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

Wednesday, 27 April 2016

BBC News

• Slough bus station path closed for construction workA path linking Slough's bus station to the town centre will be closed for 12 months while the area is redeveloped.
• First Bus order boost for Falkirk firmFirst Bus has ordered 305 buses, more than two thirds of them built by Alexander Dennis, of Falkirk.
• More polluting vehicle charge zones needed, say MPs"Clean air zones" targeting drivers of high-polluting vehicles should be extended to more cities in England, the Commons environment committee has said.
• Mitsubishi used wrong tests since 1991Mitsubishi Motors says it has used fuel consumption tests that broke Japanese regulations for the past 25 years.

Financial Times

• Mitsubishi car tests flawed for decadesJapan’s sixth-largest automaker admits using wrong methodology in home market since early 1990s

The Guardian

• How Uber conquered London | Sam KnightTo understand how the $60bn company is taking over the world, you need to stop thinking about carsEvery week in London, 30,000 people download Uber to their phones and order a car for the first time. The technology company, which is worth $60bn, calls this moment “conversion”. Uber has deployed its ride-hailing platform in 400 cities around the world since its launch in San Francisco on 31 May 2010, which means that it enters a new market every five days and eight hours. It sets great store on the first time you use its service, in the same way that Apple pays attention to your first encounter...
• MPs: UK air pollution is a 'public health emergency'Cross-party committee of MPs says the government needs to do much more to tackle the crisis, including a scrappage scheme for dirty old diesel cars. Air pollution in the UK is a “public health emergency”, according to a cross-party committee of MPs, who say the government needs to do much more including introducing a scrappage scheme for old, dirty diesel vehicles.The government’s own data shows air pollution causes 40,000-50,000 early deaths a year and ministers were forced to produce a new action plan after losing a supreme court case in 2015.

The Herald

• Alexander Dennis celebrates FirstGroup bus orderALEXANDER Dennis has won a £50 million order for more than 200 buses from transport company FirstGroup, a contract which will help underpin employment of around 900 at the manufacturer’s Falkirk factory.
• Ruth Davidson pressed over Clyde shipyard concerns Ruth Davidson has been urged by the SNP and Labour to use her position to push UK ministers to begin work imminently.

The Scotsman

• Mitsubishi inquiry finds false mileage claims date back to 1991Japanese car manufacturer Mitsubishi which last week acknowledged it had intentionally lied about fuel economy data for some of its models, said an internal investigation found such tampering dated back to 1991.

Mail Online

• Just weeks before Brexit vote, European Commission announces plans to sue Britain for 'unfair' road tolls on foreign trucks Brussels officials are secretly plotting to haul Britain before the EU courts

The Mirror

• New car tech to stop you leaving important belongings behind when in a rushLand Rover Discovery Sport will now warn you if you have left home without your gym bag, important work documents or children's school bags on the school run

The Sun

• Zac Goldsmith vows to break public transport unions and scrap costly perks scheme for workersZAC Goldsmith pledged to break unions’ stranglehold on public transport in contrast to his London mayor rival’s promise to them of a £670m bung.

Birmingham Mail

• Give Birmingham more powers to impose road charging or ban cars, says inquiry Birmingham is already due to impose road charging on high-pollution vehicles but MPs say it should be allowed to do more.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham Airport welcomes another new carrierCzech Airlines now offering flights between city and Prague five times a week
• Recent car tests reveal level of average emissions up to 5 times higher than recommendedThe enquiry was led by the Department of Transport who tested 37 vehicles following the VW emissions scandal.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Flight training school set to take off under new owners THE new owners of a flight training school based at Leeds Bradford Airport say they have big plans for the operation.

London Evening Standard

• Rail firm extends off-peak times so passengers can cut costs by thirdA concession by a leading rail firm to expand cheap off-peak travel could force more operators to do the same.
• German city uses traffic lights in pavements to stop texters getting run overGerman planners have come up with an ingenious way to stop people walking into busy roads while looking at their smartphones and texting.
• Disappearance of 'Thought of the day' sign at Clapham North sparks backlash from passengersAn axed "Thought of the day" board at a south London Tube station is to be reinstated following an angry backlash from commuters.
• Southern Rail strike: More misery for commuters as walkout continuesRail services in the south-east will be disrupted again today because of a strike by conductors in a dispute over their role and driver-only trains.

Sheffield Star

• City’s new training busesStagecoach Yorkshire has unveiled six re-liveried and revamped training buses, designed to give the learner driver a closer than ever feel of the ‘real’ experience behind the wheel.

Wales Online

• The law on car seats is about to change again - here's what you need to knowThe rules will come into force later this year

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Does Leeds need a radical overhaul of its buses? Inquiry panel to hear from operators tomorrowA council watchdog which is looking into how bus services in Leeds could be improved is due to hear from operators of the region’s network tomorrow.

