Summer getaway: Dover ‘critical incident’ blamed on French border staff being ‘woefully inadequate’ July 22, 2022 Dover authorities have slammed “woefully inadequate” staffing levels at the French border, with queues on UK motorways tailing back for miles. Ferry operators told travellers to leave several hours to account for delays, while motoring group RAC urged drivers to set off early in a bid to beat long queues. There was a perfect storm [...]
Ryanair boss calls for ‘more common sense’ in implementing post-Brexit immigration rules July 22, 2022 Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary has called for “a bit more” of common sense on the government’s side when implementing post-Brexit immigration rules. The Irish executive urged transport secretary Grant Shapps to allow EU workers to work in the UK and ease the ongoing travel chaos. “We have this bizarre situation at the moment that in [...]
Rail union reissues strike ballots after first vote misses legal threshold July 21, 2022 The union TSSA has reissued ballots for strike action at four train operators after earlier votes didn’t reach the legal threshold for walking out. The ballots will be held at West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, