British-built Nissan Qashqai crowned UK’s bestselling car of 2022 in boost for domestic manufacturing January 5, 2023 Nissan’s Qashqai has become the first British-built car to top the annual sales charts since 1998 in a welcome boost for UK car manufacturing. Data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows the hybrid SUV was Britons’ favourite car in 2022, with over 42,000 purchased over the past 12 months. [...]
London’s congestion levels soar as train drivers’ strike wreaks havoc January 5, 2023 London’s congestion levels soared this morning as the train drivers’ strike forced millions of commuters to drive into the capital. Data published today by Tomtom shows that congestion levels were between 42 and 62 per cent earlier this morning, up from an average of between 30 to 50 per cent. “Today’s rail strike has yet [...]
Strikes: Sunak plans to let employers sue unions and sack staff, but in what sectors? January 5, 2023 Rishi Sunak may announce new strike legislation to enforce minimum service levels, which allow employers to sue their unions and sack workers. The revelation comes as another 48-hour strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) led to widespread disruption across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday. Today, services are being be [...]
Ryanair’s profits ‘will rise’ as recession forces passengers to opt for cheaper fares January 5, 2023 Low-cost airline Ryanair has raised its profit guidance for its full year 2023 to between €1.32bn (£1.16bn) and €1.42bn (£1.25bn). This is a 25 per cent boost on its initial range of between €1bn and €1.20bn. Analysts at Liberum raised Ryanair’s forecast after a better than expected third quarter; Ryanair carried 11.5 million passengers in [...]
The Super Strike: Which London train lines and buses have been affected by today’s walkouts? January 5, 2023 Rail passengers face a third consecutive day of travel disruption on Thursday because of a strike by train drivers – and once again it has seeped into the London transport network. Services are being be crippled by the walkout by members of Aslef at 15 rail companies in a long-running dispute over pay, with some [...]
2022 worst year for UK car production in decades, but sector hopes to bounce back January 5, 2023 2022 was the worst year for car production in the UK since 1992, according to new data published today. Figures from automotive trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that car registrations totalled 1.61 million in 2022, only just higher than 1992’s 1.59 million. Last year’s output was down 700,000 units [...]
Ryanair passenger levels jump as low-cost carriers weather recession January 4, 2023 Ryanair reported a jump in passenger levels today in a sign that low-cost carriers are managing to weather the cost-of-living crisis. Figures published today show that the low-cost airline carried 11.5 million passengers in December, 21 per cent up on last year’s levels. Numbers were also up on November’s 11.2 million travellers. Load factor – the [...]
Rail strikes push people to buy cars as disruption hits millions January 4, 2023 More drivers are looking to own a car as the ongoing rail strikes cause misery for millions of people, according to new data. Data published today by automotive marketplace Auto Trader shows that the percentage of people choosing to buy a car due to the unreliability of the public transport system has jumped from 36 [...]
Airlines ‘extremely disappointed’ by wave of China-targeted Covid restrictions January 4, 2023 The global industry body for airlines has said it is “extremely disappointed” by countries’ decisions to introduce restrictions on travellers from China after Covid cases have skyrocketed in the country following Beijing’s decision to ditch its zero-Covid policy. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 300 airlines across the globe, described the wave [...]
RMT to resume rail strikes talks with government on Monday January 4, 2023 The RMT will resume talks over ongoing rail strikes with the government this Monday, according to union boss Mick Lynch. Lynch told GB News that government officials contacted the RMT earlier this week to “get a meeting in” early next week. The announcement comes as over 40,000 workers at Network Rail and 14 other train [...]