http://www.heraldscotland.com/newsScottish Environment & Transport News | Herald ScotlandenCopyright 2012 Herald & Times Group all rights reservedSat, 26 May 2012 08:50:04 PDTCopyright 2012 Herald & Times Group all rights reservednoScottish Environment & Transport News | Herald Scotlandhttp://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/clyde-ferry-operator-may-face-charges.17699527http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/clyde-ferry-operator-may-face-charges.17699527THE operator of a publicly funded ferry service on the Clyde Estuary could face criminal charges for employing crew that were not adequately trained, The Herald has learned.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/fines-for-bus-lane-violations-less-than-expected.17701984http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/fines-for-bus-lane-violations-less-than-expected.17701984NEW bus lane enforcement powers introduced in Glasgow have resulted in nearly 6000 fewer fines than expected and avoided the fiasco produced by a similar clampdown in Edinburgh.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/legal-bid-over-ferry-contract.17691969http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/legal-bid-over-ferry-contract.17691969THE Scottish Government will go to the Court of Session today to get permission to sign a £243 million northern isles' ferry contract.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/auditors-to-probe-crisis-hit-ferry-firm.17692179http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/auditors-to-probe-crisis-hit-ferry-firm.17692179AUDITORS have been asked to look at a troubled Clyde ferry service which has been restricted to carrying only 12 passengers after it emerged the crew were not adequately trained.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/the-indian-dust-bowl.17504738http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/the-indian-dust-bowl.17504738HAMSAVENI Narayanachari holds the iron stake in the blue-orange flames of the home-made mud furnace.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/extra-trains-laid-on-for-olympics.17678068http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/extra-trains-laid-on-for-olympics.17678068THOUSANDS of extra seats will be provided on Virgin train services between Glasgow and London this summer to cope with Olympics visitors and growing demand on the route.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/aeroplanes-boost-for-barra.17678144http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/aeroplanes-boost-for-barra.17678144THE Scottish Government is to buy two new aircraft capable of landing on Barra's famous beach runway and lease them to whoever operates the service in the future.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/ferry-safety-fears-amid-claims-crew-lack-training.17680761http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/ferry-safety-fears-amid-claims-crew-lack-training.17680761DOUBTS about the safety of a beleaguered Clyde ferry crossing have been raised by MSPs after it emerged the crew had not been adequately trained and were operating the service in breach of regulations.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/council-in-u-turn-for-bus-lane-fines.17682741http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/council-in-u-turn-for-bus-lane-fines.17682741A COUNCIL has backtracked on new cameras that catch out drivers in bus lanes, with fines now to be written off.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/energy-expert-supports-offshore-wind-farm-plan.17667232http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/energy-expert-supports-offshore-wind-farm-plan.17667232AN internationally acclaimed authority on the economics of the energy industry is supporting plans for the 11-turbine offshore wind farm project, which has outraged US tycoon Donald Trump.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/20m-from-community-turbines.17671152http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/20m-from-community-turbines.17671152THE UK's largest community wind farm project is set to generate more than £20 million over the next two decades for local people, the scheme's backers have claimed.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/actor-joins-campaign-against-photo-ban-on-subway.17667395http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/actor-joins-campaign-against-photo-ban-on-subway.17667395TRANSPORT chiefs have been bombarded by hundreds of complaints after proposing fines of up to £1000 for passengers caught taking pictures or making recordings anywhere on the Glasgow Subway.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/rac-fears-spending-cuts-increase-risky-driving.17663439http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/rac-fears-spending-cuts-increase-risky-driving.17663439DRASTIC funding cuts for national road safety campaigns by the UK Government have led to an increase in risky driving behaviour, with more motorists using smartphones and driving under the influence of drugs, a survey by the RAC has found.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/first-class-boost-for-east-coast-trains.17671270http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/first-class-boost-for-east-coast-trains.17671270TRAIN operator East Coast has seen a surge of first class passengers travelling between Edinburgh and London after getting rid of Britain's last restaurant car a year ago.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/families-to-benefit-from-fuel-price-supermarket-discounts.17660276http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/families-to-benefit-from-fuel-price-supermarket-discounts.17660276FAMILIES are set to be the main beneficiaries of fuel discount offers launched by three of Britain's big four supermarkets ahead of next month's Jubilee celebrations, the Automobile Association has claimed.