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

Saturday, 05 June 2010

BBC News

• City taxi strike plan over rally Some taxi drivers prepare to strike on one of Cardiff's busiest days of the year in protest at a Welsh Defence League rally.
• Two die in police car collisionTwo pedestrians die when they are hit by a police car responding to an incident in Luton.
• Quad bike safety checks for farmsFarms across Scotland face unannounced safety checks in a bid to cut the number of quad bike accidents.
• Guide puppies get free bus passesWalkers of guide puppies can travel for free to allow the dogs to get used to bus travel in Aberdeen, it is announced.
• Ministers mull drink-drive reportMinisters play down a report which is understood to recommend drastically reduce the drink-drive limit for motorists.
• Poots ponders airport seats moveEnvironment Minister Edwin Poots says he may lift the 'seats for sale' restriction at George Best Belfast City Airport.
• Repairs continue on cruise shipA cruise ship which was deemed too unsafe to sail out of Belfast on Wednesday is to remain in the port for another night.
• Bike ride marks teenager's deathThe family of a teenager killed on her bicycle in Sussex cycle from London to Brighton to mark the second anniversary of her death.
• Airline fined after man loses legA court criticises American Airlines after an accident at Heathrow caused an employee to lose a leg.
• BA 'worst for baggage problems'UK air travellers experience the most baggage problems when flying with British Airways, a survey claims.
• Easyjet tests volcanic ash sensorBudget airline Easyjet says it will be the first carrier to trial a system that allows planes to fly round ash clouds.
• UK new car sales 'strong' in MayUK new car sales rose 13.5% in May compared with the same month a year ago, industry figures show.
• Electric carWhat is it like to live with one every day?
• Parents 'breaking insurance laws'Millions of parents are said to be breaking the law in order to save money on car insurance for their children.
• BA strikers set for fresh walkoutBritish Airways cabin crew are set to begin a fresh five-day strike, the third and last in their current series of walkouts.

The Guardian

• Birmingham cameras track MuslimsAbout 150 car numberplate recognition cameras installed in two Muslim areas, paid for by government anti-terrorism fundCounterterrorism police have targeted hundreds of surveillance cameras on two Muslim areas of Birmingham, enabling them to track the precise movements of people entering and leaving the neighbourhoods.The project has principally been sold to locals as an attempt to combat antisocial behaviour, vehicle crime and drug dealing in the area. But the cameras have been paid for by a £3m grant from a government fund, the Terrorism and Allied Matters Fund, which is administered by the ...

The Herald

• Airline unveils £1m jet radar plan to dodge volcanic ashAn aircraft-mounted radar that detects volcanic ash clouds and could help prevent future airspace closures has been unveiled by budget airline easyJet.
• Trams deadline is abandonedEdinburgh™s tram developers have abandoned a commitment to delivering the project by 2012 and admitted its timescale will be pushed back further in the coming months.
• BAE chief suspended for making offensive commentsThe man in charge of all warship building on the Clyde has been ­suspended from his post pending an investigation into his conduct.

The Telegraph

• DVD beats eye spy for keeping kids quiet in car High tech gadgets, such as an iPod Touch or DVD player, are far better at keeping children quiet on long car journeys than traditional games, a study has shown.

Times Online

• High-speed rail scheme shakes Primrose Hill™s celebrity residentsNot since the shenanigans of Jude Law, Kate Moss and other members of the œPrimrose Hill posse has there been such scandal in the North London district. Plans for the high-speed rail system to cut an underground swath through one of the capital™s most exclusive neighbourhoods has caused uproar.
• Sir Stelios plans easyJet travel agencySir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has drawn up plans to use the easyJet name to launch an online travel agency, if the budget airline he founded changes its name.

Reuters News

• Car sales jump for 11th monthLONDON (Reuters) - New car registrations in 13.5 percent in May but sales are likely to dip in the second half of 2010 after the end of a scrappage scheme, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said on Friday.
• Osborne flies business class to preach austerityBUSAN, South Korea (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne flew business class to Beijing, Shanghai and on to South Korea on an international mission to promote the virtues of cutting government budget deficits.
• British Airways cabin crew start new 5-day strikeLONDON (Reuters) - British Airways cabin crew started their latest five-day strike on Saturday in a long-running dispute which has so far cost the airline about 120 million pounds.

Mail Online

• Oh what a lovely strike: As travellers suffer, Pimm's, comedians and barbecues on the picket line...It may look like a jolly company day out in the sun. But, in fact, this is the way British Airways cabin crew go on strike nowadays.
• EasyJet unveils infrared ash detector that will allow pilots to steer around volcanic debrisThe system involves placing infrared technology onto an aircraft to supply images to both the pilots and an airline's flight control centre.

