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

Friday, 05 April 2019

Liverpool Echo

• Major bus and travel diversions expected as controversial three month road closure starts todayThe closure could triple the time it takes to get to local schools and shops

Yorkshire Post

• Get real over how pensioners renew bus passes in Leeds and West Yorkshire – Yorkshire Post lettersWHILE appreciating the world is controlled by the use of technology, there are occasions when it does not assist everyone.

Coach and Bus Week

• DfT allocates funding for transport appOn the 26 March, Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani announced the allocation of £4m for a platform which will provide passengers with location information about bus services. This will enable passengers to have more knowledge about bus arrivals in rural areas and reduce uncertainty which has been identified as one of the biggest factors dissuading young people from bus travel.
• Stagecoach appoints new Managing Director of East Scotland Bus OperationsStagecoach East Scotland has announced a new Managing Director, Douglas Robertson, who who takes on the role from 1 April.
• Growing the coach marketSnap is a service which has been expanding rapidly in the last few years, providing independent coach operators with a doorway into the intercity coach market. Its CEO, Thomas Ableman, tells James Day the full story
• Electrifying HarrogateIt has been a sometimes challenging journey, but the Harrogate electric bus project is now fully operational. Transdev Blazefield’s Alex Hornby, Gordon Irvine and Ben Mansfield talk to Andy Izatt about what is a pioneering project
• ArrivaClick is coming to LeicesterFollowing a unique partnership with the landowner, the Drummond Estate, Arriva is set to introduce ArrivaClick, its demand responsive ride-sharing service to the residents of New Lubbesthorpe from April 29.
• Deutsche Bahn considers sale of ArrivaThe sale will help reduce Deutsche Bahn’s debt pile which reportedly stands at €20bn Arriva’s German owner, Deutsche Bahn (DB), announced on Wednesday 27 March that it was exploring options for selling Arriva in a bid to lower its debt pile, which news agency Reuters reported to be around €20bn after its €1bn investment in high-speed trains in 2018.
• 13.2m Plaxton Elite now available on the Volvo B8R chassisThe B8R chassis is now available for the Plaxton Elite coach. At 13.2m in length on two-axles, it seats up to 53 passengers and offers a centre sunken toilet at the continental exit door. The increased wheelbase maximizes the luggage locker space available. This can be fully utilised due to the lighter chassis, which delivers an increase in luggage carrying capacity of around half a tonne compared with the 12.6m Plaxton Elite on B11R chassis.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Lothiancountry sets up base in LivingstonLothiancountry has acquired new premises in Deans, Livingston for its operations across West Lothian.
• Volvo 9900 wins prestigious Red Dot AwardThe Volvo 9900 coach has won a Red Dot Award for Product Design 2019 thanks to what the manufacturer describes as “a distinct design language that has both a professional expression and operational functionality.”
• McGill’s makes £4.75m ‘major investment’ in new vehiclesMcGill’s has purchased 26 new Euro 6 Alexander Dennis (ADL) buses to serve Glasgow and the west of Scotland in “a major investment” worth £4.75m.
• Adam Keen takes on ‘New Adventure’Adam Keen, General Manager of Morebus, Damory Coaches and Excelsior of Bournemouth, will be leaving to take up a new posting in Cardiff.
• Plaxton adds Volvo B8R-based Elite to line-upCombination launched at 13.2m with 10-coach order for Logan’s of Dunloy. Luggage capacity is key with major increase over closest comparable B11R-based Elite, says Plaxton; accessible option also available
• DfT permit response avoids non-commercialNew, flexible short-distance exemption to come; otherwise, JR awaited before guidance is issued

Other News Sources

• Glasgow bus drivers fined by police for skipping red lightsMore than one bus driver a week in Glasgow was caught by police last year running red lights across the city.