for two different types of customers, in order to increase capacity, improve customer service, and improve its efficiency.

Railnews

• Southeastern fined £23.5m for multi-million pound shortfalls The Department for Transport has issued a penalty notice and fined the former operator of Southeastern £23.5 million for breaches in its contract. These led to a multi-million pound shortfall, and it has now been revealed that this had been accumulating since 2006. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: 'I took decisive action and did not renew the contract with Southeastern following this appalling breach of trust. Our rapid and firm action protected taxpayers and passengers � ensuring much-needed services continued to run.' He continued that Southeastern's behaviour had been 'simply unaccep...

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Go-Ahead Group expands into Sweden through Flexbuss dealThe Go-Ahead Group is set to begin running bus services in southern Sweden after it struck a deal to take ownership of family operator Flexbuss.
• NatEx: DWS offer ’materially undervalues’ StagecoachNational Express has criticised the rival offer for Stagecoach from DWS Infrastructure as one that “materially undervalues” the Perth-based business.
• Wrightbus Chief Executive Buta Atwal has joined CEOs from other UK businesses in signing a diversity pledge.Mr Atwal joins CEOs such as Steve Rowe of Marks and Spencer, Steve Murrells of the Co-operative Group, and Alan Jope of Unilever on the CEO Activists and Moving the Dial on Diversity Pledge, which plans to drive action to engage and support underrepresented groups within business.
• Passenger enables third parties to host operator ticket linksPassenger is giving operators more visibility and reducing ticket purchase times for travellers with a new tool that allows third party apps and websites to host ticket purchase links outside of operator’s own platforms.
• Bus Users UK launch ’accessibility audit’ for coach and bus operatorsBus Users UK, a registered charity that campaigns for inclusive and accessible transport, is launching an ’accessibility audit’ for coach and bus operators.
• ’Strong’ interest in operating regulated Manchester bus networkInterest levels among prospective operators of the forthcoming regulated bus network in Greater Manchester have already been “extremely strong,” the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has said. 

The Business Desk

• Doncaster launches bid for Great British Railways HQDoncaster has formally launched its bid to host the HQ of Great British Railways (GBR), the new body that will run the country’s rail network.

Other News Sources

• Edinburgh leaders left waiting for tram fiasco inquiry [subscription]The cost and delay in the publication of a report into Edinburgh’s tram fiasco have been condemned as “totally unacceptable” by civic leaders in the city.
• Local MP says HS2 Ltd making people’s lives a miseryAylesbury MP Rob Butler has strongly criticised HS2 Ltd’s contractors for their broken promises to local residents and businesses.
• Ambitious bid to bring the Great British Railway HQ to Newton-le-WillowsA BID is being launched to bring the home of the Great British Railway HQ to Newton-le-Willows.
• Bid submitted for Carlisle to be new Great British Railways HQCarlisle’s bid to become the new headquarters of Great British Railways is steaming ahead.
• Crewe enters the fight for rail HQCheshire East Council and its partners have formally submitted their expression of interest in housing the headquarters of Great British Railways.
• Morecambe and Lancaster MPs join forces in Parliament to back Carnforth railway HQ bidThe Morecambe and Lancaster MPs have joined forces in Parliament to push for Carnforth to be chosen as the HQ for the new British railway service.
• Newcastle launches bid to become Great British Railways HQNewcastle City Council is bidding to bring the new Great British Railways Headquarters to the region.
• Full steam ahead for York’s Great British Railways bidCity leaders have submitted York’s bid to be the home of the headquarters of Great British Railways.
• Great Western Railway train delays after landslip between Guildford and Redhill blocks all linesDisruption to services is expected to last for a few hours
• Hundreds of 'ghost' flights took off from Gatwick during pandemicMORE than 1,000 ghost flights took off from Gatwick Airport during the pandemic.