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

Wednesday, 07 August 2013

BBC News

• Contract to upgrade A9's Berriedale Braes out to tender Transport Scotland has put a contract out to tender for work preparing for the upgrading a notorious stretch of the A9 in Caithness.
• Motorists 'misusing' M6 and M42 hard shoulders could be fined Motorists could be fined for misusing the hard shoulder, the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) has said.
• The Cabmen's Shelters: Inside London's secret 'green sheds' To the untrained eye, they are green sheds - an incongruous sight on the busy streets of urban London.
• New car sales continue to riseNew car registrations in Scotland rose by 10% in July compared with last year, according to the Motor Trade Association.
• Free town parking scheme launchedA free parking scheme to help high street businesses deal with
• Dublin bus strike enters third dayBus services in the Irish capital will not run on Tuesday as an all-out strike at Dublin Bus enters its third day.

The Herald

• Supplier is sought for royal trainANOTHER supplier is being sought to maintain the royal train after a rail reburbishment company with a site in Scotland went into administration.

The Scotsman

• SNP calls for handover of transport police control VISITORS will be allowed onto one of the largest glass roofs in the world for the first time after Network Rail approved public access to the top of Glasgow Central station.
• SNP calls for handover of transport police control THE Scottish Government is calling for control over the British Transport Police (BTP) north of the Border to be given to Scotland’s new national police force.

The Telegraph

• Driver caught doing 80 mph in a 30 mph zone criticisedA judge has criticised a man caught driving at more than 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, as she said sentencing guidelines did not cover such a gross breach of the speed limit.    
• Lib Dems: ban petrol and diesel cars from UK roads by 2040The Liberal Democrats want to ban millions of ordinary cars from Britain's roads.    
• Learner drivers warned about scam websitesLearner drivers are being scammed by copycat websites charging a booking fee for test appointments.    
• Brompton Road Underground tube bunker for saleIt could be the perfect property for a millionaire transport enthusiast, or military history buff.    

Belfast Telegraph

• Kennedy welcomes year of achievements in making transport more accessibleTransport Minister Danny Kennedy has welcomed the achievements made in 2012/13 to make public transport more accessible to older people and people with disabilities.
• Flybe loses finance boss just as new chief joinsFlybe's long-standing finance director has resigned, just three working days after the struggling airline's new chief executive started his job.Related StoriesGuinness in talent search for cultural initiativeUlster grad Rebecca joins elite of cardiac medicine in AmericaFamilies are raiding piggy banks to surviveGalgorm given green light for £3m office space complexSainsbury's cries foul in price promise war    

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• High-speed rail scheme could bring better London links Bradford could enjoy a direct rail link to London if high-speed rail goes ahead, experts said yesterday.

Liverpool Post

• New Southampton attack on Liverpool2 superport fundingLEADERS in Southampton have launched a new attack on Liverpool Council bosses in the long-running dispute about public funding for Liverpool’s cruise liner terminal.

London Evening Standard

• Locate your train on Tube map appWaiting for the next Tube train to appear on the information board — if the station has one — is a common cause of frustration for commuters.
• BA plane bound for Hong Kong forced to return to Heathrow with technical malfunctionPassengers on a British Airways flight bound for Hong Kong spoke of their relief today after landing safely when the plane was forced to return to Heathrow with a malfunction.
• Electric car sparks bomb scareA Swedish inventor's experiments with a new power source for electric cars has caused a bomb scare that paralysed parts of the Danish capital for three hours.

Northern Echo

• High speed rail project will free up space on existing line sin the region TOWNS and cities across the region will benefit from high-speed rail, experts said today (Tuesday, August 6), demolishing a key criticism of the £42.6bn project.

Sheffield Star

• Doncaster public transport improvementsA new bus stop in Wheatley and better ticket machines are among the improvements made after a passenger survey in Doncaster.

Yorkshire Post

• HS2 may bring benefits across Yorkshire, says Network RailYORKSHIRE could benefit from a series of new and improved train services when the proposed new high-speed rail route to the North is completed, according to a new report.

London24

• Fewer parking tickets being issued in London, says London Councils Fewer parking tickets are being issued in London, according to new figures released today.
• Road safety biggest issue to getting more Londoners on their bike Nearly half of Londoners would cycle more if road safety around the capital was improved, according to a survey by London Councils.

Other Regional Press

• Rural communities kicked off the busesThe social fabric of West Somerset is pretty strong, but the First bus company is doing its best to rip it apart.
• Frome charity frustrated by First Bus cutsMEMBERS of a Frome charity have been hugely affected by cuts to one of the services it uses regularly to travel to and from the town.
• Public meeting over bus change plans to be held next Tuesday A public meeting has been arranged for Tuesday, August 13, to allow people to air their views and concerns about changes to bus services in Hebden Bridge.
• Transport minister Simon Burns MP writes to Network Rail over rail freight effects on St Albans commuters The minister of transport has written a letter to Network Rail to seek further clarity over how rail freight related work in Park Street would affect commuter services on a St Albans train line.
• Public transport sex pests face crackdown in Glasgow A POLICE campaign targeting men who sexually harass women on public transport is being looked at for use in Glasgow.
• Investment in rural bus services announcedMAYOR of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson, has announced a further investment in rural bus services which he says will see existing services saved, new routes opened and increased services in some rural areas.

Bus and Coach.com

• Showcasing the best at Coach & Bus LiveA new Showcase Arena will be part of this year’s Coach & Bus Live show with a professional presenter, moving vehicles, industry experts, large display screens, viewing gallery and show production.
• Insurance ruling reversalThe insurance industry could gain and the bus industry could lose following a Court of Appeal ruling that a formula developed by CPT in assessing damages for the loss of use of a bus following an accident “did grossly overstate” the actual loss suffered.
• Plaxton to launch Profile successorPlaxton is launching a low-cost coach to replace the B7R Profile which ceased production at the end of 2011, leaving a gap in the company’s range.
• M-ticketing milestone at Go-AheadMobile ticketing at Go-Ahead has generated over £1million of revenue in less than 12 months, which the group says demonstrates how transport ticket sales are changing.
• First buying Finglands for £50,000In a change from recent cut-backs, First UK Bus is poised to expand in Manchester with the purchase of the bus business of EYMS Group subsidiary Finglands Coachways for £50,000.
• Davidson back on the busesFormer Plaxton chairman Brian Davidson is back in the transport business as chairman of Woodall Nicholson, whose operations include small bus maker Mellor Coachcraft.

Global Rail News

• Waratah trains underline profit boost for DownerThe Waratah train project has helped Downer to net profits of $105.5 million in the first half of 2013. The figure represents an increase of 24.1 per cent on last[...]
• Balfour Beatty to build Midland Metro extensionBalfour Beatty is to construct a 1.4 kilometre extension of the Midland Metro light rail network into the centre of Birmingham. The first trams could begin running on the new[...]

Railnews

• Railcare remains in crisis after aid is refused Talks with the Government have failed to produce a rescue package for Railcare, according to the RMT union. 152 jobs have already been lost after the firm, based at Wolverton and Springburn, called in administrators last week, and there have been warnings that more redundancies could be announced within the next few days. The RMT is also claiming that the Royal Train vehicles, which are traditionally maintained at Wolverton, could be affected by the crisis as well.

The Business Desk

• Law firm steps up HS2 blight activities after route safeguarded A WARWICKSHIRE law firm has stepped up its activities regarding the proposed HS2 high speed rail line following the Government’s decision to safeguard the route of the new railway.
• Leeds Bradford Airport breaks three million passenger barrier LEEDS Bradford Airport (LBA) has recorded a major milestone with the announcement that it has broken its three million rolling year passenger figure, according to latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Aviation Industry

• British Airways to suspend Gatwick-Tunis serviceAirline will axe flights to Tunisian capital from late October

Other News Sources

• Mace poaches Kier, WSP staff for transport rolesMace has announced two new infrastructure appointments to its construction and consultancy arms to strengthen its capabilities in the transport market.
• Transport for London approves London cab Wi-Fi symbol as study reveals 75% of people more likely to flag down a Wi-Fi taxiTransport for London (TfL) has approved a universal Wi-Fi symbol for London’s black cabs just as a survey reveals three quarters of passengers are more likely to flag down a taxi if it offers free internet access.
• Work starts on improvements to busy Winchester road WORK has started this week on improving a busy Winchester road.