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

Saturday, 18 November 2023

BBC News

• Northumbria Police runs covert 'Trojan horse' bus servicesA police force is running "Trojan horse" bus services with officers undercover as passengers, in a bid to catch offenders.
• Funding of £734m available for road repairs in south-east EnglandA total of £734m has been allocated to repair roads in south-east England.
• Footage aids police crackdown on careless driversRed light-runners, phone users and pavement-mounters feature in video sent to West Midlands Police.

Financial Times

• Rail operators in England set for bigger profit incentiveGovernment preparing to reopen contracts in drive to boost passenger numbers

The Guardian

• Soaring special needs school transport costs 'unsustainable', say councilsLocal authorities fear service cuts or even bankruptcy as costs jump from £400m to £700m in five yearsSoaring costs of school transport for children with special educational needs is causing councils in England to warn of service cuts and potential insolvency, according to local authority leaders.The County Council Network (CCN), which represents mainly rural local authorities in England, says its 37 members are spending more than £700m a year on school transport for 85,000 children with special education needs and disabilities (Send), compared with less than £400m five years ago. Continue rea...

The Herald

• Scotland flights: Glasgow airline Loganair routes axedAn airline has ceased and suspended several routes from Scottish airports and said it is working to "safeguard remaining services".

Times Online

• Sustainable jet fuel factory wins government backing [subscription]British Airways and its partners on a project for a new plant that produces sustainable aviation fuel have secured £9 million in government funding.
• Why three quarters of young people aren’t learning to drive [subscription]Despite being the daughter of a driving instructor, Mia Wallace has no plans to learn to drive. For Wallace and many other people her age, the freedom of the road has lost its allure as young people are happy to keep green provisional licences well into their twenties.

City AM

• It’s the Year of the Pothole and Britain is crazy Forget the Chinese Zodiac - Britain's automotive association has appointed itself responsible for assigning the symbol of the year. And they've chosen potholes.

Mail Online

• Number of electric cars sold has PLATEAUED, with inventory piling up and prices slashed - but sales of gasoline vehicles remain strongSales of electric vehicles have plateaued despite car sales overall remaining strong suggesting motorists may have switched off from the EV revolution.
• Manufacturing given £4.5bn shot in the armCar makers and the aerospace industry will benefit alongside, life sciences and clean energy firms, the Treasury said.

Birmingham Post

• 'Strategic' manufacturers in automotive, aerospace and energy to get billions of pounds in Treasury backing£2bn earmarked for automotive manufacturing with £975m for aerospace

Bolton News

• Bolton: Drivers warned as new speed cameras introducedDrivers across Bolton have been warned that "misguided moments cost lives" amid the installation of a wave of new cameras across the region.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Campaigners call for better bus services for West YorkshireBus passengers, unions, and councillors launched a campaign to get more than 2,000 West Yorkshire residents to vote for buses to come into public control.

Bristol Live

• Diving a car now costs nearly £300 more than last year, says Compare the MarketCar insurance, fuel and road tax have all risen, adding up to a substantial cost of living hit for anyone who owns a car

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Welsh train station kissing gate leaves kids in prams and disabled people 'stranded' Grandad and councillor criticise Network Rail over the gate at the Conwy Valley train station

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail cancel number of train services every day on two linesChanges come into place from Saturday, November 18

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Motorists risk hefty fines for driving on certain common medicationsIf you're planning on getting behind the wheel, it's best to check that you're medically fit to do so - with a number of medications potentially putting you at risk while on the roads.

Northern Echo

• New faster train service unveiled for this busy North East routeA new faster two-hourly train service is being introduced between Middlesbrough and Newcastle.
• Teesside Airport and Teesside University team up for skills academyA pioneering new aviation skills academy set up to train and teach Teesside University students has been officially launched, in partnership with Teesside International Airport.

The York Press

• December train driver strike dates for York Christmas periodUNION members have announced their upcoming strike dates as part of an ongoing dispute with railway operators.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Bridgnorth Cliff Railway boss reveals list of challenges still to overcome before reopeningThe owner of the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway has said that he is hoping to reopen soon but there is a long list of work to be done before it can begin ferrying passengers from Low Town to High Town.

Cambridge News

• 'Use it or lose it' message as future of 19 Cambridgeshire bus services consideredA 'use it or lose it' message has emerged for 19 bus services in Cambridgeshire

Reading Evening Post

• Drone came within '20ft maximum' of passenger plane on Heathrow approach, report showsIn recent months, Two drone sightings with a risk of collision were reported at Heathrow

Other Regional Press

• Fuel and tyre plants which will bring hundreds of jobs given go-ahead Greenergy's proposals for a sustainable aviation fuel plant and a plant recycling old tyres have been approved by Stockton Council
• Coventry residents raise safety fears over cycle lane plans as third review agreedIt will be part of the Binley cycleway linking Coventry city centre with University Hospital
• Southampton bus drivers threaten strike in run up to ChristmasBus drivers in Southampton could go on strike in the run-up to Christmas with the GMB union threatening strike action over a pay dispute with Unilink

New Civil Engineer

• Banwell Bypass scheme to go ahead despite inflation pushing cost to £89.2MNorth Somerset Council has given final approval for construction of Banwell Bypass to progress despite costs increasing by more than a third to £89.2M.
• Banwell Bypass scheme to go ahead despite inflation pushing cost to £89.2MNorth Somerset Council has given final approval for construction of Banwell Bypass to progress despite costs increasing by more than a third to £89.2M.

Railnews

• New Piccadilly Line trains under test FRIDAY BRIEFING: New Piccadilly Line trains under test ++ Merseyside devolution moves forward ++ Clashes over HS2 Euston in the London Assembly ++ Children name new Welsh train ++

EIN News Subscription

• France adopts new law to limit impact of air traffic control strikes … ;public service disorganisation", argued Transport Minister Clément Beaune. The bill … protest.  French air traffic controllers are the undisputed European champion strikers, according … than ten in the other EU Member States. Advertisement Because of …