Current News / Campaigns
TWPTUG Event : Climate Emergency and the Role of Public Transport, Monday Oct 14, 6pm at Royal Station Hotel (Collingwood Room). Speakers and panel: Norman Baker (Campaign for Better Transport), Jamie Driscoll (North of Tyne Mayor) and Cathy Massarella (Nexus).
NOT MANY TICKETS LEFT. Click here to sign up for FREE ticket.
About this Event: The UK government has set a target of reaching 'net zero' carbon emissions by 2050 and many local authorities have declared 'climate emergencies' to reduce their own emissions to avoid dangerous climate change. But what is the role of transport in tackling this important issue? What needs to be done to reduce transport's contribution of 30% of UK CO2 emisisons? How can we do this whilst ensuring fair and equitable access to jobs, services, and our region's attractions?
Somerset Council runs coaches to ‘up’ the competition
French city of Dunkirk tests out free transport – and it works
Transport policies at heart of Scottish climate change plan.
Vienna's euro-a-day public transport model could waltz into Berlin
The Economist: Europe is edging towards making post-car cities a reality
Newcastle Disability Forum, in conjunction with the local bus companies, are holding an Accessible Bus Day on Saturday 14th September at the RVI. Please see poster for details.
Teesside’s own ‘Uber-style’ bus network unveiled
Newcastle Chronicle - Newcastle's Labour leader renews calls for North East politicians to take control of bus network
TransportNetwork article - Burnham jumps aboard franchising bus
TransportNetwork article - Road run-off pollution killing London's rivers
TransportNetwork article - Sustrans highlights 'systematic barriers' to cycling
The U.S. Has a Fleet of 300 Electric Buses. China Has 421,000 | Bloomberg
Changing gear: what next for cycling in Bristol? | The Bristol Cable
Transport for New Homes: what do we need? A campaign group is seeking contributions to a checklist that can assess new housing in terms of how well it avoids car-dependency.
'Patchy, expensive and nonsensical' - what's up with Greater Manchester's bus service? Manchester Evening News report which reflects the national situation for bus services.
Five new electric car charging stations to be built in the North East.
Listen to Alistair Ford's interview on Radio 5 Live, broadcast on 7th March, discussing latest proposals for T&W to cut air pollution. Alistair is the Media Officer on TWPTUG's Management Committee. Interview is at 1h 45mins into the programme. You will need a BBC account to listen to the program. Easy to register if you haven't got one. Many thanks also to Alistair for his efforts!
Listen to Wendy Gascoigne's interview on Radio Tyneside, with Yvonne Bell, broadcast on 7th March, telling people about the work of PTUG in South Tyneside and beyond. Wendy is the Chair of STPTUG. Many thanks to Wendy for promoting PTUG! We are also grateful to Radio Tyneside for granting the interview.
TfL to trial on-demand bus services - The Transport Network.
Metro frequency 'will not be compromised', Newcastle Chronicle article, 4th February 2019. Open as a PDF.
Electric buses to hit the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead.
£3.5m for next steps of major rail project in south-east Northumberland.
Metro struggling to keep drivers due to attractive salaries at larger rail firms.
Help us save historic Borough Road Bridge in North Shields. We have an online petition which at the time of writing this has just over 250 signatures. We want to get that up to 500! If you haven't done so already, please take a few minutes to SIGN THE PETITION. Thanks!
Transport Committee visits Liverpool to hear about health of bus services.
Air pollution may be making us less intelligent.
Cambridge vision includes self-driving buses and metro.
2nd January 2019 Joint RMT and Labour Rail Campaign Day demo, protesting the 3.1% fare increases after one of the worst years in Rail History. See our Facebook event page for details.
Luxembourg to become first country to make all public transport free.
Check out the Transport Select Committee's report into the East Coast rail franchise failure.
Pedestrian Rights petition on 38 Degrees launched by TWPTUG Chair. Please sign and share.
Our buses aren't good enough - Better Buses for Greater Manchester petition to Mayor Andy Burnham. YOU CAN SIGN IN SOLIDARITY if you live outside of Greater Manchester; you don't have to be a Mancunian to express your support!
Bus firms pay fat cats £1.5 BILLION - while prices go up 55% and routes are axed - Mirror article.
"At our recent Officers Meeting. it was suggested I detach the sections of our Annual Report dealing with the bus service crisis (on pages 5 to 7 and the conclusion on page 19). On further thought I have enclosed the whole report as I believe the problems that confront the current provision of public bus services, apply also across other public transport services and have done for a number of years. My report has been written from a national perspective and while it includes much information from local groups I have tried to bring together the wider issues of congestion, change in working patterns and subsequent transport needs, particularly, those of younger people and of course, the impact of increasing car ownership and that impact on air pollution and our climate."
Response from Nexus about Metro issues - Shields Gazette article, 31st October (opens as a PDF).
Fall in local UK bus journeys to 12-year low prompts talk of crisis.
Second council signs cleaner air charter.
Electric vehicles and pavement clutter - click here to read Living Streets' response to the Prime Minister's announcement of measures to support the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs).
Guardian view on climate change: a global emergency - Editorial
UNICEF UK anti-pollution campaign - "EVERY CHILD'S BREATH
IS UNDER THREAT, LET'S CHANGE THAT". Please sign the petition on their website. Thank you!
The UK’s most congested cities and A-roads revealed.
Transport gap: London gets £419 more per head than north of England - Guardian article.
Guardian Opinion by John Vidal: Air pollution is a lethal blight that shames our politicians.
Labour launches rare bid to dock Transport Secretary Chris Grayling's wages by £2,400.
Grayling plans to put utilities under pavements to cut potholes.
Nexus timetable consultation 2018 - click here for results.
£4m 'rapid charging' vehicle points in place for Newcastle and Sunderland.
Government 'protects' free bus pass but LGA decries funding gap.
A 'Thank you' to the British people for privatising our railways - a short TSSA video.
Nexus' £8.4m rail training centre in South Shields gets the green light.
German court rules cities can ban diesel cars to tackle pollution
German cities to trial free public transport to cut pollution
Rail infrastructure investment to be investigated by Transport Select Committee.
Protests planned at UK rail stations to mark steep hike in fares: Guardian article.
Rail fares: Commuters 'priced out' by increases, campaigners say: BBC News article.
See Transport Committee's Chair, Lilian Greenwood MP, comments on 2018 rail fare increase.
Press Release: Passengers condemn another East Coast bail out
Budget November 2017: £337m grant (not PFI scheme) approved to improve Tyne & Wear Metro system:
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/budget-2017-live-stream-updates-13936784
Photos from the Transport Workshop at Newcastle Assembly Rooms on 16th October 2017
Statement from Nexus on the major disruption on the Tyne and Wear Metro on Sunday 29 October
Have your say on the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill!
RMT Arriva Northern Strike - planned picket lines and leafleting ....THURSDAY 5th OCTOBER 2017
Meet outside the arches, Newcastle Central Station - entrance to the staff car park.
RMT confirms a further two days of strike action on Arriva Rail North in guards' safety dispute:
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