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

Wednesday, 14 October 2015

BBC News

• Labour AM sacked after M4 criticismA Labour AM who criticised the Welsh government spending nearly 20m on planning for an M4 relief road is sacked as a committee chair by the first minister.
• Bids invited for A96 design contractCompanies are invited to submit designs for the latest stretch of dual carriageway planned for the A96.
• Call for Transport for Wales bodyA single transport body with responsibility for roads, rail, buses and cycling in Wales is proposed among

ITV News

• Iconic Yorkshire images adorn Heathrow busesIconic images of Yorkshire will greet millions of passengers at Heathrow Airport in a bid to attract even more international visitors to the county.

Financial Times

• India to regulate taxi app marketTough new guidelines to unify rules for operators such as Uber and Ola

The Guardian

• Go-Ahead reportedly well placed to win Singapore bus dealLiberum says winning contract would be good start to expanding away from UK.. Go-Ahead shares have slipped back in a falling market, despite the transport group reportedly being well placed to win a bus contract in Singapore.
• MH17 report suggests efforts were made to cover up causes of disasterDutch experts found captain’s body had ‘undergone an external and internal examination to remove foreign objects’ The long-awaited Dutch report into the shooting down of flight MH17 suggests attempts were made to cover up the causes of the disaster, including a bungled autopsy on the body of the captain in which metal fragments from a Buk missile were deliberately removed.Dutch investigators said on Tuesday that the three pilots were killed instantly, after a Russian-built Buk missile exploded within a metre of their cockpit. The blast ejected hundreds of pieces of shrapnel into the plane with...
• Anger at Eurostar plan to make cyclists dismantle their bikesCycling bodies in UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany demand cross-Channel train service keep policy of transporting bicycles in one piece Eurostar has been accused of treating cyclists as “third-class passengers” over a new policy that will force them to dismantle their bikes before using the cross-Channel rail service.National cycling charity CTC has joined forces with its partners in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to condemn the regulation, claiming it will discourage new cyclists and those who rely on cycling from using the train and make bus and air travel more attr...

The Scotsman

• Passengers endured final minute of horror on flight MH17A MISSILE launched from rebel-held Ukraine ripped the cockpit from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, Dutch investigators reported yesterday, adding that some passengers may have remained conscious for another minute or so as the airflow tore off their clothes and objects spinning through the cabin killed people in neighbouring seats.

Daily Express

• Terror fears as officials ban BATTERIES from planes that could BLOW UP jets or start firesAIRLINE officials have sparked terror fears by ordering airlines to stop passengers from carrying batteries that could ignite huge fires capable of destroying planes.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Investigation highlights security concerns at Leeds Bradford Airport AVIATION security experts have expressed concern after an investigation uncovered alleged flaws in airport security.
• Bradford Council to trial pavement A-board ban DISABILITY groups have welcomed a trial ban of advertising A-boards in key areas of the district.
• Bradford Council to trial pavement A-board ban DISABILITY groups have welcomed a trial ban of advertising A-boards in key areas of the district.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wrexham welcomes Snowminator, Sir Gritalot and Ice Krispie to 11-strong gritting fleet The council has revealed the winning names for its entire fleet of gritters which were chosen by residents following a social media competition
• Airbus to launch world's longest commercial passenger routeThe ultra-long range A350-900 will allow passengers to fly non-stop for 19 hours between Singapore and New York

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published We're pulling out all the stops to fill in holes in Derby roads,...DERBY City Council has defended its record on fixing potholes and said it has seen an increase of nearly 50% in productivity.It comes after the Derby Telegraph featured several roads in the city which residents said were plagued with potholes.But, the city council's highway maintenance service has said that since it started to do the work itself after 16 years of using private contractors, the situation had improved.From 1997, work to repair potholes, grit the city's roads in winter and deliver...

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Rebirth of Ashington and Blyth passenger rail service remains on track A feasibility study is to be carried out into the return of passenger trains on the Ashington Blyth and Tyne line

Northern Echo

• Proposed Greater Yorkshire authority would take powers for road, rail and health projects in region A PROPOSAL that would see a new Greater Yorkshire authority pressing ahead with its own road, rail and health and social care projects, is gaining momentum.

