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

Thursday, 13 April 2017

BBC News

• Lower Thames Crossing route between Kent and Essex revealedThe transport secretary announces the new road will connect the M25 in Essex with the A2 in Kent.
• M8 'missing link' will open a week ahead of scheduleInfrastructure Secretary Keith Brown says the new road will be cutting journey times by the end of the month.
• Amazon's Alexa turns on Ford car's engineThe virtual assistant can also give the vehicle a health check and find nearby stores.
• Tesla board 'too close to Elon Musk'A group of major shareholders has questioned the independence of the electric carmaker's board.

Daily Record

• Date for opening of new M8 'missing link' finally announced as roadworks are completed almost a week ahead of schedule Transport Scotland said the work will improve journey times at peak times by around 20 minutes.

Birmingham Mail

• Do you drive a diesel? Government is 'set to introduce' �20 a DAY new tax Birmingham reportedly part of plans from Andrea Leadsom to tackle pollution

London Evening Standard

• Lower Thames Crossing: New two-mile tunnel beneath River Thames to M25 announced by GovernmentA two-mile road tunnel beneath the River Thames has been announced by the Government.

Other Regional Press

• Hydrogen-fuelled car set for county trial smashes fundraising targetA HYDROGEN car set for a “first-of-its-kind” trial in Monmouthshire has exceeded its crowdfunding target of more than £1.1 million.
• West Yorkshire has two of Britain's slowest motorways - and it may surprise you which ones they areNear continual congestion makes our motorways among the UK's most frustrating drives

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Jaguar Land Rover beats 600,000 sales barrier in 2016/17 Jaguar Land Rover has reported record retail sales of 604,009 vehicles (including sales from our china joint venture) in the financial year ended 31 march 2017, up 16% compared to a year ago, exceeding 600,000 for the first time in the company’s history. Retail sales for the fourth quarter (ended 31 march 2017) were 179,509 vehicles, up 13% on the same quarter a year ago, and march sales reached 90,838 units, up 21% on march 2016. Retail sales for the financial year were up year-on-year in China (32%), North America (24%), the UK (16%) and Europe (13%), whilst sales in Overseas markets...
• New Lower Thames Crossing to cut congestion and create thousands of jobs Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has announced the preferred route for a new Lower Thames Crossing that could create more than 6,000 jobs and boost the economy by more than £8 billion. The new crossing will create a new link between the A2 and the M25 and reduce the burden on the busy Dartford Crossing. The Lower Thames Crossing is expected to carry 4.5 million heavy goods vehicles in its first year. This investment in our roads can help transform the growth potential of our country and improve people’s journeys to and around the south-east. The planned route will run from t...

Other News Sources

• M25 named as UK's slowest motorway - but does it come as a surprise? It would take a vehicle nearly five hours to travel just 117 miles - the equivalent of a plane travelling from London to Turkey
• New Thames Crossing Must be Part of a 21st Century Infrastructure Plan, says FTAThe Freight Transport Association has welcomed today’s (12 April 2017) announcement from Department for Transport that the new Lower Thames ...
• Disability vehicles taken awayThousands of people with disabilities have already had their adapted vehicles taken away, because of changes in the benefit system. Now the charity Muscular Dystrophy UK says 900 people each week are losing their cars or scooters because they’re being denied the new Personal Independence Payments.