British boy band Take That have announced that they will be touring the UK following the release of their new album Circus.   

The boys courted media attention recently because their album shared its name with Britney Spears’ comeback effort.

Although the tour is not due to begin until June 2009, fans are no doubt booking their tickets, coaches and car hire for the performances in cities up and down the country.

The tour will begin in Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on June 6th and will conclude with a series of dates at the Manchester Old Trafford Cricket Ground and London‘s Wembley Arena.

In a statement, the band said: “All of us are really looking forward to getting back on the road again next summer.

“We can think of no better way to thank everyone for their support and loyalty over the past three years.”

Take That’s latest album, Circus, will be released on December 1st.

A new bus and coach station is to open in West London this weekend.

The White City bus station will be officially unveiled on Saturday (November 29th) and is expected to serve 10,000 passengers a day.

As well as serving the local community, the terminal will also improve access to the recently-opened Westfield centre.

Interchange will be available for passengers heading to the White City Estate, the BBC Television Centre and the new Wood Lane Tube station.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Despite a collective tightening of the nation’s wallets, the capital’s buses are defying the economic downturn as passenger numbers continue to rise.

“This superb new bus station will be a real boon for local people and for shoppers going to Westfield.”

The station will include a supervisor’s office and a rest-room for drivers, as well as baby changing facilities and public toilets.

A total of nine routes will serve the station, with 135 buses due to pass through the terminal each year.

The Mayor of London will invest £168.3 million on local schemes in a bid to make transport in the capital “safer”.

Transport for London (TfL) allocates funding for local schemes based on borough spending and Local Implementation Plans (LIPs).

Peter Hendy, London’s transport commissioner, remarked that this was the “largest-ever” funding announcement.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson also highlighted the introduction of a new flexible £100,000 award, which boroughs can “spend as they choose”.

He said the scheme would help “make travelling safer, more accessible and more environment-friendly, helping to improve the quality of life for people across London”.

The announcement follows the mayor’s decision to abolish the western extension to the London congestion charge zone.

TfL is expected to lose an estimated £70 million in charges that would have been accrued through the scheme.

A leading charity has outlined a series of policies which could cut the carbon emissions of UK transport by a quarter by 2020. 

The Campaign for Better Transport has highlighted a number of ways in which the government could act to lessen the environmental impact of this aspect of British life.

A document detailing the exact policies will be released on December 1st, but the organisation has indicated the goals to which its proposals are aimed.

They include lowering car traffic by 15 per cent and the reduction of passenger travel emissions by 32 per cent over the next 12 years, from 2006 levels.

When travelling in a group to an event or special occasion a great way to cut down the number of vehicles needed is by booking corporate travel, which allows many more people to use a single means of transport.

Not only might this lower the overall carbon footprint of the journey but it could also work out as a good way to save money too.

The Campaign for Better Transport was founded in 1973 and is dedicated to lobbying the government on transport policies and issues on behalf of the UK public.

New proposals to improve traffic flow in the capital could give cyclists the right to ignore red lights.

Under a new initiative being considered by transport chiefs for London, cyclists could be allowed to ride through red traffic lights if they are turning left.

The controversial new proposals are designed to reduce the risk posed to cyclists turning left by buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles performing the same manoeuvre.

Transport for London (TfL) are awaiting permission from the Department for Transport to run trials following their application.

Rob Gifford, director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, warned that the trials could prove controversial among pedestrians.

He said: “Pedestrians might well say, ‘What about us when we are crossing on a green man and a cyclist comes around the corner?’

“‘On one hand we want cyclists to obey the law but on the other we let them ‘break’ the law.’”

The proposals could also prove controversial among motorists, such as limousine and car hire drivers that encounter cyclists on the city roads regularly.

This announcement follows the launch of the TfL Cycling Safety campaign to be shown in cinemas earlier this month, which urges motorists to be aware of cyclists on the road.

The western extension of the congestion charge zone in Central London will be removed, the mayor of London has announced.   

Boris Johnson has signalled that the controversial scheme, which charges drivers £8 between the hours of 07:00 and 18:00, will cease after consulting members of the public and businesses.

Mr Johnson said: “Londoners have spoken loud and clear and the majority of people have said that they would like the scheme scrapped.

“One thing everybody should be assured of is my determination to make it easier for Londoners to get around our great city.”

In excess of 28,000 participated in the consultation, which found that 69 per cent supported the phasing out of the extension.

While a specific timetable for the alterations is yet to be announced, TfL have stated that the earliest it would take place is 2010.

The western extension was introduced by Johnson’s predecessor Ken Livingstone in February 2007.

The wagon has come a long way since it was a scorned model in a manufacturer’s line up – once upon a time the boring one, the one which meant you had bought a car for purpose rather than looks or style.

Well Subaru are about to give the wagon world another shake up with the proposed release of their newest model, the multipurpose Exiga minivan. The Subaru Australia Managin Director Nick Senior is close to signing off on the new model, with a decision expected to be reached next month.

Subaru have commenced testing the Exiga but require more discussions before the new addition is confirmed. If the Exiga is signed off on in January, it can then be expected to be released late next year. The Exiga is also expected to be available in just one model, most likely a naturally aspirated 2.0 litre four cylinder – not a turbo engine however.

In the Japanese vehicle market the Exiga would have to take on the Mazda CX-7 and the Toyota Kluger, the Kluger starting at $45,000 (£20,900). Compared to its other Subarus, the Exiga wagon is slightly wider, longer – with an 80 mm longer wheelbase – and taller than the Outback, while still being able to share its key hardware with the models. For example, the front suspension has been taken from the Forester and the rear multi-link system is from the Impreza. The extra height also ensures plenty of room for the passengers seated in the third row.

The release of the Exiga would not put it in direct competition with Subaru’s existing seven seater the Tribeca, Senior believes, as they appeal to very different groups and demographics. This ensures that the newest release Subaru will have something to offer to the right passenger, with of course the consummate class and comfort Subaru is already famous for.

A meeting to discuss issues surrounding the licensing of limousines in Wales is due to take place in Newport tomorrow (November 27th).

Limousines are regulated as either private hire vehicles (PHV) or as a public service vehicle (PSV), which have slightly differing conditions of licence.

There are also exemptions for car hire limousines that are used for weddings and funerals.

It is hoped the meeting, which will be attended by both Welsh local authorities and traffic commissioners, will help develop a “common and consistent approach” to licensing and enforcement.

Welsh traffic commissioner Nick Jones said: “Traffic commissioners are responsible for regulating PSV operators and stretch limousines have proved a difficult issue for both traffic commissioners and local authorities for a number of years.

“Operators of stretch limousines whose vehicle are not properly licensed could find they are not insured for the work they are doing, which then means passengers are not safeguarded in the event of an accident.”

A new survey has been announced in London as part of Boris Johnson’s plan to improve transport ahead of the Olympics.

The Mayor of London revealed the transport survey as part of the Equal Life Chances For All document to ensure the whole of London benefits from the Games.

Residents are invited to give their views on transport in the capital in an attempt to identify ways in which access can be made easier.

It is hoped that improving accessibility will make it easier for locals and visitors to reach the many hotels and attractions in London.

Deputy mayor Richard Barnes said: “London is a great world city and ‘Equal Life Chances’ will help strengthen the economy and improve quality of life for all Londoners.

“The Mayor wants to use his role to try and lobby government and work with boroughs to ensure Londoners have access to education and skills training, wages they can live on, good transport and affordable housing.”

Visitors to London can enjoy coach or car hire to make their journeys in the capital even more memorable.