School buses add cameras to catch drivers endangering kids

School districts nationwide are trying out video cameras as a way to deter drivers from passing buses that are loading or unloading children.

Districts in Dallas County, Texas, Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland and Cobb County, Ga., are among the latest to test the cameras on some school buses in their fleets.

Michael Warner, associate director of fleet maintenance for the Cobb County School District, says an incident there in December 2009 prompted them to install cameras on two of their buses last spring.

“A bus was stopped, unloading students, and a car behind the bus stopped and a second car behind that car swerved, went around the right side of the bus and ran over a kindergarten girl and killed her,” Warner says.

Warner says the stop-arm cameras were added to a digital video system already on the buses. “The digital video system runs between $1,500 and $1,800, and we pay an extra $200 for the stop-arm camera,” he says.

Warner says the school district works with the local police department concerning violators, and the police have conducted stings where violators have been caught.

“A couple of months ago, they were able to catch five violators that they pulled over,” Warner says.

Montgomery County’s cameras were installed last summer. Lesli Maxwell, spokeswoman for Montgomery County Public Schools, says they are on 96 of about 1,200 buses.

“It’s very much a pilot program at this point,” she says. The cost, she says, is $500 per bus to install the equipment.

Although the cameras have captured video of drivers bypassing a stopped bus, Maxwell says no Maryland law allows that video footage to be used for ticketing drivers.

Safety regulations for lorries that transport workers

Under the Road Traffic Act, lorries cannot be used for private passenger transport. However, the Road Traffic Act provides an exception for owners and hirers of lorries to use their vehicles to transport their workers to and from their lodgings and places of work, or between their places of work, subject to the following requirements:

* The lorry must not travel faster than the posted road speed limit or the vehicle speed limit of 60 km/h, whichever is lower.


* The workers must be properly seated in a manner that would not cause them to fall off the vehicle.


* The lorry must not carry an excess number of workers based on the minimum deck space requirement of 0.372 square metres (or 4 square feet) per seated worker. If goods or equipment are also transported, the number of workers that may be carried is reduced according to the remaining floor area available.


* Lorry owners who wish to use their lorries to carry their workers must display a Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) label on the right side of the rear tailboard indicating the maximum number of workers that can be transported.


* If goods are also transported, they must be properly secured such that they will not endanger the workers carried or other road users.


* No part of the seated worker, when he is in a seating position shall be more than 1.1 metres from the carriage deck. This is to lower the risk of a worker falling off from the back of a lorry

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world's biggest transport plane

The Antonov An-225 was designed for the Soviet space program as a replacement for the Myasishchev VM-T. Able to airlift the Energia rocket's boosters and the Buran space shuttle, its mission and objectives are almost identical to that of the United States' Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
The An-225 first flew on 21 December 1988. The aircraft was on static display at the Paris Air Show in 1989 and it flew during the public days at the Farnborough air show in 1990. Two aircraft were ordered, but only one An-225 (tail number UR-82060) was finished. It can carry ultra-heavy and oversize freight, up to 250,000 kg (550,000 lb) internally, or 200,000 kg (440,000 lb) on the upper fuselage. Cargo on the upper fuselage can be 70 metres (230 ft) long.
A second An-225 was partially built during the late 1980s for the Soviet space program. The second An-225 included a rear cargo door and a redesigned tail with a single vertical stabilizer. It was planned to be more effective for cargo transportation. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the cancellation of the Buran space program, the lone operational An-225 was placed in storage in 1994.The six Ivchenko Progress engines were removed for use on An-124s, and the second uncompleted An-225 airframe was also stored. The first An-225 was later re-engined and put into service.
By 2000, the need for additional An-225 capacity had become apparent, so the decision was made in September 2006 to complete the second An-225. The second airframe was scheduled for completion around 2008, then delayed. By August 2009, the aircraft had not been completed and work had been abandoned.
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Mexico changes in energy, transport Cabinet posts

Mexican President Felipe Calderon shuffled his Cabinet on Friday, changing the two ministers in charge of energy, communications and transportation in order make the government "the infrastructure administration."

Calderon said he wants the fresh Cabinet secretaries to provide better roadways and more accessible telecommunications services to Mexicans. In its first four years, Calderon's administration has largely become known for its offensive against drug cartels.

