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

Sunday, 30 July 2023

BBC News

• Environmental groups warn Rishi Sunak over green pledgesThe PM says he is committed to meeting the net zero target in a
• Sunak orders review of low traffic neighbourhoods in pro-motorist messageSpeaking to the Sunday Telegraph, the prime minister says he wants to support people to use their cars.
• Train strikes: Travellers facing disruption as rail workers walk outAbout half of the usual services are expected to run, with some finishing much earlier than usual.
• HS2: Rail link rated 'unachievable' by infrastructure watchdogThe IPA gave the project a

The Independent

• Rishi Sunak orders review of low-traffic zones as Tory MPs condemn them as ’attack on motorists’The schemes have angered some Tory MPs, who have criticised the measures as attacks on motorists
• HS2 rated ’unachievable’ by major projects body A red rating, in an Infrastructure and Projects Authority report, states: ’Successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable.’
• Rishi Sunak plans to ’power up Britain from Britain’ amid Tory concern over green policiesComes after concerns of a softening of the government’s committment to net zero and other environmental policies

Times Online

• Energy costs derail green freight dreams [Subscription]The rumbling freight trains that blast through Britain’s railway stations are the often unsung workhorses of the transport industry. The sector has painted itself as a green alternative to road haulage, boasting that a single freight train can take more than 100 polluting heavy goods vehicles off the road.
• Ulez springs from senseless war on drivers [Subscription]London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) scheme is just part of a wider campaign against motorists (“Khan to rethink Ulez after call from Starmer”, News, last week). First we had speed humps; then bus lanes; then traffic lights were rephased to make traffic slower; then we had cycle lanes; then side roads were closed to ensure traffic was condensed into fewer roads, and those roads that were free-flowing had 20mph limits imposed. All the while the roads are poorly maintained and drivers must negotiate potholes.
• Rail ticket closures may lead to unfair fares [Subscription]One in five train tickets will not be available at self-service machines when ticket offices are closed, according to an internal rail industry briefing document.

Daily Express

• Sunak orders review of anti-car schemes after ULEZ helps Tories win seatThe Prime Minister has acknowledged that 'the vast majority of people in the country use their cars to get around and are dependent on their cars'

Daily Record

• Eco-activists 'concrete' themselves on road to Scots oil terminal in latest protestIn a video shared on social media, two This Is Rigged campaigners can be seen lying on the road as police try to remove them.

Mail Online

• Aberdeen-based Paddington rail station boss who earns £300,000 claims £10,000 a year on expenses to FLY to different UK stations rather than take the trainNetwork Rail boss Michelle Handforth (pictured), who lives in Aberdeen, claimed almost £10k in the last financial year for 72 flights to stations across the UK, rather than take the train.
• EasyJet accused of failing to pay thousands of pounds in compensation to passengers stranded after it cancelled 1,700 flights this monthEasyJet has been accused of failing to pay thousands of pounds in compensation to passengers stranded after it cancelled 1,700 flights earlier this month.
• Future of HS2 in doubt as watchdog report claims project is 'unachievable' with leaked document suggesting Euston plans alone could result in £1billion overspendThe Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) slapped a 'red' rating on plans for the construction of the first two phases of the rail line - London to Birmingham and to Crewe in Cheshire.

Sky News

• 'I'm on the side of motorists': Sunak orders review of low traffic neighbourhoodsRishi Sunak has ordered a review into the rollout of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and said he was on the side of motorists.

Birmingham Mail

• Motorway and A-road closures in the West Midlands this AugustMajor works are taking place on the M6 and M42 this month

Bolton News

• Bolton pupils try rail initiative for autistic and neurodiverse usersPupils and staff from Birtenshaw School, Bromley Cross, were the first adventurers to benefit from the new Adventures for All initiative.

Wales Online

• Hundreds stuck for hours in multi-storey car park gridlockOne shopper said she would never park at the car park again after the chaos

North Wales Live

• Highway Code rule could see drivers with children in car fined £500All children must be sat correctly and with their seatbelts on

Other Regional Press

• Voi e-scooters make 1 million trips since Oxford trial beganThe e-scooter trial started in Oxford in 2021
• Gatwick Airport: EasyJet flight declares emergencyAn airliner was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Gatwick.
• Vegetable oil will power Chiltern Railways locomotive trainsChiltern Railways hopes it will reduce emissions
• Holiday-makers face two-hour delays at Dover as queues buildThose hoping to get away on holiday were hampered by long delays at the Port of Dover.
• ’It won’t be worth carrying on’ - workers hit out as ULEZ expansion loomsKent residents fear they could be set to lose their jobs and access to hobbies after London’s emission zone expansion was given the green light.
• Plan to crack down on drivers dodging hospital car park chargesParking charges could be added to streets around a hospital in a bid to stop visitors ducking out of using its car park.
• Stagecoach drivers in Warwickshire set to vote over strike action due to inadequate payStagecoach have been making mass profits, but Unite are claiming the pay percentage doesn't match with current inflation rates

C.N.N.

• Lost in translation: How New Zealand's plan for bilingual road signs took an unexpected turnPlans to introduce bilingual road signs to New Zealand have sparked a heated political debate between the wish to honor its indigenous Maori culture and opposition that it could compromise road safety.

Other News Sources

• Herefordshire's potholed roads are in an 'appalling state'I COULDN’T agree more with Gloucestershire councillor Philip Robinson on the appalling state of Herefordshire roads (Awful roads are mocked, July 6).
• Brighton and Hove chosen to pilot electric car rental appBrighton and Hove has been selected to pilot the UK’s first