Birmingham Mail

• Detectives seek witnesses to Kings Norton railway station incident British Transport Police are appealing for information about an incident at Kings Norton rail station on Thursday night which left a man with a neck wound.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Plan for new train carriages dropped Plans to ease overcrowding on trains across the Bradford district were dealt a blow as it emerged that 100 extra carriages will not be delivered to train operators as promised.

Journal Live

• Doubt over moves for new rail carriages HOPES the region could get new trains have been thrown into doubt after the coalition Government ordered a halt to any further purchases.

Liverpool Post

• Have your say on the state of Liverpool’s roads THE public’s view of Liverpool roads and transport services will be compared with others across the country in a national satisfaction survey.
• Elderly man is left fighting for his life after an assault at a bus stop in Kensington AN ELDERLY man was left fighting for his life after being attacked at a bus stop in Liverpool.

London Evening Standard

• Crossrail backers threaten to axe funding if project is dilutedLondon businesses delivered a stern 'hands off' warning on Crossrail, telling ministers they may withdraw funding if the rail scheme is spoiled by cutbacks
• Budget cuts could derail upgrade to Thameslink routePlanned upgrade to one of London's busiest commuter routes was thrown into doubt after the company that runs Britain's rail network admitted it was searching for budget cuts
• Bus crash funeral near rampage spotHundreds of people have gathered to pay their respects to a teenager killed in a school bus crash - just yards from where Derrick Bird shot dead one of his 12 victims.
• Plans to 'cut drink-drive limit'Ministers are considering proposals to slash the alcohol limit for drivers, it has been reported.
• Last wave of BA cabin crew strikesThe last wave of five-day strikes in the bitter row between British Airways cabin crew and the airline has begun.

Sheffield Star

• Council 'broke its bus station promise'SHEFFIELD Council has been accused of breaking its promise not to relocate Crystal Peaks bus station onto playing fields.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Scottish Government criticised for three years of A9 upgrade ˜inaction™The SNP has been accused of three years of inaction on upgrading the A9 Perth-Thurso trunk road.

The York Press

• Delivery van becomes stuck in hole near Clifford™s Tower TOURISTS gathered to watch when a delivery van got stuck in a hole that opened up in the road outside a York hotel.

Blackpool Gazette

• Death tram was going five times speed limitTRANSPORT chiefs have come under fire in the official report into the death of a pensioner killed when she was hit by a Blackpool tram.

Carlisle News & Star

• Appeal to clean-up Cockermouth eyesore footpath Cockermouth residents are appealing to Allerdale council to clean up graffiti and overgrown foliage on the town™s railway bridge, which they say has become an eyesore.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Wellingborough traders try to solve roadworks problemBusinesses hit by roadworks in one of Wellingborough's busiest streets could be see their business rates cut to compensate for the loss to their trade.

Sunderland Echo

• Jet2 to make return flights from Newcastle to New York at ChristmasLow-cost airline Jet2.com has announced special, one-off return flights to New York from Newcastle this Christmas, from £358.98 per person, including taxes.
• £20m Nissan cash could be saved A business Minister says the review of £20million for electric car production at Nissan may not mean it is cancelled.

The Shields Gazette

• End of an era as Swan's cranes come downGROWN men were moved to tears as the final iconic monuments to the Tyne's proud shipbuilding heritage were brought crashing to the ground.

Other Regional Press

• Exeter cycle events prove so popular THOUSANDS of people filled the streets of Exeter yesterday for the Ashfords Community Team Races and Halfords Tour Series Cycle.
• Facing up to the horror of careless driving HARD-hitting films and pictures of serious car accidents sent home the message to drivers to think before breaking the law behind the wheel.
• Teacher wins £6823 for bridge crashA special needs teacher has been awarded almost £7,000 after a tanker forced her to lose control of her car on a busy motorway bridge.
• Road chaos set to hit Weymouth WEYMOUTH is bracing itself for Monday mayhem as a £16million roadworks project gets underway.

C.N.N.

• Budget airline unveils ash cloud detectorBritish budget airline easyJet unveiled a volcanic ash detector on Friday that it says will allow aircraft to safely navigate around potentially lethal ash clouds.

Washington Post

• Chrysler recalls Dodge Caliber over sticky pedals WASHINGTON -- Chrysler is recalling nearly 35,000 Dodge Calibers in the United States and around the world to fix a potential problem with sticky gas pedals, the same issue that has affected millions of Toyotas.

Aviation Industry

• Families honor Air France crash victims a year onFamilies mourned in more than a dozen languages and the Air France choir performed Verdi's Requiem in a ceremony Tuesday honoring the 228 people killed when a Rio de Janeiro-Paris flight crashed into the Atlantic Ocean a year ago.
• Delta flight attendant arrested for carrying handgunA Delta Air Lines flight attendant preparing to board a plane bound for Atlanta was arrested after authorities found a handgun in her purse.
• Alitalia starts US flightsItalian carrier Alitalia started flights between Milan and Miami yesterday (June 3), with the Rome-Los Angeles route due to begin tomorrow.

