The 18-month delay in securing the transport bill was a sign of Downing Street's uneasiness with Mr Prescott's plans.

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Refinements get lost in translation, more quality controls are required, and time zones and transport schedules delay prototyping and production.

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And now the leader of North Somerset Council, Nigel Ashton, has said there is a very clear message from the Department for Transport that further delay is unacceptable.

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Lee Waters, director of the transport charity Sustrans Cymru, says the delay is not surprising.

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Louise Ellman, who chairs the House of Commons transport committee, has written to Transport Secretary Justine Greening asking her to delay signing the contract.

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Transport Minister Danny Kennedy's announcement of the delay prompted concerns over the future of the service and the potential impact on Derry's year as UK City of Culture.

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However, the company admitted that the new A400M military transport aircraft has been beset with technical problems, forcing it to delay its first flight.

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Speaking to the Commons environment, transport and regions committee, Environment Minister Michael Meacher denied the government had decided to delay the measure until after a general election.

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Mr Fender, chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) committee in charge of Metrolink, said the delay had been caused by a tram management system not being available "within the prescribed timeframe".

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Now there is a week's delay for its operational start as it didn't get its new vehicle certificate in time from the Department for Transport (DfT).

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