U.S. airline costs outpace revenues

U.S. airline costs outpaced rising revenue, labor productivity and efficiencies in the third quarter despite an improving financial system, the Air Transport Association said Thursday.

ATA, the trade group representing the major U.S. airlines, said carriers' expenses - measured by the "composite cost index" - rose 5 percent, to 209.8, in the third quarter compared with 2009's third quarter, exceeding the 1.2 percent increase in the U.S. shopper Price Index.

The composite airline cost index remains about 110 percent higher than its level of 100 in 2000, ATA economists told.

"The third-quarter results highlight the continued importance of offsetting the rising costs of doing business through operational efficiencies, productivity gains and diversification of revenue streams," told ATA Chief Economist John Heimlich. "Thanks to a strengthening economy and the continuing efforts of airlines to adapt to a volatile environment, the raise in costs did not stand in the way of profitability this (third) quarter.

Coffee spill diverts United Airlines flight, Transport Canada says

A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, was diverted to Toronto this week after the pilot dumped a cup of coffee on the plane's communication's gear. The unwanted liquid triggered a series of emergency codes, including one for a hijacking, according to Transport Canada, the agency that regulates transportation in Canada.

"With the help of their company dispatch staff, the flight crew was confirmed the trouble to be a NAV(navigation)/communication issue and not a valid code 7500 (for a hijacking or unlawful interference)," Transport Canada said on its website.

Flight 940 at first was going to return to Chicago, but then diverted to Pearson International Airport in Toronto where it landed without incident around 10 p.m. Monday.

United had little to tell about the coffee spill that led to the diversion, and did not acknowledge that the caffeinated beverage had anything to do with it.

AirTran Airways Introduces Sale For Travel To All Of Airline's Destinations

Concerns have been raised that warning signs like high cholesterol are being seen in the young, laying the foundation for future health troubles.

But the research of more than 500 people found those with high cholesterol at 15 could normalise it by their mid-30s.

The Australian study is published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Participants in the Australian research had levels of cholesterol and other blood fats measured in 1985 when they were aged 9, 12 or 15.

NTSB slaps American

Federal officials have banned American Airlines from an investigation into Wednesday’s runway overrun at Jackson Hole Airport after airline workers inappropriately accessed flight recorder information from the 757.

While en route to the National Transportation Safety Board’s recorder laboratory in Washington, D.C., American Airlines personnel diverted the digital flight information recorder and the cockpit voice recorder to Tulsa, Oklahoma, the NTSB announced Friday.

“During this incident investigation, the security Board learned that the recorders were flown to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where American Airlines technicians downloaded information from the [digital flight data recorder]; the [cockpit voice recorder] was not accessed by American,” NTSB officials told in a statement Friday.

Beijing shows public transport gusto with new subways

Costing almost 61 billion yuan ($9.2 billion), the newly constructed lines most connecting the distant and dusty suburbs to the city center bring Beijing's subway network to 336 km (209 miles).

That distance is just a fraction of what the city government has planned, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said reporters at the unveiling of the city's No. 15 line.

Beijing aims to have a 561-km-long subway network by 2015, and is planning for between 700 and 1,000 km by 2020, Li Xiaosong, the deputy director of the commission said Reuters.

Russia PM Putin scolds transport officials amid freeze

Mr Putin castigated government officials at a televised meeting, pointing to transport chaos and power cuts triggered by icy weather conditions.

More than 8,000 people got stuck at Moscow's Domodedovo airport because they had not been warned, he said.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled at Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports.

"There will be no holidays until a particular order is given. Everyone must be at work," he told cabinet ministers and regional governors.

"The situation is hard, but thankfully not catastrophic, and our task is to make sure it does not escalate to catastrophic levels," he said.

An-22 military transport aircraft crashes in central Russia

The Russian Antonov military transport aircraft crashed overnight on Tuesday in the Tula region south of Moscow, killing 11 people on board, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Itar-Tass cited a source from the Russian Defense Ministry's information division as saying the An-22 aircraft had been flying from Voronezh to Tver when it disappeared from radar screens around 9:30 pm Moscow time (1830 GMT) on Tuesday.

The news group quoted a Russian law enforcement official as confirming all 11 crew members were dead.

Transport Workers In Bolivia Strike Due To Rise In Fuel Prices

Bus drivers and other transport employees in Bolivia began an indefinite strike Monday in protest against an increase of more than 70 percent in the price of fuel.