Green Miscellany

• Radical electric car does 250 miles on single charge A team of students from Imperial College has driven an electric car around the M25 twice on a single charge. read more

Other News Sources

• Dangerous Brighton road will be made safer A road with "an unacceptable number of casualties" will be made safer by new traffic calming measures.
• Blog: Overground ordealFeatures editor Adam Branson on a week of delays on the reopened London Overground line
• Government backs Forth Crossing billScotland's new Forth Bridge remains on course to be built by 2016 after clearing its first parliamentary hurdle.
• Department assigns cutsSome £54 million of lower priority transport schemes have been deferred following the government's spending cuts announcement.
• Ipswich rail revamp airedA public consultation will start later this month on Network Rail's plans for rail upgrades in East Anglia.
• Study backs line upgradeImprovements to East Anglia's main rail line could generate £3.7 billion in economic benefits, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has said.
• Belfast bike boost urgedBelfast City Council should spend at least £15 per head of population on cycling in line with best practice in England, Friends of the Earth and Sustrans have said.
• Deadline extended on high-speed routeThe government is to extend a consultation on compensation for property owners along the route of the proposed London to Birmingham high-speed rail link.
• Gautrain opens in time for the World CupSouth Africa™s first high speed modern railway line will open three days before the World Cup, taking football fans from the O.R. Tambo International Airport to Sandton, Johannesburg™s new commercial hub.
• Dakota County Drivers get Railroad Crossing ReminderCops from Farmington, Rosemount, the Dakota County sheriff's office and the Union Pacific Police Department teamed up Wednesday to remind drivers that those flashing lights at railroad crossings aren't just for show.
• Free Wi-Fi Now Standard on Acela ExpressBased on a successful three-month trial run, strong customer satisfaction and solid system performance, Amtrak is making free Wi-Fi a standard service offering for every passenger traveling on its high-speed Acela Express trains operating between Washington, D.C. and Boston and is moving forward with plans to expand it to other routes.
• California High-Speed Rail Chief Looking for PartnersCalifornia's new high-speed rail chief pledged to strengthen his staff, reconsider some assumptions about the $43 billion project, including how it will be paid for, and form partnerships with industry experts, legislators and local officials, and community groups.
• Canada Announces National Shipbuilding StrategyDavie Yards welcomed the announcement of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy by the Government of Canada creating dedicated shipyards for the construction
• Willie Walsh says BA brand will succeed if it stays œrelevantBritish Airways chief executive Willie Walsh believes that the airline and its brand has a solid future if it can œstay relevant to customers.
• US to use solar reforming to create diesel fuelPlans to install solar reforming plants near carbon intensive facilities in the US have been announced.
• EU 'halfway to meeting CO2 targets'A new report shows that the EU is halfway towards meeting its carbon emissions targets.
• _63m New Road Project in Essex Gets UnderwayWork is due to start this month on a _63m road project to make travel to an Olympic mountain biking event quicker. The A13-Sadlers Farm scheme to boost travel between London, Chelmsford, Southend and Canvey Island is due to be complete in March 2012...
• Call for renewed solidarity with British cabin crew workersThe ITF is calling on affiliates to reaffirm their solidarity support for cabin crew workers in the UK who are taking strike action this weekend.
• Nokia launches bicycle powered charger for mobile phoneNokia unveiled on Thursday four new cheap phone models, and a first bicycle charger from the world's top mobile phone maker, aiming to protect its dominant market share on emerging markets.
• Pilots 'can navigate safely through volcanic ash'The aircraft-mounted passive infrared volcanic ash detector system called Avoid that is being tested by EasyJet and Airbus was developed some years ago by the Climate and Atmosphere Department of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, but no-one took up the idea until now.
• Train carriage procurement reviewed in NAO reportTransport Secretary Philip Hammond has ordered œan urgent reappraisal of the Government™s entire train carriage procurement programme
• New trains for Norfolk still a long way offHopes for new trains and carriages on Norfolk's rail lines seemed dimmer than ever last night after the government announced a review of all plans to buy rolling stock.
• Public spending threat to Manchester-Liverpool electric trains planPlans to electrify the railway line between Manchester and Liverpool could fall victim to the public spending squeeze.
• Crossrail invites bids for Pudding Mill civils jobCrossrail is inviting contractors to bid for a contract to carry the main civils works at the Pudding Mill Lane portal in east London.
• Airbus delivers the 30th A380The 30th A380 to be delivered was handed over today to Emirates Airline, one of the launch customers of the Airbus double-decker aircraft. This is the tenth A380 Emirates has received out of its ...