Other Regional Press

• Delays for rail passengers travelling through Swindon over Bank Holiday weekend Great Western Railway is encouraging Bank Holiday customers travelling through Swindon to check journey times and routes prior to travelling, as further�electrification work will take place.
• New shuttle bus service announced to link Oxford's science centres A new shuttle bus sevice will be launched in July to link�the University of Oxford's science area with Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and the Old Road Campus.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• BBC Series Set to Capture Northern Isles FerryNorthLink Ferries is set to appear in a new BBC Scotland television series which will showcase how transport is changing in 21st century Scotland.  The ferry operator, which sails between the mainland and Northern Isles, will feature in the first episode of the ‘How Scotland Works’ series which is due to air tonight (Tuesday 26 April).  The episode will give audiences the chance to discover NorthLink Ferries’ lifeline service which provides transport to Orkney and Shetland and meet those working within the company.  The programme will also capture NorthLink ...
• Seven Optare Solos for West Coast MotorsWest Coast Motors have added seven Optare Solos to their fleet.  West Coast Motors is privately owned by the Craig family and headquartered in Campbeltown, Argyll.  The company also recently acquired Perryman’s Buses Ltd of Berwick-Upon-Tweed.   Four of the Euro 5, 9.2m, slim line Solos seat up to 30 and have gone into operation at Ardrishaig, Oban and Isle of Mull depots.   The remaining three Euro 5, 7.9m, slim line Solos have 17 seats and 2 wheelchair bays are operating as part of the Company's Glasgow Citybus fleet on contracted SPT services.   Colin Craig, M...
• Firstgroup announces �70m investment in 305 new busesFirstGroup, the leading transport operator in the UK and North America, today announced that its bus division has ordered 305 new vehicles worth £70m.  The order by First Bus underlines its commitment to provide high quality services for its customers and partners and brings the company’s investment over the last six years to £455m in 2,500 new vehicles.  Today’s order also consolidates First Bus’s position as one of the largest operators of Low Carbon Emission Buses in the UK. 87% of the new vehicles will be Department for Transport approved ‘lo...
• Latest first bus order strengthens long term relationshipWrightbus has announced a significant new order from leading operator First Bus for its StreetDeck and StreetLite Max vehicles, highlighting the strong relationship between the two companies which spans more than 25 years. The latest order for a total of 91 buses will bring the number of Wrightbus vehicles within the First Bus fleet operating nationally to more than 3,500, including over 700 integral buses which have been delivered during the last five years. The order includes 71 StreetDeck double deck buses, 10 of which are fitted with high specification USBs on seats with special livery. ...
• South London to benefit from live Tram informationTransport for London (TfL) has made live service information available to customers who use London's Tram network. People travelling on the Tram can access up-to-date information about their service, including the status of the Tram on either TfL's website, or the Electronic Service Update Boards across other parts of the TfL transport network. The data is also being made available for free to app developers, and it forms part of TfL's commitment to make information that it has on trams widely available to its customers. The vast majority of people using the service are Londoners and depend on...
• Improved productivity boosts profit and revenue for UnipartUnipart Group, one of Europe’s leading manufacturing, logistics and consultancy companies, has announced its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2015. Revenue grew by just over 10%. Group turnover, including joint ventures and associates, was £868.6m (£786.8m in 2014). Total Group profit before interest, tax and exceptional items has gone up by 6%, from £26 million in 2014 to £27.5million in 2015. This included the Group’s share of profits from joint ventures and associates. The Group ended the year with a net cash balance of £7.1m. The ...

Rail Magazine

• Work starts to replace Ufton Nervet level crossingNearly 12 years after the Ufton Nervet disaster that claimed the lives of seven people, work has started to replace the notorious level crossing with a bridge
• Network Rail caught up in row over FA Cup travel chaosManchester United and Everton supporters have vented frustration at the timing of their FA Cup semi-final tie on Saturday April 23

Rail Technology Magazine

• TfL and Airports Commission at odds over impact of Heathrow third runwayNewly released documents show that the Airports Commission’s estimate of the cost of rail links needed to support the third runway at Heathrow airport is as much as £11bn below that of Transport for London (TfL). The documents, obtained by Greenpeace via a Freedom of Information...

Railnews

• Southern strike 'rock solid', union claims The RMT union has claimed that the response from its members to the first day of a 48-hour strike of Southern conductors has been 'rock solid', but Southern said two-thirds of its trains had run yesterday. Services are being disrupted for a second day by a dispute over proposed extensions to driver-only operation, which Southern's owner Govia Thameslink Railway says will mean a better service for passengers. The operator has also denied union allegations that safety would be put at risk by putting door control in the hands of drivers, and has accused the RMT of 'scaremongering'.

Railway Gazette

• Tests begin on Birmingham New Street tram extensionUK: West Midlands transport agency Centro started test runs on Midland Metro’s New Street tram...

Aviation Industry

• New Munich satellite facility to boost Lufthansa’s competitivenessLufthansa Hub Munich CEO Thomas Winkelmann told ATW he believes the new satellite facility at Munich Airport, which began operations Tuesday, will better position Lufthansa in the global aviation competitive market. read more
• ‘Extensive’ strikes to hit German airportsFlights cancelled at six German airports tomorrow as workers stage fresh industrial action
• Air France-KLM baggage fee rises on European flightsAirline raises fee for check-in luggage by €5
• China overtakes US as leader in business travel spendResearch from the GBTA shows China had a total spend last year of $292.2bn

Green Miscellany

• Top 10 tips for flying with your bicycleYou are bound to feel trepidation when flying with your bicycle, but there are ways to minimize the chance of it being damaged in the hold. The post Top 10 tips for flying with your bicycle appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Green flights for blue skiesIn February this year the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection came up with new environmental measures for CO2 emission standards.
• Carbon footprint of 20 top airlines hasn't improved in past seven years, University of Warwick study showsTwenty of the world's largest airlines have not significantly reduced their greenhouse gas emissions over the past seven years, new research by the University of Warwick shows.
• New figures prove vans are vital to UK economy, says FTAThe Freight Transport Association says news that van numbers have exceeded four million for the first time in the UK is proof of their huge ...
• Train services disrupted as Southern conductors continue 24 hour strike Thousands of commuters face a struggle to get to their destinations as members of the RMT continue their strike action.