The drivers are striking due to a 73 percent raise in gasoline prices and an 83 percent increase in the cost of diesel fuel. The Bolivian government said it raised prices to encourage more fuel production in Bolivia and to cutdown on the smuggling of cheap, subsidized fuel across Bolivian borders to other countries.

Allegiant flight attendants vote for union representation

Flight attendants at Allegiant Airlines voted in favor of representation by the Transport employees Union, the union told Wednesday.

The vote with 62% in favor of representation - marks the first time flight attendants have voted in favor of a union under the fresh federal rules that call for a simple majority decision in airline and railroad union representation elections.

It's also the first employee group of the airline, a subsidiary of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co., to seek union representation, notes the Las Vegas Sun.

"Allegiant is a fine place to work, and now it's going to get better," said Kristi Cohen, an Allegiant flight attendant, in a statement. "Now we've got a voice on the work. Once we can negotiate about our schedules, work rules, and other issues, we'll be full partners in growing the business."

Fresh snowfall disrupts rail and air transport across Europe Read more: Fresh snowfall disrupts rail and air transport across Europe

Thousands of air travelers remained stranded and train services were severely disrupted as fresh snowfall and sub-zero temperatures worsened Europe's Christmas travel chaos.

For the fifth consecutive night, several hundred stranded passengers slept on camping beds at Germany's biggest airport in Frankfurt as the authorities struggled to cope with the tension building up among those still unable to catch a flight.

The airport operator Fraport has been trying to improve the services for stranded passengers and offered them free drinks and snacks after a brawl at Lufthansa's check-in counter previous Saturday.

Air New Zealand, Virgin Blue Get Alliance Approval

New Zealand Transport Minister Steven Joyce gave the deal a green light, a week past Australia's competition regulator approved the alliance.

"More sustainable competition, cost savings and the commitment both airlines have made to maintain trans-Tasman traveler numbers will be major benefits of the alliance," Joyce said in a statement.

Joyce's approval applies for three years, the same time period agreed to by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The carriers will be allowed to coordinate costs, scheduling, capacity and routes for flights between Australia and New Zealand.

High-speed rail route to avoid sensitive spots

The planned route of a fresh high-speed rail line has been altered to deal with serious concerns about its impact of local communities and countryside, the Transport Secretary said today.

Philip Hammond will unveil the preferred path for the expensive and controversial HS2 line from London to Birmingham on Monday and is hoping to calm opposition to it among several Conservative MPs.

Residents' groups and home councils are also vehemently against the line which will pass through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other Tory heartlands.

Snow and ice cause chaos as Christmas rush hit by transport delays

The return of arctic situation was disrupting the Christmas getaway today as motorists were warned that almost no area of Britain would escape the potentially lethal driving conditions while No 10 was forced to deny there was a heating oil crisis.

Flights and trains were cancelled as the UK's transport network once more threatened to buckle as a result of snow and ice.

Aberdeen, Norwich and Belfast airports have all suspended flights and Gatwick is in discussion with airlines including easy Jet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic amid worries that snow will close the runway for at least part of tomorrow.

Fresh Transport Strike Hits Greece

Employees at Greek public-transport companies walked off the job Thursday in a 24-hour strike that has led to early-morning traffic chaos on the streets of Athens.

During the morning rush hour, television images showed traffic jams stretching for kilometers on different main arteries of the city as Athenians resorted to private transport to get to work.

The strike, which has affected bus, trolley, tram and subway services, is the second all-day strike by public-transport employees this week and comes after a nationwide common strike Wednesday that paralyzed the country and led to violent protests in Athens. Rail workers at the national railroad company, OSE, are also striking Thursday.

China drives growth in int'l air transport

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Geneva said on Dec. 14 that the focus of international air transport industry is moving east, and China has become the key driver for development in the industry.

Giovanni Bisignani, Director General of the International Air Transport Association said that the profit forecast of the international air transport industry in 2010 is 1.5 billion U.S. dollars with a net profit margin of 2.7 percent.

"More than half of the expected profit is from the Asia-Pacific region, which totaled 7.7 billion U.S. dollars, and China has made great contributions by continuing to increase earnings expectations this year," said Bisignani

Greek Public Transport Workers Hold Second Strike Amid Wage Cuts

Public transport in Athens and train services across Greece shut down for a second 24-hour strike in less than a week as the government prepare to push through wage cuts to meet pledges in a 110 billion-euro ($147 billion) bailout package.