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/car-litter-penalties-supported.17656824http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/car-litter-penalties-supported.17656824More than 60% of drivers would support penalties for car litter louts, according to an AA/Populus survey.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/row-over-strike-breaker-clause-in-scotrail-contract.17659775http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/row-over-strike-breaker-clause-in-scotrail-contract.17659775A ROW over whether taxpayers should underwrite the cost of industrial disputes in the rail industry has broken out after MSPs called for a "strike breaker" clause to be removed from the ScotRail franchise agreement.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/size-of-rail-fines-come-under-attack.17659829http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/size-of-rail-fines-come-under-attack.17659829RAIL passengers who forget their tickets or misunderstand complicated ticketing rules are being hit with draconian fines and prosecutions, a rail watchdog has found.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/call-for-turbines-deals-to-help-local-people.17641262http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/call-for-turbines-deals-to-help-local-people.17641262URGENT action must be taken to ensure communities affected by large wind-farm developments can reap long-term benefits.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/500000-boost-for-reserve-bid.17641254http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/500000-boost-for-reserve-bid.17641254MEMBERS of the public have donated nearly £500,000 to a conservation charity to help save an area of wildlife habitat.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/chemical-weapon-could-lie-beneath-airbase.17641665http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/chemical-weapon-could-lie-beneath-airbase.17641665A POTENTIALLY unstable chemical weapon could be buried beneath an airbase that will shortly become home to over 900 army personnel.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/mps-demand-stricter-rules-to-assess-rail-service-punctuality.17637194http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/mps-demand-stricter-rules-to-assess-rail-service-punctuality.17637194TRAINS should be classed as late if they arrive more than a minute after their scheduled destination time, instead of being given up to nine minutes' more flexibility, an influential group of MSPs has said.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/secret-state-lobbying-for-scots-energy-giant.17637007http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/secret-state-lobbying-for-scots-energy-giant.17637007Westminster secretly lobbied the Indian government to give the go-ahead to a controversial multi-billion pound deal with a leading Scottish oil company, internal emails passed to the Sunday Herald reveal.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/outcry-at-subway-photo-ban.17634578http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/outcry-at-subway-photo-ban.17634578PASSENGERS on Glasgow's Subway will face fines of up to £1000 for taking photographs on trains or within stations under proposals that have provoked a backlash from business leaders, amateur photographers and civil liberties campaigners.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/petrol-prices-are-easing-says-aa.17619630http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/petrol-prices-are-easing-says-aa.17619630Hard-pressed motorists have enjoyed a respite from record-high fuel prices in recent days, the AA has said.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/cruises-appeal-to-young-generation.17616289http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/cruises-appeal-to-young-generation.17616289CRUISES are appealing to a younger generation of holidaymakers who appear unfazed by the recent Concordia disaster or their reputation as the holiday of choice for pensioners.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/operation-to-stop-gas-leak-on-oil-platform-under-way.17602336http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/operation-to-stop-gas-leak-on-oil-platform-under-way.17602336AN operation to stop a gas leak on a North Sea oil platform has got under way almost two months after the problem was first detected.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/north-sea-helicopters-to-resume-flying-operations.17604856http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/north-sea-helicopters-to-resume-flying-operations.17604856A FLEET of helicopters grounded after an emergency landing in the North Sea last week are to resume flying but undergo enhanced maintenance checks to ensure their safety.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/passenger-downturn-prompts-slump-in-airports-valuation.17605050http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/passenger-downturn-prompts-slump-in-airports-valuation.17605050THE value of Glasgow Prestwick airport has slumped dramatically after a downturn in passenger numbers ahead of a proposed sale by its New Zealand-based owner.http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/workers-refusing-to-fly-to-rigs.17596019http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/workers-refusing-to-fly-to-rigs.17596019SOME offshore workers are refusing to work in the North Sea after a helicopter ferrying rig workers ditched with 14 people on board, a union leader has claimed.nonadult