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

Sunday, 12 March 2023

BBC News

• Stalybridge railway station begins month-long upgradeThe work at Stalybridge railway station involves preparing for electrification and new signals.

Financial Times

• Short cuts: fast rail transfers, at last, for Luton airport - plus Georgetown gets London link Central London will be reachable within 30 minutes thanks to the opening of the Luton Dart; British Airways starts direct flights from Gatwick to the Guyana capital

The Guardian

• Revealed: UK airline industry's push for 'ultra low' prices on domestic flightsEnvironmental groups criticise cut in passenger tax, which will increase flights, but government says it remains committed to net-zeroA controversial new cut in air passenger tax due next month was passed after the airline industry told the government it would lead to a new era of 'ultra low' prices for domestic flights in the UK, with one airline predicting a 31% rise in passengers, industry documents reveal.The new cut in air passenger duty (APD) for domestic flights was approved by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor, halving the price to £6.50 from 1 April. The rail industry has warned the ...

The Herald

• CalMac saved £11m in 'tax dodge' while taking £36m of Covid fundingSCOTTISH Government-owned ferry operator CalMac has escaped paying £11m in National Insurance contributions over the last two years from an offshore staffing tax dodge while receiving nearly £36m of public funding including from the HMRC for support through the Covid pandemic.
• Scotland travel: Free bus travel scheme 'fuelling rise in disorder'Bus operators have noted a rise in anti-social behaviour while shopping complexes have seen an increase in crime as youngsters 'travel from further afield'.

The Independent

• UK weather - latest: Snow and ice warnings as Brits warned conditions 'worse rather than better' Saturday and Sunday slapped with fresh set of alerts for snow and ice

Times Online

• HS2 has cost an arm and a leg, but like the rest of Whitehall’s zombie wishlist, it staggers on [Subscription] Save Is HS2 a white elephant? At the moment, it looks more like a Black Knight. That was the guy in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, if you remember, who kept insisting “’Tis but a scratch,” even as he lost first his arms and then his legs until all that was left was a twisting, angry torso.
• Pay-as-you-go parking meters are driven out [Subscription]Councils are scrapping the machines, despite concerns over elderly drivers now having to deal with up to 30 apps

City AM

• Tube and rail strikes next week: How will industrial action affect London commuters and hospitality?  Parts of Britain's rail network  – including London's underground system – will be closed during next week's Budget day strikes, bringing the country to a standstill and hitting hospitality hard. Hospitality bosses have warned the impact of the strikes will hit pubs, bars and restaurants hard, with an estimated £2.5bn having already been lost in [...] The post Tube and rail strikes next week: How will industrial action affect London commuters and hospitality? appeared first on CityAM.

Mail Online

• From flexible passes to avoiding peak trains, how to build a buffer against the latest price hike There are some simple ways to beat the latest cost-of-living price hike in train fares. Here the Mail show you how to build a buffer against rising rail costs.
• Sadiq Khan blames Boris Johnson for Ulez extension: Mayor says he inherited policy from predecessorThe expansion of the scheme to Outer London, set to take place to cover the whole of the capital from August 29, is aimed at reducing the amount of air pollution in London.
• 'Cash cow' drivers hit as councils are set to hike car parking charges by as much as doubleFor some, there will be a ten per cent rise in parking costs. But in other areas, such as Leicester, drivers are facing a 100 per cent leap in the price per hour, from £1 to £2.

The Mirror

• Government buys more diesel cars than electric despite zero emission pledge by 2027A Freedom of Information request has revealed just 3.5% of the Home Office fleet is electric despite a 2021 pledge for a zero-emission fleet by 2027 - just years away
• BA pilot who died at hotel was due to fly Airbus passenger jet from Egypt to UKVeteran British Airways captain suffers a heart attack shortly before take-off from Cairo to Heathrow Airport. Flight crew battled to help him in hotel foyer by performing CPR but could not save him

This is Money

• Hybrid cars: What you need to know and when they will run out of roadHybrids have been seen as a steppingstone between traditional combustion engine motors and fully electric vehicles. But their days are numbered...
• Save pounds on cost of car parking... by finding a drive insteadMotorists could halve the cost of their charge by paying homeowners willing to rent out their driveway or garage. Sebastian Miles is profiting.

Northern Echo

• Teesside Airport becomes UK's first to scrap 100ml liquid limitTeesside Airport has become the UK's first to entirely do away with the 100ml limit on liquids when passing through airport security.
• Northern Rail staff reveal most annoying habits they see every dayTrain crew and station staff working for Northern have revealed the worst passenger habits 'of the few that affect the many' - including some incidents in the North East.

The York Press

• War of words over best site for new railway station at Haxby, YorkWar of words over best site for new railway station at Haxby, York

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• £250m shortfall for major Metro projects as soaring costs bust budgetsTwo of the region's biggest Metro schemes are facing a funding shortfall of up to £250million, transport chiefs have warned.

Other Regional Press

• Why 15-minute neighbourhoods can work well say cycle campaignersAlison Hill, chair of Cyclox, and Brenda Boardman, acting chair of Oxon4Buses, explain why they back 15-minute neighbourhoods.
• Chiltern Railways warn of significant strike impact on Oxford trainsTrain operator Chiltern Railways has warned customers to check before they travel next week due to strike action by the RMT.
• Green light for 'bonkers' development in 'car-crash hot spot'A planned development has been approved, despite being branded "bonkers" by neighbours who fear it will make an 'accident blackspo' more dangerous.

Other News Sources

• New one-way system for Mill Street in St Owen Street cycleway planA HEREFORD street will soon be made one way for all vehicles, but cyclists will be allowed to ride against the flow of traffic.
• Xelabus: Hope for axed bus route from Hampshire County CouncilA bus company has reassured parents that a school route will continue until the end of the academic year.