New austerity threatens rail investments

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Business

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Traffic Minister Doris Bures may be forced to pull the plug on an extensive railway infrastructure project. Bures said in September that 100 train stations all over Austria would be renovated by 2014. The infrastructure minister also presented plans to improve the country’s railroad network in the coming years. The People’s Party […]

Kids seatbelt initiative planned

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Politics

Lawmakers have presented a new awareness campaign to further increase kids’ safety in cars as the number of unprotected young passengers is in decline. Social Democratic (SPÖ) Traffic Minister Doris Bures announced yesterday (Weds) 5,526 drivers were reprimanded or fined for failing to buckle up children in their vehicles last year, down sharply from 2007 […]

Bures rejects ÖBB sale suggestion

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Business

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Infrastructure Minister Doris Bures has labelled a debate over whether Federal Railways (ÖBB) should be privatised as “superfluous.”New People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter hit the headlines at the weekend by announcing she could imagine selling ÖBB to reduce the soaring state debt.Fekter said she “would have no problem” with privatising […]

Cycling helmet law for kids planned

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Politics

Austrian decision-makers have revealed plans to introduce a cycling helmet law for children.Social Democratic (SPÖ) Traffic Minister Doris Bures said in a TV interview yesterday (Sun) that she was in favour of a decree forcing everyone under the age of 10 to wear helmets while cycling.Bures explained that the law was part of a traffic […]

Passengers to bear the brunt as government introduces flight ticket tax

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Business

Airlines have vowed to pass extra costs on to customers after the government’s announcement to set up a tax on tickets.The federal coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and People’s Party (ÖVP) announced on the weekend it will charge every ticket for a flight from Austria to another European country with eight Euros from next year. […]

AUA reduces its losses

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Business

Austrian Airlines (AUA) bosses have said they will continue to carry out the ongoing cost-cutting regime as the firm suffered losses of 67 million Euros in the first half of this year.Operative losses reached 93.5 million Euros in the first six months of 2009.AUA co-chiefs Peter Malanik and Andreas Bierwirth announced today (Thurs): “Our measures […]

Bures rules out flight ticket tax

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Business

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Infrastructure Minister Doris Bures has rejected calls for a taxation of flight tickets.The German government coalition of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) recently announced plans to charge tickets from next year to force aviation companies into doing their bit to help restore the state […]

Budget petrol station businessman eyes Vienna, reports say

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Business

Alarm bells are ringing at petrol stations across Vienna as a canny Salzburg businessman is reported to have plans to open a budget station later this month.Business dailies report today (Thurs) Markus Friesacher considered taking his Salzburg success story to the federal capital. The entrepreneur’s Hofer stations caused a stir – and kilometre-long tailbacks – […]

BZÖ wants ÖBB privatisation

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Business

Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) boss Josef Bucher has suggested to privatise parts of indebted Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to help the company to recover.The head of the opposition party said today (Thurs) the government should list some departments of the struggling firm, which is close to the state, on the stock market. […]

Lauda admits drink-driving sins

Categories
General News

Three-time F1 champ Niki Lauda, who is spearheading a controversial anti drink-drive campaign using graphic images of injured children, has admitted driving drunk.The 61-year-old told German daily Bild today (Mon): “I drove after drinking something a few times 20 years ago. You don’t think about the dangers when you are younger.”Speaking about the campaign launched […]