The metro in the Greek capital, used by 620,000 people every day, along with buses, trolleys and trams, won’t run at all today. Intercity trains are also canceled. The strike will be repeated on Dec. 16 and follows a series of walkouts since Dec. 8. ADEDY, the largest public-sector union, and General Confederation of Labor, or GSEE, Greece’s biggest private- industry union, will hold a three-hour walkout today, before a planned common strike tomorrow.

Public transport employees wages will be trimmed at least 10 percent under a bill to be voted on in parliament later today as Prime Minister George Papandreou deepens cuts to meet targets under the European Union-led rescue package.

Qantas repairs drip shields after mid-air failure

An aeroplane carrying more than 350 people made an emergency landing at Bangkok airport.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its last report today and found the aircraft lost electrical power because drip shields failed to stop overflowing water entering electrical equipment.

The water affected cabin lighting and the aeroplane's communication navigation, including autopilot.

Qantas was also advised to develop its maintenance process which failed to pick up on the equipment deteriorating.

SpaceX Reaches First Milestone for Commercial Space Transport

A privately constructed spacecraft has successfully lauched into orbit around world and returned after several hours.

Space exploration company SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft propelled from Florida's Cape Canaveral in the United States on Wednesday morning.

NASA's official website reported the launch and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk as saying: "There's so much that can go wrong and it all went correct ... I'm sort of in semi-shock."

Greek Public Transport Workers Go on Strike Against Salary Cuts

Public transport in Athens and train services across Greece are shut down today as state workers protest against salary cuts in wages and bonuses and the reorganization of state-controlled companies.

The metro, used by 620,000 Athenians every day, along with buses, trolleys and trams, will not work all day according to a spokesman at the Athens Urban Transport Organization, who declined to be named. Intercity trains were also canceled, according to an e-mailed statement from Hellenic Railways.

The metro system usually operates from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. and is the main link between the city center and Athens International Airport. The strike will not affect operations at the airport or ferry services at the port of Piraeus.

Delta Air Lines CEO to Chair Air Transport Association Board

The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade association representing the leading U.S. airlines, announced today that Delta Air Lines CEO Richard H. Anderson has been elected chairman of the ATA Board of Directors. Southwest Airlines Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Gary C. Kelly was named vice chairman.

"Richard Anderson is a best leader and a proven chief executive, with the necessary credentials to further propel the mission of ATA as it faces the challenges and priorities in this next Congress," said ATA President and CEO James C. May. "Richard Anderson, Gary Kelly and incoming ATA President and CEO Nick Calio will complement each other as the association's board representatives with the administration and the latest Congress."

"I look forward to working cooperatively with the administration, Congress and regulatory agencies to advance initiatives that support continued improvements in the financial health of the U.S. aviation industry and maintain our focus on safety," said Anderson. "Airlines are a vital industry in the U.S. and give 11 million jobs annually. Our association's focus is to move tax and regulatory oversight in a direction that fosters growth and makes us an even stronger economic engine for America."

Nissan’s Two-Seat Electric Car

Nissan Motor Co. released pictures today of an electric concept car called the New Mobility Concept. The tall, two-seat car that resembles a Smart Fortwo, is part of a broad transportation program the car maker is studying, which includes car-sharing and raised mobility for older drivers.

Nissan, which is about to start selling its Leaf electric sedan later this month, says it is looking closely at the possibilities presented by electric vehicles. The car maker says one proposal under development involves sustainable, efficient and convenient transport tailored for elderly and single households.

No end in sight to Cape Town train strike

Train users in the Western Cape might have to make alternative travel arrangements as strike by Metrorail employees in the province looks set to continue, union Utatu said on Wednesday.

United Transport and Allied Union general secretary Chris de Vos also warned that it could spread to other provinces if workers’ grievances are not sorted out. He could not say when the strike would stop.

About 600 000 passenger journeys are made on Metrorail trains each day, company spokesperson Riana Scott said.

Commuters only found out about the cancelled trains on Wednesday morning as Metrorail was “unable to inform them before”, Scott told News24.

