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

Wednesday, 02 November 2022

BBC News

• Trial of Isle of Man bus fare £2 cap comes into forceA £2 cap on bus fares on the Isle of Man has come into force for a three-month trial period.
• Damaged Slough Bus Station inspected after arson attackThe severely damaged structure of a bus station is being inspected following a suspected arson attack.
• How pop band A-ha inspired Norway's electric car revolutionThe band imported one of Norway's first EVs and launched a campaign of civil disobedience.

Department for Transport

• Wrightbus secures £26 million government-backed support in global pursuit of green transportUK Export Finance-backed funding will open up the world’s first hydrogen-powered, zero carbon double deck bus, to new markets worldwide

Financial Times

• Uber passenger numbers surpass pre-pandemic levelsCompany warns rising dollar will hit gross bookings by $1.8bn in fourth quarter

The Telegraph

• Transport chiefs insist HS2 will go ahead after Michael Gove hints at review. [subscription]Officials say high-speed rail line will not be scrapped as part of race to cut spending

Times Online

• SNP urged to fix ’death roads’. [subscription]. The SNP government has been told that the death toll on Scotland’s roads will keep rising unless it stops “pandering” to the Scottish Greens and finally delivers essential upgrades to the country’s most dangerous trunk routes.
• Alf Young: Nicola Sturgeon faces boatload of questions on ferries fiasco. [subscription])ur first minister appears before Holyrood’s public audit committee on Friday morning. Its five MSPs have been considering the damning report in March by Stephen Boyle, Scotland’s independent auditor-general, who found that the delivery of two ferries had been “fraught with problems and delays for over six years”, with escalating costs by then two and a half times the original project budget.
• Shipyard forgot to order safety sensors for ferry, Swinney admits. [subscription]A vital piece of safety equipment for a ferry being built at the nationalised Ferguson shipyard had not been ordered, the deputy first minister said.

Transport Committee

• Chair nominations open for Transport CommitteeNominations are now open for the position of Chair of the Transport Committee following the appointment of Huw Merriman MP as Minister of State at the Department for Transport.

City AM

• Bentley’s profits more than double to £495.5m despite global headwinds Bentley’s profits have more than doubled to €575m (£495.5m) despite ongoing industry and economic headwinds.  In the nine months ended 30 September, the luxury car maker’s earnings soared by 109 per cent, while return on sales surged to 23.1 per cent – the highest in the UK marque’s 103-year history.  Revenue went up 28 per [...] The post Bentley’s profits more than double to £495.5m despite global headwinds appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Express

• SpaceX launches most powerful rocket in ‘incredible sight’ for the first time in yearsThe Falcon Heavy thought to be the most powerful rocket in the world, launched for the fourth time yesterday on a landmark mission to lift classified satellites into orbit.

Bristol Live

• Bristol’s new underground rail network will see an extra £15m spent on the plansIt's unclear exactly what the £15 million, pledged last week, will be spent on
• Bristol e-scooter scheme could be taken over by new operator next yearSwedish firm Voi has run the e-scooter scheme since it launched two years ago, but soon a new company could step in

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 20mph speed limit change called 'sheer madness' by council leader as financial 'tsunami' approachesWales is set to become the first country in the UK to introduce a default 20mph limit on all residential roads

Sheffield Star

• £70m to improve transport and highways in BarnsleyFunding is set to be accepted for a number of projects to improve transport and highways in Barnsley.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Speed limits to be reduced to 30mph on five Wolverhampton roads later this month Speed limits on stretches of road in Wolverhampton are to be reduced later this month as part of commitments to creating a greener city.

South Wales Argus

• Newport to Ebbw Vale rail line reopen after nine-day closureTHE Newport to Ebbw Vale rail line has reopened following nine days of closure due to upgrade works.

Other Regional Press

• Major report highlights region's 'transport deserts'Two-thirds of those from the region's rural areas are living in 'transport deserts' with no alternative but to rely on cars, a major new report has found.
• Watford taxi drivers could be forced to accept cardWatford taxi drivers could soon be required to accept card payments after a consultation.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government launches new aviation recruitment campaignThe government has launched a brand-new recruitment campaign, Generation Aviation, as a part of a 22-point plan to support aviation as it recovers from the pandemic.  Generation Aviation forms part of the wider aviation strategy ’Flightpath to the future’. The recruitment campaign builds on £1.5 million announced by the government over the summer to boost recruitment into the sector. The new campaign will help to boost recruitment into the sector by: Raising awareness of aviation careers Signposting training, careers and opportunities to people looking to enter or ...

New Civil Engineer

• AI deployed for forecasting and risk management on Transpennine Route UpgradeArtificial intelligence (AI) will be used for forecasting and risk management on Network Rail’s Transpennine Route Upgrade.
• Trio of major new roads worth £360M backed by Norfolk councilNorfolk County Council is set to back a trio of major new roads in the district worth over £360M in its new regional transport blueprint.
• Funding boost to develop £4bn Bristol underground networkIn his second to last address the Bristol city mayor has pledged an extra £15M to develop proposals towards building a £4bn underground and overground network in the city.
• National Highways scrutinised over four more historic bridge infillsNational Highways is under pressure over four more controversial bridge infills which were carried out to historic structures before the infamous Great Musgrave fallout.

Rail Advent

• £5.1m festive upgrade set to take place for Manchester Piccadilly’s platforms 13 and 14The station's busiest platforms will be undergoing vital upgrades this Christmas and New Year

Other News Sources

• A bus with airline-style lie-flat seats? It’s an idea that could be taking offGiant sleeper buses have been a staple of travel in parts of Latin America and Asia and Europe for decades