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

Friday, 31 May 2019

BBC News

• Caddington bus shelter sit-in delays demolitionVillagers have gathered in an old bus shelter, vowing to stay there "day and night" to stop it being torn down. Workers arrived on Thursday in Caddington to demolish the shelter, which Central Bedfordshire Council says blocks drivers and attracts graffiti.
• FirstGroup to sell Greyhound buses in USIts UK bus network may also be spun off and its rail franchises reviewed, as it fights activist investor.

The Guardian

• The dream of free buses still lives onLet’s give them a free-to-use bus service as was intended by a visionary authority in 1974, writes Mike Smith of South Yorkshire Freedom Riders

Times Online

• First Group bows to calls for break-up [Subscription]One of Britain’s biggest transport groups has capitulated to investors’ demands and proposed breaking itself up.
• All change as boss says it’s time to hit the road [Subscription]First wants to focus on US buses as it struggles to make a success of its operations in Britain

Other Regional Press

• Hundreds of Stagecoach bus drivers in Preston and Chorley to strike for FIVE more daysHundreds of bus drivers are set to the continue their strike action across Lancashire with five further walk outs on the horizon.

Coach and Bus Week

• Transport for the North introduces ‘Disruption Messaging’Partnered with Ito World, Transport for the North (TfN) is introducing a ‘Disruption Messaging’ solution, ready for release in early 2020.
• Making MetrobusAfter winning the Top National Depot at the UK Bus Awards, Crawley’s Metrobus depot is thriving. Madaline Dunn took a trip to Crawley to find out more about its story and the team behind its success
• ADL state of the nationManufacturer launches the BYD ADL Enviro400EV at its Scarborough production facility as its senior leadership team recaps 2018 – the most successful year in the company’s history. James Day reports
• Courtney Buses move from Market Street depotCourtney Buses has been at the Market Street depot in Bracknell since 6 July 2016. At that point the fleet numbered 57 vehicles; Courtney Buses’ website now lists 62 vehicles.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Zenobe Energy offers £120m funding for electric busesA private battery storage company is offering £120m of funding to accelerate the roll-out of commercial electric vehicle fleets.
• New privately-funded bNew bus stop signs (commonly called flags) have been erected in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire by volunteers after the local authority had no money available to replace them themselves.
• TfL’s new on-demand service to help ‘boost’ public transportTransport for London (TfL) will work with Go-Ahead and ViaVan to deliver a 12-month ‘on-demand’ bus trial in Sutton.