NET Holdings, Murphy enter Eagle Ford gas transport agreement

A unit of NET Holdings Management LLC executed a long-term, fee-based natural gas transportation contract with Murphy Exploration & Production Co. USA covering a 100,000-acre dedication in the dry gas portion of the Eagle Ford shale.

Eagle Ford Midstream LP, a wholly owned subsidiary of NET, will build a 110-mile gas pipeline primarily delivering pipeline-quality gas to Tilden, Tex., in McMullen County, where it will interconnects with NET's LaSalle Pipeline and Transco Pipeline. LaSalle Pipeline is a 53-mile, 16-in. OD intrastate gas pipeline extending through McMullen, LaSalle, and Frio counties, providing complete gas supply requirements to a 200-Mw power plant. A second phase of the Eagle Ford Midstream pipeline will include deliveries to interstate and intrastate pipelines at the Agua Dulce hub in South Texas.

Eagle Ford Midstream is holding an open season for additional transportation services on its pipeline method. The pipeline's ultimate capacity and delivery points will be determined by customer interest, the company says.

Government invests in railway civil engineering jobs

The transport secretary has announced that the government will spend in a number of civil engineering jobs relating to the overhaul of Britain's railway infrastructure.

Philip Hammond announced that the £6 billion Thameslink development programme, which involves transformative construction work at London's Blackfriars, Farringdon and London Bridge stations, would go ahead in its entirety.

Moreover, civil engineering employment could also benefit from the government's decision to proceed with the electrification of lines between London and Reading, Didcot, Newbury and Oxford and between Liverpool, Manchester, Preston and Blackpool.

Mr Hammond asserted: "At a time of severe force on public spending, it would be tempting to cut back on investment in our railways.

Greek Strike Disrupts Public Transport

A three day strike by Greek seamen combined with a three-hour work strike by public and private-sector unions protesting the government's austerity measures disrupted public transport across capital Athens on Thursday.

Coastal ferries and passenger ships remained docked at ports across the country for the second consecutive day after the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation extended its strike for extra 48 hours.

Hundreds of little Greek islanders without airports had no other means of access to the mainland due to the strike that began on Tuesday. The industrial action left medication and food supplies unattended in trucks and containers at ports.

The seamen are demanding job protection, creation of an independent unemployment fund and a two per cent increase in wages.

ADEDY, the main union for public employees, called a three-hour work stoppage beginning 12 noon and a protest rally outside the Parliament. GSEE, Greece's private-sector union representing two million workers, also joined the stir.

Unions: Portugal Strike Halts Factories, Transport

Tens of thousands of employees walked off the job in Portugal Wednesday, idling ports, trains and stores in the biggest strike in three years, part of a union-led protest against government plans to cut public-worker salaries and raise taxes.

The strike comes as Prime Minister Jose Socrates and his socialist government struggles to restore confidence in its economy and avoid becoming a victim of the government-debt crisis that has brought Greece and now Ireland to the brink of economic collapse. Portuguese bonds have taken a beating in current days as investors remain skeptical about the government's ability to slash the budget deficit.

"The country is imposing very harsh measures and the ones who will suffer are the employees, who had nothing to do with making the crisis happen in the first place," said Rita Silva, an official of the opposition Left Bloc, the fourth-biggest party in parliament.

Accompanied by a dozen youngsters banging on drums in central Lisbon, Ms. Silva added that "our salaries and benefits will be cut. Meanwhile banks and bankers maintain to lead their normal lives."

Report: Agents boozed it up while transporting nukes

Federal agents hired to transport nuclear weapons and components sometimes got drunk while on convoy missions, a government watchdog told Monday.

In an incident last year, police detained two agents who went to a bar during an assignment.

The Energy Department inspector general's office reviewed 16 alcohol-related incidents involving agents, candidate-agents and others from the government's Office of Secure Transportation between 2007 through 2009. Nearly 600 federal agents ship nuclear weapons, weapon components and particular nuclear material across the U.S.

Two incidents in particular raised red flags, the report said, because they happened during secure transportation missions while agents checked into local hotels while on extended missions. In these cases, the vehicles were placed in "safe harbor," meaning they were moved to secure locations.

In one case, in 2007, an agent was arrested for public intoxication. The other occurred last year, when police handcuffed and temporarily detained two agents after an incident at a bar.

