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

Friday, 11 June 2021

BBC News

• Map glitch 'closes' dozens of Oxford's roadsAccording to Google Maps and TomTom, barely any routes appear open through East Oxford.
• Used car costs drive US prices higher in MayUS consumer prices spiked last month, with inflation jumping to 5% for the 12 months ending in May.
• BA puts thousands of staff back on furloughThe airline blames the move on delays to the restart of international travel.

Financial Times

• UK electric air taxi start-up receives early interest for 1,000 craftVertical Aerospace includes American Airlines and Virgin among potential customers as it plans NY listing via Spac
• Didi IPO prospectus sets stage for $65bn-plus listingChinese ride-hailing pioneer’s filings reveal financial recovery after pandemic hit
• Concorde is back with a Boom if we can bear itThe speed and convenience of supersonic flight will come at an environmental price

The Telegraph

• Ministers mull radical plan to axe tariffs on electric carsMove could cut consumer costs and speed up switch from petrol - but would infuriate British carmakers
• British Airways puts thousands of staff back on furlough Airline blames delays to delays to travel and called for the Government to urgently open international travel

Times Online

• Theresa May attacks government over foreign travel ‘chaos’ [subscription]Theresa May attacked the government’s “chaotic” approach to foreign travel yesterday as she warned that Britain had shut its doors to the world even though it had one of the most advanced vaccination programmes.
• Vertical Aerospace agrees $2.2bn Spac merger [subscription]A private Bristol-based business that makes an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft is to go public through a merger with Broadstone, a special purpose acquisition company, in a deal valued at $2.2 billion.
• Go-Ahead timetables final dividend after buses fill up [subscription]One of the UK’s leading bus operators has reported getting back up to 80 per cent of usual passenger levels at certain times of the day.

Daily Express

• Theresa May says 'incomprehensible' travel rules are keeping Britain 'shut for business'THERESA MAY has warned

Network Rail

• Huge leap over West Coast main line for East West RailA new video has been released showing the huge progress made so far to rebuild the Bletchley flyover for the East West Rail project.

Sky News

• New rail pass and vouchers for tourist attractions part of tourism recovery planA new rail pass and vouchers for tourist attractions are part of a plan to return domestic tourism to pre-pandemic levels next year.

Bolton News

• Leaders call on Government to 'make the North a priority' in rail plan NORTHERN leaders say that they “cannot continue to waitâ€� for the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan - expected to outline commitment to HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail - and that the plan should fully incorporate the North’s priorities.

London Evening Standard

• New rail pass for domestic holidaysIt will be similar to the BritRail pass, which entitles international visitors to unlimited train travel within their chosen zones and duration.
• Rail pass for ‘staycationers’ designed to boost tourism to ScotlandThe UK Government has launched plans aimed at recovering domestic tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2022.
• British Airways furloughs thousands of staff following delays to travelThe airline confirmed on Thursday that a large number of its workers – including management staff – have been put back onto the scheme.

Bucks Free Press

• Q&A: Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey talks by-election, pausing HS2, and planning reforms Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey sat down with the Free Press ahead of the Chesham and Amersham by-election on June 17.

Other Regional Press

• Swimming pool, rail upgrades and a £4m cycle path: Teesside's shopping list for 'levelling up'Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough council have submitted a raft of proposals to the Government's 'levelling up fund'
• Funding bid for railway station and relief road for DevonSchemes for Okehampton, Cullompton and Exmouth will be submitted in the first round of bids, with the Teign Estuary Trail and Lee Mill to follow in later rounds.
• New rail pass for domestic holidaysA new rail pass for domestic holidaymakers will be launched later this year to boost the recovery of domestic tourism, the Government has announced.
• Transport chiefs say trains, trams and buses are ready for passengersTRAIN, tram and bus service s are safe, ready and waiting to welcome more passengers back on board – that’s the message from Transport for West Midlands.
• Have your say on cycle parking facilities in Weymouth CYCLE parking facilities in Weymouth could be relocated - after council bosses revealed the current shelters had been set alight and broken into by vandals.

Coach and Bus Week

• Oxford Bus Co and Thames Travel launch updated appThe Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel have launched a revamped mobile app. New features include real time tracking, a capacity checker, live travel updates and an improved journey planner. The operators said the new app was created following customer feedback and redesigned to provide more intuitive menus and better real-time information.
• Cardiff Bus introduces new range of services for summerCardiff Bus has announced a series of extra services for those looking for great local days out this summer. The operator said it recognised that this summer will see more and more people will be looking to stay closer to home, so in response has developed a series of extra summer services which will run alongside its main network.

New Civil Engineer

• East West Rail | Progress on Bletchley flyover revealedNetwork Rail has released video footage showing “huge progress” made so far to rebuild the Bletchley flyover for the East West Rail project.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Team Pennine brand to oust Yorkshire Tiger under TransdevTransdev Blazefield will replace the Yorkshire Tiger identity with a new Team Pennine brand and a two-tone magenta livery after it completes the purchase of the business from Arriva in the summer.
• ZEBRA bid calls for Liverpool hydrogen bus fleet to grow to 40Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) has agreed plans to double to 40 a forthcoming fleet of hydrogen fuel cell-electric double-deckers if a bid to the Department for Transport (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme via its fast-track mechanism is successful.
• First Bus realigns operating companies into two portfoliosFirst Bus has segmented its operating companies into two portfolios, each with its own Managing Director. The move follows Dave Alexander’s recent decision to step down from the role of Divisional Director due to personal reasons.
• Translink targets five-year doubling of 2019 passenger numbersState-owned Northern Ireland coach, bus and rail operator Translink hopes to double its 2019 passenger numbers within five years, building on an ambitious investment plan that before the onset of COVID-19 had delivered the highest number of public transport journeys in the province for 20 years.
• PSVAR review ‘will see no major backtracking on coaches’Trade body RHA has cautioned that the forthcoming government review of PSVAR is highly unlikely to lead to any major backtracking in how the Regulations are applied to coaches.
• National Express carbon offset for coach passengers launchedNational Express is offering its coach passengers the option to offset the carbon emissions of their journeys on its scheduled services.
• Propel Finance supports Free Bikes for Kids schemeCoach and bus finance specialist Propel Finance is the latest to throw its support behind a scheme to provide free bicycles to children.
• Camira celebrates 200 years of transport textiles with 200 Aura colourwaysGlobal textile manufacturer Camira, founded as Holdsworth in 1822 in Halifax, is celebrating 200 years of transport textiles with a refresh of its bestselling fabric, Aura – by featuring 200 colourways in nine designs.
• Go-Ahead named on Financial Times European Climate Leaders list 2021Go-Ahead is among just two European bus and rail operators to qualify for the Financial Times (FT) inaugural European Climate Leaders ranking.
• Scottish bus support extended as capacity dialogue continuesFurther funding for bus services in Scotland of up to £35.4m has been approved by the Scottish Government through its COVID-19 Support Grant – Restart (CSG-R) mechanism. It comes against a backdrop of continuing engagement towards enabling the usable capacity of buses in the country to be increased in line with higher limits in England.