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

Thursday, 01 June 2023

BBC News

• Bristol mayor concerned underground will not go aheadThe Bristol mayor said he "does not know" whether his plans for a Bristol underground will be carried out after he leaves office next year.
• Air New Zealand weighing passengers before flyingThe airline says it is required to know the average weight of everything on board to improve fuel efficiency.

Financial Times

• Train drivers in it for ‘long haul’, says UK rail union chief as new strikes startAslef’s Mick Whelan says his members have had no pay rise since 2019

The Guardian

• Fresh wave of rail strikes to hit FA Cup final and Epsom DerbyWeekend train services to be severely reduced across England as dispute over pay and conditions continuesA fresh wave of train strikes has led to rail services in parts of England grinding to a halt, with planned industrial action on Friday and Saturday set to affect hundreds of thousands of people travelling to sporting events and concerts.More than 12,000 members of Aslef, the drivers’ union, began a 24-hour strike on Wednesday as part of the long-running dispute between the unions and the government over pay, jobs and conditions. Continue reading...
• UK supermarkets cut diesel prices by 7p a litre after watchdog concernsReduction follows CMA plans to grill executives about ‘sustained higher margins’ but RAC says retailers should go furtherSupermarkets have cut more than 7p a litre from the price of diesel since the UK’s competition watchdog warned it would question retail bosses about unnecessarily high forecourt prices, according to the RAC.The motoring group found that the average price of diesel fell by 7.44p a litre, from 151.02p two weeks ago to 143.58p this week, after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns that retailers were making “sustained higher margins” from sales of diesel. ...

The Herald

• LEZ prompts calls for 'decent' Glasgow public transportAhead of the start of enforcement of Glasgow's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) on Thursday, questions have been raised about whether the city's public transport is fit to serve travel needs.

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh Airport check-in worker’s horrific abuse by passengers: ’They are screaming so loud you can feel their spit’GMB union provides chilling evidence of its members’ ordeal at Scotland’s busiest airport

Times Online

• Passport e-gates were ’upgraded’ by Border Force before IT chaos [subscription]Glitch at airports followed technology update as school holidays got under way
• Glasgow enforces low-emission zone to tackle air pollution [subscription]Glasgow has become the first Scottish city to enforce a low-emission zone (LEZ).
• Call for electric car owners to pay 6p-a-mile charge. [subscription]The government should charge drivers of electric cars 6p per mile to use Britain’s roads or risk losing billions of pounds from the public finances every year, an influential think tank has said.

City AM

• Rail strike pain is National Express’ gain: Bumper coach bookings as Brits find ways to reach Wembley, Epsom and BeyonceNational Express has seen a 30 per cent jump in travel bookings over the week of rail strikes, figures shared with City A.M. show, as passengers flocked from rail to coach to get around the country.

Nation. Cymru

• TfW to use AI technology to improve bus networkTransport for Wales (TfW) has announced it will use an AI-powered software platform to help improve Wales’ bus network and make services more efficient and sustainable.
• More delays possible as Transport for Wales takes longer than expected to sort out fault that caused fires on trainsTransport for Wales rail services are still subject to potential disruption as it is taking longer than expected to remedy faults affecting its fleet of Class 175 trains that have been blamed for a number of on-board fires.

Wales Online

• Qatar Airways plan to return to Cardiff Airport by the end of the yearThe Airline is looking to restart its Cardiff to Doha route for the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020

Oxford Mail

• Witney campaigner says rail link 'urgent' as 1000s of homes plannedAn Oxford to Witney railway should be ’urgently fast tracked’ as the thought of thousands more householders sitting in traffic on the A40 is 'depressing', a campaigner has said.

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth Airport: Marjon University backs Sutton Harbour Group plan to build on landNew vice chancellor at university next door to airport says it has not future for aviation and should be developed into somthing 'interesting, creative and brave'

Other Regional Press

• Final call to residents to get on board with 'Bus Bill' to improve rural transportNorth Shropshire's MP has issued a final call for Salopians to get on board and back her petition to improve bus services across rural Britain.
• Councillors say Chard’s public transport ’needs urgent improvement’TWO councillors said the public transport service “is failing to serve the needs” of Chard and are asking for improvements.
• Calls for review into Transport for Wales after 'failings'A NUMBER of rail user groups have called for an independent review into Transport for Wales after 'consistently failing to provide an acceptable service'. In an open letter written by rail user groups across Wrexham, Flintshire, Cheshire, Shropshire and Merseyside, details of concerns had been raised regarding Transport for Wales' rail service in recent years.

Forbes

• Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 To Get Almost 30 New Stores And Eateries By 2025A major £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) upgrade of Britain’s third busiest airport will transform the retail offering and introduce a new shopping offer at the northern gateway’s busiest terminal, T2, which will be completely remodeled by 2025.

Airportwatch

• 'Don't add fuel to non-existent fire': Leaders warned against pushing too hard on Great British Railways' new Derby headquartersReports first published in the national media said the Government had 'quietly scrapped' plans for GBR and that it won’t feature in the upcoming King’s Speech

Intelligent Transport

• French consortium to deploy fully autonomous mini buses in ChâteaurouxOnce launched, the fully autonomous mini buses will transform public transport in downtown Châteauroux, by enhancing local mass transit services and promoting easier, safer and more sustainable mobility for citizens.

New Civil Engineer

• £27M funding pulled for final section of Lincolnshire relief roadA relief road in Lincolnshire currently under construction has had £27M funding for the final section of work pulled, leaving the last part of the project unlikely to start until after 2030.

Rail Advent

• Welsh Conservatives find closure of South Wales Line could cost taxpayers millionsAn investigation carried out by the Welsh Conservatives into the 8-month closure has discovered approximate costs of £4.5m for the taxpayer

Other News Sources

• Campaigners ’distraught’ as Bristol Airport appeal dismissedGreen Party Councillors in North Somerset have said they are “distraught” after the Court of Appeal threw out an attempt to stop Bristol Airport expanding.
• Scottish train drivers and climate activists call for cheaper, more accessible public transportCheaper public transport would be good for the climate and the economy, Scottish activists argue.

News from Europe

• Frankfurt airport signs deal to use more wind powerFrankfurt airport operator Fraport has announced plans to power more of the German hub’s operations through wind power.
• Germany’s monthly public transport ticket gains 10 million subscribersOver 10 million people have subscribed to the €49 monthly ticket for all regional public transport in Germany, including local buses, trams, and trains.