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

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

BBC News

• Full fuel duty cut not being passed on to driversBig retailers have passed on the 5p per litre cut, but smaller forecourts have yet to re-stock.
• Dublin Airport warns passengers over long delaysThe operator of Dublin Airport apologises after some passengers wait hours at airport security.
• P&O Ferries says sacking U-turn would cause collapseP&O's boss hits back at the transport secretary after he called on the company to reverse its decision.
• Heathrow strike expected to hit Easter holidaymakersBaggage maintenance engineers intend to walk out between 8 and 10 April in a row over pay.

Financial Times

• P&O rejects call from Grant Shapps to rehire UK crew Ferry company tells transport secretary that reinstating fired workers will result in its collapse
• P&O Ferries sackings prompt push to plug UK employment law loopholesCompanies operating out of British ports will have to pay minimum wage, according to transport secretary's plans
• UK airline investors have an ESG problemHow effectively can you engage with a company if you don't have a vote?

The Guardian

• Can P&O be forced to reverse its mass sacking of workers? - podcastThe company's sacking of 800 UK employees without notice prompted outrage from politicians and unions alike. But will anything change? Joanna Partridge explores a low point in the recent history of industrial relationsOn 17 March, P&O Ferries employees in the UK arrived at work to the news they had been made redundant. Without any warning, 800 people were unemployed. Among them were Lee and Adele (not their real names). Like their colleagues, they were told in the same video message that their careers with P&O Ferries were terminated. The pair tell Nosheen Iqbal of their shock ...

The Herald

• P&O take two weeks to tell of the Scots hit by brutal sackingsP&O took nearly two weeks to say how many Scots were fired amongst the 800 who are being replaced with cheap agency labour.
• Ferguson Marine: Kate Forbes accuses Jim McColl of 'shifting blame' over disastrous ferry contractTHE finance secretary has accused ex-Ferguson Marine boss Jim McColl of having a "clear interest in shifting the blame" over the ferry fiasco when he said the disastrous ferry fiasco contract was agreed for political gain.
• 'Embarrassing' move to build CalMac ferries in Turkey is given final approvalMINISTERS have signed off on a £105m contract to have two new lifeline ferries built in Turkey.
• Tycoon Jim McColl accuses Kate Forbes of defamation over 'shifting blame' ferry fiasco claimTYCOON Jim McColl has accused the finance secretary of defamation after accusing him of having a "clear interest in shifting the blame" over the disastrous ferry fiasco contract.

The Independent

• British Airways short-haul returns to Gatwick after nearly two yearsFirst flight left for Larnaca this morning, with 35 new routes launching this month

The Telegraph

• London power cut: Rush-hour chaos as roads and rail lines closed and 38,000 homes hit by outage 

Times Online

• Motorists seek to put brakes on plans for more cycle lanes [Subscription]Plans to create footpaths and cycle lanes on Scotland’s roads in a bid to cut traffic will lead to “everyone moving more slowly”, motorist groups claim.
• Ferries fiasco gives islanders sinking feeling [Subscription]Those who rely on a service being steadily dismantled and mishandled have largely been ignored by the government
• P&O Ferries boss branded ’most hated man in Britain’ at Holyrood [Subscription]The chief executive of P&O Ferries will retain his £325,000 salary despite restructuring the company by sacking 800 workers using a pre-recorded video message.
• Defiant P&O Ferries chief refuses to rehire sacked workers or quit [Subscription]The boss of P&O Ferries has said he will not resign or rehire dismissed crew, despite two of the company’s vessels being impounded over safety concerns.

City AM

• Once-fearsome Unions have let P&O off lightly as their political capital unravelsA penny for the thoughts of Sir John Prescott as P&O Ferries plants itself at the top of the tree of corporate bad guys with its sacking of 800 British crew members. The Labour heavyweight and former Hull East MP started out, let's remember, as a steward on the Cunard line at the age of [...] The post Once-fearsome Unions have let P&O off lightly as their political capital unravels appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Record

• Scots airport in fight against Vladimir Putin as soldiers and weapons pass throughThe United States and Canadian military and an international relief charity have been landing in Scotland before flying to Poland to travel to Ukraine via land.

Birmingham Mail

• Hole lot of trouble - one road, two councils and drivers left furious over potholesThe potholes on Kingsford Lane, on the Worcestershire Staffordshire border, is causing misery for motorists

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Northern gives justification for cutting train servicesTRAIN OPERATOR Northern has given its justification for cutting train services across the North amid criticism from unions.

Bristol Live

• Uber staff protesting in Bristol over low fares and driver safetyIt is unknown how much this protest will affect services in the city centre
• South Bristol's 92 bus route saved for now after cuts spark huge backlashFirst Bus previously said the 92 bus will no longer serve Whitchurch and the South Bristol Community Hospital

Liverpool Echo

• Millions of drivers could face £2,500 fine if they use trick to cut billsDrivers are being urged to check the status of their cars to avoid being hit with a huge fine

Northern Echo

• Highway Code: New rule could see car 'passengers' hit with £1,000 fineJust one exception has been listed as an excuse to be using your phone while driving as part of the Highway Code rule change.
• Ryanair offers these ten new routes at Newcastle AirportA NEW £150m airport base in the North East has officially opened - paving the way for passengers to travel to ten more destinations and the creation of 60 employment opportunities.

The York Press

• TransPennine Express Easter strike hits York and ScarboroughANYONE planning to travel by train over Easter is being urged to plan ahead, with strike action set to cause significant disruption in York, Malton and Scarborough.

Wales Online

• How much money you can save by switching from petrol or diesel to an electric carMotoring experts say there are thousands of pounds to be saved by trading in a petrol vehicle for an electric one

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow baggage handlers' strike threatens Easter breaksHolidaymakers could face travel chaos in the run-up to Easter after a plan by Heathrow Airport staff to stage a walkout.
• Drivers vent fury at another day of motorway chaosDrivers have shared their frustration as the county grinds to a halt yet again.
• Could Jaguar Land Rover talks derail Coventry gigafactory plan?The car maker is reported to be in talks with a battery manufacturer which has its base in the North East

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• £2.5 million to help disabled people travel more confidentlyA £2.5 million package to support disabled people to travel more confidently was announced by the government. The new funding includes £1.5 million allocated to support all 13 Mobility Centres across England roll out a ’Hubs Mobility Service’. The hubs have been successfully piloted at 7 of the centres over the past 2 years and have helped over 4,000 people regain and retain confidence to travel. The real-life benefits of staying mobile were highlighted in the Inclusive Transport Strategy, which sets out the link between reduced mobility and access to transport wi...

Green Miscellany

• New smartphone app allows pedestrians to report speeding driversFollowing news that New Yorkers can now earn a generous bounty if they submit camera footage of illegal idling lorries, comes a British-designed app that can identify and help report speeding drivers. With speeding on British roads commonplace and for the most part unchallenged due to an underfunded police force and a government unwilling to fully expand a network of… The post New smartphone app allows pedestrians to report speeding drivers appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• P&O Ferries Rejects Government Plea to Rehire Fired WorkersP&O Ferries on Tuesday rejected the British government's request to rehire 800 workers it fired without notice two weeks ago, saying that doing so would cause the company to collapse.P&O Ferries, an 180-year old company now owned by Dubai-based logistics group DP World…