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

Thursday, 10 July 2008

BBC News

• Papers on the attack over car taxUK newspapers express hostility to plans to increase road taxes.
• Biking battleAre more cyclists flouting rules of the road?
• Hydrogen refuel station unveiledUK firm offers greener way to drive and a home-brewed refuel station to keep the hybrid car going.
• Road tax increase 'will hit 9m'Almost nine million motorists will have to pay more road tax under reforms aimed at punishing
• Trains are 'not value for money'A survey indicates 40% of rail passengers are dissatisfied with the value for money of the service.
• Price clarityNew EU law bans 'too good to be true' airline adverts

The Guardian

• Emissions fall as drivers downsizeNo need to press ahead with unpopular plans for national road charges, says president of AA

The Herald

• Fuel costs help Axeon to market electric vehiclesAxeon Holdings, the Dundee-based developer of battery technology, has said soaring fuel prices are helping to “accelerate interest” in electric vehicles.

The Scotsman

• On the road to hole as motorists driven potty by bumpiest streetT IS a road so uneven that locals happily add time on to their daily commute just to avoid it. With its potholes, fissures and dips, Castle Street in Paisley looks more like a rally track than a thoroughfare in a modern Scottish town.

The Telegraph

• Nine million face 'green' road tax increasesMore than 9 million motorists face road tax increases of up to £245 under the Government's "green" car tax plans, the Treasury has admitted.
• Europe's first electric super car, with a top-speed of 130mph, launched this monthA British firm has designed Europe's first eco-friendly sports car, the Electric Lightning GT, which can put the acceleration of a Jaguar to shame and reach a top speed of 130mph.

Times Online

• G8: Electric cars on agenda after carbon 'victory' European leaders claimed a climate change breakthrough yesterday after persuading the United States and other sceptics to agree for the first time to adopt a target for reducing carbon emissions.
• High-speed trains seize short-haul market as fuel cost cripples the airlines The lounge was thronged with bleary-eyed and grumpy suits looking in vain for seats. The endless queue for coffee snaked past whimpering children and inconsiderate backpackers. As the PA speakers announced imminent departure, the throng became a mêlée at the exit - an escalator had jammed.

Mail Online

• G8 leaders accused of 'eco-hypocrisy' over carbon footprints from their journeys to summit and backGordon Brown and other G8 leaders were attacked for 'eco-hypocrisy' last night over greenhouse gas emissions from their journeys to and from the summit in Japan.
• 1,000 bags a day 'are lost at Heathrow's Terminal 5'Heathrow's Terminal 5 is still in chaos with nearly 1,000 bags going missing every day, it was claimed yesterday. This challenges British Airways' assurances that the system is now running smoothly.

Transport Briefing

• £8m Maritime packageServices on the Maritime branch line between Truro, Penryn and Falmouth are to double in frequency after Cornwall County Council signed agreements with Network Rail and train operator First Great Western to deliver the Truro–Falmouth branch line passing loop scheme.
• Crossrail 2 route updated as TfL plans strategic reviewA revised safeguarded route for the Crossrail 2 scheme which updates the 1991 Safeguarding Direction has been published by the Department for Transport.

Belfast Telegraph

• Radar problems lead to long flight delays at Dublin AirportFlights in and out of Dublin Airport have been subject to severe delays this afternoon due to a fault in the airport's radar system.
• All evening Aer Lingus flights to and from Dublin cancelledAll Aer Lingus flights in and out of Dublin airport after five o'clock this evening have been cancelled.
• Coach operators warn against removal of fuel rebateTour coach operators say they may be forced to lay off workers if the Government presses ahead with the removal of a tax rebate on fuel.

Birmingham Post

• Motorists predict UK gridlock in 20 yearsMore than half of drivers think Britain’s roads will be gridlocked in the next 20 years, a survey from the RAC has said.

Bristol Live

• Residents in Nailsea urged to give up property for pathHomeowners and businesses in Nailsea are being asked to hand over part of their land to the council for free so it can build a new path to the town centre. North Somerset Council wants to create a new path between the Tesco store in the High ...

Edinburgh Evening News

• Transport chiefs consider cash boost to maintain bus servicesCITY leaders are considering pumping extra money into Lothian Buses in a bid to save some of its under-threat services.

Liverpool Echo

• Plans to make Merseyside a world-class SuperPortAMBITIOUS plans were unveiled today to create a Merseyside SuperPort to rival New York, Dubai and Singapore.

London Evening Standard

• Airline to bill Heathrow over Terminal 1 hold-upBosses at BAA are facing a new multi-million-pound bill in the latest fiasco to hit Heathrow

Manchester Evening News

• D-day for 'bus wars' bossesA PUBLIC inquiry which could decide whether the bosses of a notorious bus company can ever operate again will conclude today.
• Drawing the line to BlackpoolOLIVER East walked alongside the railway tracks and documented everything he saw - the graffiti, the mundane railway architecture, the discarded shopping trolleys, the bored kids. See a gallery of his pictures here.

Metro

• Britain's most bumpy road namedA city street with a

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Pressure builds to remove roadblocks around SandhavenAberdeenshire Council is coming under increased pressure to remove roadblocks around a busy north-east commuter route.

The York Press

• Tram-trains may run through cityTram-trains could form part of the future of transport in York, according to a new study.
• Eco-friendly bus fleet is unveiledBus operator First and City of York Council will launch 17 new-look Park&Ride buses at the end of this month, worth a total of £2.5 million.
• Here are five reasons not to charge [letter]I WOULD not want to see a congestion charge introduced in York, for five reasons.
• Locations considered for traffic calming schemes MORE than 60 roads could get flashing speed signs or other traffic calming measures in a bid to slow drivers down.
• Bus operator pushes up prices again A MAJOR bus operator has announced fares will increase again later this month “ the second time in eight months.

This Is Local London Network

• Kelly's delay: A 'runway wobble'Ruth Kelly's delay over the decision on Heathrow Airport expansion has been branded a

Yorkshire Evening Post

• National Express on right trackPASSENGER satisfaction has risen slightly since National Express took over the East Coast rail line franchise, according to a new report.
• £26m transport bonus angers commutersTHE Department for Transport is under fire for handing staff £26m in bonuses while West Yorkshire's travellers suffer rail misery and are stuck in traffic jams.

Carlisle News & Star

• Webchat: Andrew Tinkler, chief executive, Stobart Air and Stobart GroupCumbrian haulage boss Andrew Tinkler has withdrawn his firm's £35m plan to transform Carlisle Airport.
• Parents win academy buses battleCumbria County Council is scrapping plans to charge some children to get to their new Carlisle academy school in another apparent u-turn on travel arrangements.

Aviation Industry

• Europe-wide authorisation of railway rolling stock, but heritage railways exempted by MEPsThe European Parliament approved an agreement reached with the Council on the EU-wide approval of different types of railway rolling stock. Under the new legislation, any rolling stock already approved for use in one Member State will have to be accepted in the other states. This will cut red tape and should boost the development of rail transport in Europe. Heritage, museum and tourist railways are exempted from the directive, as the result of another successful demand by Parliament.

Other News Sources

• Eurostar confirms big rise in trafficEurostar is set to confirm a big rise in passengers from the regions following its move to London™s St Pancras Station.

Other Subscription Services

• Titan Outdoor To Invest £2M In Digital Signage For London Rail StationsUK ad contractor Titan Outdoor is to invest £2 million in digital six-sheet posters across major train stations in London.
• Cosco Shipping boosts net profit by 140%HEAVY lift and project cargo subsidiary of China's largest shipping company said first half unaudited net profit surged to $125.4m on the back of higher charter rates.