Category Archives: Transport

‘Snail rail’: ACT chief challenges Albanese government to upgrade Canberra-Sydney train line

Posted on by

Exclusive: High-speed rail advocates support call from Andrew Barr, saying even gradually beginning track duplication could cut travel times in half within a decade

ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, has challenged the federal government to upgrade the snail-like Canberra-Sydney train line, calling for cheaper upgrades as a “no brainer” even if a true high-speed line has to wait.

Noting that the federal government has earmarked the Newcastle-Sydney corridor as the first priority for its new High Speed Rail Authority, Barr even raised the prospect of developing part of a Canberra corridor at the same time.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Car pollution kills more Australians than crashes, new research finds

Posted on by

The University of Melbourne study estimated that 11,105 people die prematurely from transport emissions, many more than past figures

Pollution from motor vehicles could be killing thousands more people than road accidents, with new research finding more than 11,000 Australians die prematurely every year from transport emissions.

The study from the University of Melbourne also found vehicle pollution could be putting more than 19,000 people in hospital for heart and lung issues, and causing asthma cases to spike by 66,000 each year.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia’s high-speed rail should be rolled out in small stages with Sydney to Canberra first, experts say

Posted on by

Exclusive: Progressive upgrades of existing sections will pave the way for a proper link between major cities, lobby group says

Labor should pursue its high-speed rail ambition by progressively upgrading sections of the existing train corridor, starting between Sydney and Canberra as the cheapest and quickest way to deliver fast trains by the end of the decade, transport planning veterans argue.

Committing to an inaugural section of track that is relatively straightforward to build – as opposed to the tunnelling megaproject required for the Sydney to Newcastle corridor earmarked as a priority by the Albanese government – will prove high-speed rail as a concept in Australia after decades of inertia, according to advocacy group Fastrack Australia.

Continue reading...

London Underground drivers to strike on 15 March

Posted on by

The 24-hour strike kicks off on budget day in dispute over pensions and working arrangements

London Underground drivers are to strike on 15 March – budget day – in a dispute over pensions and working arrangements.

The Aslef union announced on Wednesday that members would strike for 24 hours, in a row over changes to working arrangements and pensions.

Continue reading...

Self-driving vehicles from overseas face ban in England and Wales

Posted on by

Delivery of rental cars using remote driving could be outlawed after Law Commission recommendations

The remote driving of vehicles from overseas, such as for the delivery of rental cars, could be banned following a government-commissioned review.

The review was carried out by the Law Commission of England and Wales, which recommended ministers regulate the technology.

Continue reading...

Four English councils bring half of legal actions for blue badge misuse

Posted on by

Two-thirds of local authorities did not prosecute anyone for disabled parking scheme fraud, data reveals

Four councils are responsible for bringing more than half of the prosecutions in England for people abusing the use of disabled parking badges.

Figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) show that Lambeth, Birmingham, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Bromley carried out 54% of all legal cases for people misusing the blue badge system, for the year up to the end of March 2021.

Continue reading...

RMT announces further national rail strikes

Posted on by

Strikes to begin on 16 March after union rejects offers from train operators and Network Rail

The RMT union has announced further national strikes and wider action on the railways after rejecting offers from both train operators and Network Rail last week.

The union’s 40,000 members across Network Rail and 14 train operators will strike on 16 March. Train staff will walk out for three further days, on 18 and 30 March and 1 April.

Continue reading...

Heathrow has busiest start to year since before Covid lockdowns

Posted on by

More than 5.4m passengers travelled through airport in January, double the 2.6m from 2022

Heathrow airport had its busiest start to the year since before the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in 2020 as travel restrictions continued to ease, according to data published on Monday.

More than 5.4 million passengers travelled through the UK’s and Europe’s busiest airport in January, double the 2.6 million from 2022, Heathrow said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.

Continue reading...

British woman undertakes trip from London to Edinburgh using only £2 local buses

Posted on by

Thousands are following and supporting Emily Turner’s epic journey on Twitter

A British woman undertaking an epic three-day expedition from London to Scotland using only local buses has expressed her surprise at the level of support from thousands of people following the chronicles of her journey on Twitter.

Writer and podcast host Emily Turner, from London, began her nearly 400-mile journey in the early hours of Friday, announcing on Twitter: “I’ve been wanting to do this for YEARS!!”, explaining that she “loves buses” and promising to share photos and observations along the way.

Continue reading...

Schemes to boost walking and cycling ‘must take women’s safety into account’

Posted on by

DfT also says bids for new £200m funding pot for England could include plans for better school routes and inclusive street designs

Council bids for a £200m funding pot to boost walking and cycling must “take women’s safety into account”, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).

A 2021 Office for National Statistics study showed half of women felt unsafe walking after dark in a quiet street near their home.

Continue reading...