Air transport group critical of Brazil's airports

Brazil's overburdened airports cannot meet demand and are a "growing disaster" that could embarrass the country during the upcoming Olympic games and World Cup if they aren't improved, the head of the world's top airline association said.

The language used by Giovanni Bisignani, CEO of the International Air Transport Association, to describe Brazil's overwhelmed airports at an industry conference Thursday was some of the harshest criticism yet leveled at the nation on the topic.

"Brazil is Latin America's largest and fastest growing economy but air transport infrastructure is a growing disaster," he told industry leaders at a meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association in Panama. The organization represents 230 airlines around the world.

"To avoid a national embarrassment, Brazil needs bigger and better facilities for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics," Bisignani said. "But I don't see progress and the clock is ticking. The time for debate is over."

Brazil's robust economic growth has resulted in increased demands on air travel. Thirteen of the country's 20 largest domestic airports cannot accommodate existing demand, and the situation is critical in Sao Paulo, South America's biggest international hub, Bisignani said.

Southwest Airlines Attendants Approve New Rules for Larger Boeing Plane

Southwest Airlines Co. flight attendants approved contract revisions that will enable the carrier to buy a larger-model Boeing Co. 737 to carry more passengers on popular routes.

The vote was 3,126 to 569, the Transport Workers Union said in a statement today. The revisions provide for an additional attendant on the 175-seat 737-800 and extend the current contract by one year to 2013.

Southwest, the largest discount carrier, is considering switching existing orders for some 737-700s to the -800, which has 28 percent more seats and is more fuel efficient. The Dallas-based airline is the largest operator of Boeing 737s, the only type of aircraft it flies.

“It’s a vote of confidence in ongoing progress at Southwest,” Thom McDaniel, president of TWU Local 556, said in the statement. “We are fully involved in the growth and expansion of our company.” The union represents 9,700 attendants at the carrier.

The larger plane will let Southwest boost seating capacity even as it holds its fleet of 737s steady, taking new aircraft only as replacements for older ones. Southwest will also be able to pack more passengers on high-demand routes and fly to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Serbia to Spend $380 Million on Transport Infrastructure in 2011

Serbia will require to spend 30 billion dinars ($380 million) next year improving its underdeveloped transport infrastructure, an “essential condition” for more foreign investment and economic growth, said Verica Kalanovic, minister for the country’s national investment plan.

She said that the amount shouldn’t undermine the government’s plan to narrow its plan deficit to 4 percent of gross domestic product, as agreed with the International Monetary Fund.

The ministry plans to co-finance hundreds of projects proposed by other ministries and local governments totaling more than $1.4 billion, Kalanovic said.

Metro-car contract gets final go-ahead

The funding for the Montreal métro-car replacement contract received last approval Tuesday.

Consortium partners Bombardier Transportation and Alstom Transport confirmed the final go-ahead from the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) for the $1.19 billion contract. The contract for the 468 métro cars, or 52 nine-car trainsets, was signed on October 22, 2010.

Bombardier’s share of the contract is $719 million and Alstom’s is $471 million.

Bombardier said the “design, manufacture and final assembly” would be done at its facilities in La Pocatière and Saint-Bruno. Alstom will do some sub-contracting work in Sorel-Tracy and Montreal.

“The first prototype train is to be delivered in June 2013,” the consortium said, “followed by the base order deliveries that are scheduled to take position between February 2014 and September 2018.”

Work begins to remove M4 bus lane

Work to remove an unpopular bus lane on a busy motorway near Heathrow Airport is due to start.

The 3.5-mile lane on the M4 west of London was introduced in 1999 by the then Transport Secretary John Prescott.

But it was rarely used and not always enforced and the recent Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced earlier this autumn that the lane was being suspended until the 2012 London Olympics.

The Highways Agency is set to begin work, with traffic expected to be able to use the lane later this week.

Mr Hammond said: "Scrapping the M4 bus lane is symbolic of this Government's decision to end the war on the motorist.

"It ends the injustice suffered by thousands of drivers who sit in traffic next to an empty lane day in day out.

"We will monitor the suspension over the next 18 months, but my intention is to scrap the lane permanently after the London 2012 Olympics are over."

US transport panel urges 15-cent fuel tax hike

One way to bite into the U.S.'s massive deficit is to hike oil taxes, President Obama has been advised.

