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

Wednesday, 07 June 2023

BBC News

• Edinburgh tram extension to carry first passengersThe line to Newhaven, which has been under construction since November 2019, has cost £207m to build.
• Transport minister Kevin Stewart quits due to poor mental healthKevin Stewart says he has been suffering from bouts of low mental health and can no longer do the job.
• Twice as many car trips in outer London - reportA lack of sustainable options means outer London residents are keeping their cars, a think tank says.
• London Underground: Journeys reach 90% of pre-pandemic levelsTrips made on busses, trams, DLR and Overground have also recovered to near their 2019 levels.

Financial Times

• UK port accuses Ben Houchen of wasting public funds in legal actionMayor accused of risking the public purse and the reputation of Teesside

The Guardian

• Shell's green ad campaign banned in UK for being likely to misleadAdvertising Standards Authority says ads do not make clear company's business is mostly based on fossil fuels. An ad campaign by Shell promoting its green initiatives has been banned for not telling consumers that most of its business is based on environmentally damaging fossil fuels such as petrol.Shell, which has set goals to become a net zero carbon energy company by 2050 while also expanding its gas business by a fifth, ran a TV, poster and YouTube campaign pushing renewable electricity, wind and car charging point initiatives.

Times Online

• Low-traffic schemes backfire on cyclists [subscription]The speed at which cycle lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods were delivered during the pandemic led to some poorly designed schemes that may have discouraged cycling, according to the government’s official spending watchdog.

City AM

• EV transition could be fast-tracked by more than a decade if people buy second hand, says report The UK’s EV transition could be fast-tracked by over a decade if the country makes more use of the second-hand electric vehicle (EV) market, a new report shows. Research from the Green Finance Institute found that accessing the used EV market could boost uptake in the UK by as much as 17m, should barriers including [...] The post EV transition could be fast-tracked by more than a decade if people buy second hand, says report appeared first on CityAM.

The Mirror

• Ryanair cancels 400 flights with passengers stranded across Europe amid French strikesPassengers claimed they were left waiting for hours at airports, including Paris and Malaga, without being offered a hot meal, only crisps and fizzy drinks

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds Bradford Airport apologises for exceeding night flightsBOSSES at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) have apologised for

Manchester Evening News

• Former rail boss says new Piccadilly platforms must be builtA former rail boss has spoken out against scrapping plans to build two new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly. The plans for platforms 15 and 16 date back more than a decade and have been waiting to be signed off since 2015.

Other Regional Press

• Pictures as Coventry's hotly anticipated Very Light Rail train and track showcased in cityA CVLR train, a section of track and simulator were showcased in the city
• Somerset transport bosses decline to reveal how £1.5m active travel funding will be spentTransport bosses in Somerset have declined to say where in the county government funding for new active travel routes will be spent.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government announce nearly £2 million to fund innovative transport techTechnology Minister Jesse Norman has announced 67 projects developing transport technology, which are receiving a share of £1.96 million in funding as part of the government’s Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) Programme. A record number of this year’s winning projects are based outside London, with almost 4 in 5 based outside the capital.  The projects receiving funding include: an app that uses augmented reality (AR) to help visually impaired passengers get around rail stations remote-controlled robots for deliveries kite-powered tug boats to red...

Coach and Bus Week

• New handbook launched to assist transport accessMartin Curtis takes an in-depth look at the new Wiltshire Inclusive Bus Project Handbook which takes accessible transport considerations to new levels of detail, produced by individuals with first-hand experience of the difficulties still encountered when using public transport

New Civil Engineer

• Bristol Underground £15M study to go ahead despite authority boss saying project is ’unlikely’A £15M study exploring the construction of a part-underground transit system in Bristol has been confirmed despite a key figure in the multi-billion pound project saying it is “unlikely” to go ahead.

Rail Business Daily

• Nearly £2 million to fund innovative transport techPersonalised navigation apps for disabled passengers and robots for freight at ports are among 67 transport technology projects being developed and tested through new government funding.

Transport Scotland

• Transport Minister steps downTransport Minister Kevin Stewart has tendered his resignation to the First Minister and stepped down from his ministerial post for health-related reasons.
• Getting Scotland walking, wheeling and cyclingAs part of record active travel funding for 2023/24, the Scottish Government has launched extra investment to make walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday transport easier than ever before.

Other News Sources

• Research highlights failings in outer London transport infrastructure’Moving with the Times’ is a programme of research from independent think tank Centre for London designed to address the future of transport around the capital. In their latest report they look at how to support more sustainable travel in outer London.
• Major boost for Taunton’s economy with completion of Tenchard Way access to transport and business hubsA vital scheme linking Taunton’s train station car park and Firepool development to the town’s road network with cycling provision and bus services is now operational.

News from Europe

• Europe’s richest country made public transport free: Could other countries do the same?As countries look to increase the use of public transport, experts explain why making buses, trams and trains free might not be a 'magic wand' to solve the problem.