Labor urged to halve $8bn a year in fuel tax credits for trucks and heavy vehicles

Posted on by

Reforming the scheme would shrink the budget deficit and help Australia hit net zero emissions by 2050, the Grattan Institute says

The Albanese government has been urged to halve the $8bn a year in fuel tax credits it gives mining trucks, semi-trailers and other heavy vehicles, with a new report finding changes are crucial for budget repair and meeting emissions targets.

Fuel tax credits have been “gnawing away an ever-growing share of fuel tax revenue”, with only half of the current amount spent justified in economic or social terms, according to a Grattan Institute report released on Monday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

NSW plan to offer emissions offsets with car registration sends wrong message, critics say

Posted on by

Government told to focus on boosting uptake of electric vehicles, public transport, cycling and walking rather than offset ‘gimmick’

Drivers in New South Wales will be offered the chance to buy carbon offsets when they renew their car registration in a step critics have described as a “gimmick” that could undermine efforts to cut transport emissions.

The NSW treasurer and energy minister, Matt Kean, announced the scheme on Friday saying it would give people “looking for practical ways to take action on climate change” more ways to cut their emissions.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Almost one in 10 local bus services axed over last year in Great Britain

Posted on by

Exclusive: cuts come despite government’s levelling up promise to improve transport connectivity

Almost one in 10 local bus services were axed in Great Britain in the last year despite government promises to improve local transport connectivity being a key pillar of its levelling up agenda.

The reductions – equivalent to more than 1,000 registered routes – follow the publication of a national bus strategy for England in 2021, aimed at improving routes and service frequencies. The figures suggest the “bus back better” strategy, conceived under the then prime minister Boris Johnson, has failed to halt the decline in local bus services.

Continue reading...

‘Tolls discriminate’: western Sydney residents face $60 a day levy to drive into CBD

Posted on by

Driving into central Sydney from city’s west costs almost twice as much as commuting from east and south of the city

Ammar’s daily commute from Bankstown to Barangaroo in Sydney’s CBD can cost him almost $60 a day, an amount he describes as “ridiculous”.

“It feels like we are paying a tax for living in western Sydney – and … the further out west you are, the more you pay.”

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

RMT has received new pay offer from train operators, union says

Posted on by

Companies have made a ‘final offer’ to union including pay rise of 9% over two years

The RMT has received a fresh offer from train operators, the union said, raising hopes of a breakthrough in the long-running pay dispute.

Talks have been ongoing in London this week with the RMT and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train firms, as well as separately with Network Rail.

Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak criticised after third domestic RAF jet flight in 10 days

Posted on by

Labour hits out at PM’s ‘recklessly expensive habits’ after latest flight to event in Lancashire

Rishi Sunak has been criticised for taking a domestic flight in an RAF jet for the third time in 10 days.

The prime minister flew on a 14-seat aircraft to an event in Lancashire to hold the first of what is due to be a series of events where he will take questions from the public.

Continue reading...

‘Undermine our road safety’: promised rewards for ‘safe’ NSW drivers criticised by experts

Posted on by

Labor and the Coalition promise to ease penalties for ‘low-level’ offences if they win the state election

Election promises by the New South Wales government and the Labor opposition to reward “safe” drivers have been met with scepticism by industry experts, with one accusing both sides of buying votes and failing to advance road safety.

The Coalition on Wednesday promised that drivers with a three-year clean driving record would be able to avoid fines for low-level offending, including low-range speeding, disobeying some signs and driving in a bus lane, if re-elected.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Nurses to strike again as ministers prepare to introduce ‘spiteful’ bill

Posted on by

Industrial action also set to escalate in other sectors while government gears up anti-strike legislation

A wave of further teaching, ambulance and civil service strikes is likely to move forward this week as nurses are set for their second major period of industrial action.

While ministers signalled a new deal may be close with the rail unions, strikes looked set to escalate in other sectors as ministers geared up to introduce controversial new anti-strike legislation to the House of Commons on Monday.

Continue reading...

Ministers to unveil anti-strike laws as disputes continue to paralyse UK

Posted on by

Business department says bill will enforce ‘basic’ level of service from different sectors during stoppages

Ministers are to unveil controversial new legislation designed to curb the effectiveness of strike action as industrial disputes continue to paralyse services across the UK.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has previously said the bill will enforce a “basic” level of service from different sectors if workers choose to strike.

Continue reading...

Myki cards to make way for phones on Victoria’s public transport system, Daniel Andrews says

Posted on by

Premier says he believes best practice allows for passengers to use their own ‘handheld devices’

Victorians will be able to use their phones to touch on to Melbourne’s trains, trams and buses when the state’s public transport ticketing system is replaced later this year, the premier has confirmed.

Daniel Andrews told reporters in Epping, in Melbourne’s north, on Tuesday that the tender process was currently under way for an operator that would ensure public transport users benefited from the latest technology.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...