According to the Journal of Commerce, Obama's deficit cutting panel delivered plans for transportation policy that includes a gradual 15-cent raise in federal fuel taxes.

The bipartisan panel said in a draft statement that there should include increases in the per-gallon "gasoline tax" starting in 2013.

Fuel taxes that go into the Highway Trust Fund include fees on diesel fuel, the Journal notes, but the combined taxes are often described simply as gas taxes.

The proposal may face headwinds, however. Obama, himself, is on the record as being against raising fuel taxes while the economy is still fragile.

Republicans on that panel are more focused on slashing expenses on federal programs to cover transport requirements.

Boris Johnson unveils Ballymena built double-decker

The latest bus, which will be manufactured by Wrightbus, will go into service in London in time for the 2012 Olympics.

A life-size mock-up of the double-decker was unveiled at the London Transport Museum's depot at Acton on Thursday.

Wrightbus was awarded the tender in December.

The Mayor has been a long time champion of London's famous Routemaster bus which is the inspiration for the design.

"Standing on the rear platform of this delectable bus brings back a sense of nostalgia but conversely also demonstrates the quintessence of the newest technology and design, making this bus fit for 21st century London," he said.

"It is wonderful to see how those two-dimensional designs we unveiled in May have been forged into this amazing bus and I for one cannot wait to be launching the buses when they first enter traveler service in 2012."

The new bus will have an open platform similar to the old Routemaster buses and will see the return of the traditional hop-on-hop-off service.

American, Japan airlines antitrust immunity approved

American Airlines and Japan Airlines have been granted last approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation for antitrust immunity in their plan for cooperative flying between North America and Asia,officials said Wednesday.

DOT's approval clears the way for the two airlines to launch their trans-Pacific joint business in early 2011, airline executives said. The combo will offer travelers additional travel options and greater flexibility, the executives said.

"We appreciate the thorough review that DOT has given our request for antitrust immunity that will allow us to move forward with our cooperative business," said Tom Horton, president of Fort Worth-based American. "We also look forward to officials from the United States government and the government of Japan signing an Open Skies agreement, which will allow for additional flights between the United States and Japan."

The DOT approval follows that by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and gives the foundation for the two airlines' joint business agreement.

"We would like to express our gratitude to everyone involved in making this positive decision, and will from hence, go ... towards creating more benefits for our passengers, our companies, our financial supporters and our countries," said Masaru Onishi, president of Japan Airlines.

American plans to start its new nonstop daily service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Tokyo's Haneda International Airport on Jan. 20.

German nuclear waste train gets by protests

A train carrying nuclear waste to northern Germany has reached its destination, despite more than 3,000 protesters trying to stop it during its three day-trip from France.

The train, with 14 cars, arrived Monday in the town of Dannenberg with 123 tonnes of nuclear waste.

The waste will transported by truck and be stored in a salt mine in the city of Gorleben, between Hamburg and Berlin. The trucks are expected to meet additional protesters.

During the trip, police used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to stop protesters, who held sit-ins on the tracks and attempted to sabotage the rail by removing the gravel bed.

Police say removed about 3,000 protesters from the tracks Monday about 30 kilometres from Dannenberg.

Activists say the waste containers and the temporary storage site in Gorleben are not safe.

They have called the train "Chernobyl on wheels."

CBC reporter Ann MacMillan said the transportation of nuclear waste is always contentious in Germany, but is more so this time because earlier this year the German government reneged on a promise to shut down the country's nuclear power plants by 2021, instead moving the shutdown date to 2033.

"That decision has infuriated many voters and makes this particular shipment of nuclear waste a focus for the discontent," she said.

Leeds transport chief renews plea to ease rail overcrowding

The transport secretary should visit Leeds to experience the epidemic of overcrowding on the city's trains, a transport chief has said today.

Longer rail franchises and a fairer distribution of government transport funding are among the answers to rail overcrowding, said Metro Chairman Chris Greaves today.

Responding to a report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee that says overcrowding on trains in West Yorkshire will increase beyond already unacceptable overcrowding levels, Greaves said that franchises of 15 to 20 years would provide the incentive for rail operators to invest in new carriages.

Greaves told BBC Radio's Five Live that according to the Department for Transport's own figures, since 2004 the Leeds City Region has seen growth in rail users of 34%, the highest in the country.