Other Regional Press

• First bus launches free app to let customers store tickets on mobile phonesGone are the days of fumbling for change and making dashes to the cashpoint just to hop into town thanks to a Norwich bus provider’s new mobile app.
• Ukip loses majority on Thanet council as Jeff Elenor quits party over Manston rowUkip has lost its overall control of Thanet council after another councillor quit the party over the ongoing Manston airport saga.
• Stagecoach bus service between Folkestone and Dover vandalised as talcum powder showered over top deckA bus service was delayed today after vandals showered the top deck in talcum powder.

Bus and Coach.com

• International growth is key to growth at Alexander Dennis
• Oxford Road test for ‘Dutch-style’ cycle lanes
• Scandal-hit VW called to appear before transport select committee
• Innovation impresses UK Bus Awards judges
• ComfortDelGro to run new Stansted Citylink contract

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Paul Satoor takes up leadership of DVSAPaul Satoor has today (13 October) taken up the role of Chief Executive at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), following the retirement of Alastair Peoples.  Paul had held the position of Deputy Chief Executive since March this year, and was previously Director of Organisational Development and Strategy at DVSA. He takes up the leadership of DVSA while work is underway to recruit a permanent successor. Paul Satoor said: “I am excited to be taking up the role of Chief Executive at what is an important time in DVSA’s development. I want to continue the good wo...
• Edinburgh and Glasgow airports record busiest SeptemberEdinburgh Airport has reported its busiest September ever, with more than one million passengers. It reported passenger growth of 8.7% on the same period in 2014, after 1,073,541 people used the airport last month. Meanwhile, Glasgow Airport experienced its busiest September for a decade, with almost 900,000 passengers. The figure represents a 14.5% rise in passenger numbers compared with the same month last year. Domestic growth of 10.7% at Edinburgh was attributed to more people travelling to London City and Stansted, while a 7.2% rise in international traffic was due to the popularity of...
• Operators urged to bid for latest �3 million tranche of green bus fundingBus operators have been invited to bid for the latest round of green bus funding. The Scottish Government is seeking applications from bus companies wanting a share of the £3 million funding pot released to boost the number of low carbon vehicles used by the public transport industry. The Scottish Green Bus Fund has so far handed £13m to operators over five previous funding rounds, supporting the introduction of 269 low carbon emission vehicles across Scotland's public bus fleet by March 2016. The latest round of funding was announced by Transport Minister Derek Mackay during a v...

Rail Magazine

• CP5 plans investigated by Public Accounts CommitteeMPs to question Mark Carne and DfT Permanent Secretary
• Merseytravel’s Brown is new Transport for the North chiefTransport for the North has appointed David Brown as its new chief executive

Railnews

• Network Rail crisis to come under spotlight THE continuing budget crisis at Network Rail is to be probed by a House of Commons committee. Mark Carne of Network Rail will be among the key officials to be questioned by the Public Accounts Committee next week over the cost and timetable overruns which led to some projects being temporarily 'paused' earlier this year. The MP who chairs the Committee has warned that Network Rail, the DfT and ORR will all be held to account.

Aviation Industry

• How in-flight safety videos became an Internet sensationIn-flight safety videos have become synonymous with memes, gimmicks and the Internet. They can create more buzz on YouTube and Facebook than they do in the aircraft for which they're designed.
• Alitalia targets profitability by 2017; launches new routesAlitalia has confirmed its three-year business plan is on track for profitability by 2017 and revealed details on new initiatives it will introduce in the next few weeks. read more
• Corbyn ready to oppose Heathrow expansionLabour leader wants to make air pollution a key campaign issue

Other News Sources

• Lord Alan Sugar: Expand Stansted Airport instead of HeathrowStansted Airport should be expanded instead of Heathrow, Lord Alan Sugar has suggested.
• FTA reiterates journey reliability concerns following improvements at DartfordThe Freight Transport Association has called on the Government and highway authorities for greater reliability on the road network through better ...
• Air France's new travel cabins take off to Beijing Since 12 October 2015, Air France customers have been able to take advantage of the Company's new long-haul travel cabins on flights to or from Beijing. For the very first time on routes to...
• Buyers predict ‘buoyant’ year for business travelTravel spend set to increase in 2016 according to ATPI and ITM study