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

Wednesday, 06 January 2021

BBC News

• No speeding fines issued for breaking 50mph limit on major roadsWhy drivers breaking speed limits on five main roads and part of the M4 will get letters instead of fines.
• Honda's Swindon factory temporarily suspends productionThe car manufacturer blames global supply delays for the latest disruption at its Swindon plant.
• UK new car registrations in 2020 sink to 30-year lowNew 2020 car registrations sink to a 30-year low and see biggest one-year drop since the Second World War

Financial Times

• UK car industry suffers worst sales drop since 1943Far more battery factories needed to sustain auto plants during shift to electric vehicles, trade body warns
• GM wants to be number 1 in electric cars. Some are scepticalDetroit carmaker faces hurdles in its ambition to overtake Tesla

The Guardian

• UK car sales fall to lowest level since 1992Surge in electric car sales fails to offset slump with sales in 2020 down nearly 30% from year beforeThe coronavirus pandemic pushed UK car sales in 2020 down to the lowest level since 1992, the biggest annual slump since the second world war despite surging sales of electric cars, according to industry data.Sales fell by 29% during the year to about 1.63m, preliminary figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed.

Times Online

• Honda suspends work at Swindon over supply issues [Subscription]Honda has blamed international supply problems after temporarily halting some operations at its plant in Swindon.
• New car sales plunge at fastest pace since Second World War [Subscription]The sale of new cars in the UK fell by nearly 30 per cent to 1.63 million last year, according to new industry figures.
• Self-driving spin-off fuels up on cash [Subscription]A start-up spun out of the University of Oxford has raised $47 million to accelerate the development of its driverless car technology.

City AM

• UK can still be gateway to Europe for car giants after Brexit, says auto bossThe UK can still be the gateway to Europe for foreign carmakers despite the challenges of leaving the EU, the The post UK can still be gateway to Europe for car giants after Brexit, says auto boss appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Record

• Experts warn Scots drivers against viral TikTok de-icing hack amid bitter tempsThe clip shows a driver tackling their frozen windshield with boiling water inside a plastic carrier bag.

Mail Online

• Urgent recall of popular Nissan Leaf electric car due to a dangerous parking lock fault Welding faults in a popular electric Nissan hatchback mean the park break could fail.
• Toyota HiLux was Australia's bestselling car for 2020 as sales of utes and SUVs surge during CovidThe Toyota HiLux was Australia's bestselling car in 2020 for the fifth straight year. Utes and SUVs took out seven of the top ten places on the sales charts as motorists embraced higher ground clearance.

Bolton News

• Police carry on fight against speeding drivers in BoltonPOLICE have been carrying on the fight of cracking down on speeding motorists in Bolton.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Covidiots drive past 'road closed' signs to visit North Wales beauty spotNorth Wales Police say many people have been "blatantly acting irresponsibly"

London Evening Standard

• Luxury car-maker Bentley defies gloom to post record sales in 2020Celebrity favourite car-maker sees sales surge driven by China

Wales Online

• Car parks at Gower beauty spot are rammed despite lockdownDuring the first lockdown last summer local groups pleaded with people to stay away after visitors continued to flock to the area

Cambridge News

• A47 set for a year of roadworks as £14m upgrade gets go aheadThe current A47 Guyhirn junction is used by more than 20,000 vehicles per day

Leeds Live

• What the M62, M1 and Leeds looked like on the first morning of Lockdown 3As the country marks the third national lockdown major roads near Leeds was left deserted during rush hour.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Fiat Chrysler and PSA shareholders approve mergerA merger between Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA Group won approval from both sets of shareholders on Monday. The deal will create the world's fourth biggest carmaker and comes two years after talks began. The combined company will bring together well-known brands such as Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall from PSA with Fiat, Jeep and Chrysler. The new company following the $52bn (£38bn) deal will be called Stellantis. Stellantis, which means to brighten with stars, will have 14 car brands under one roof including niche players Maserati and Alfa Romeo.
• Covid-19: essential work of the logistics [and transport] sectorThe Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has received written confirmation from the Department for Transport (DfT) that the work of the logistics [and transport] sector should continue to the greatest extent possible through the Covid-19 crisis. A letter written by David Buttery, Co-Director, Road Safety, Standards and Services, DfT, to professional industry bodies such as CILT, the Road Haulage Association and the Cold Chain Federation, said: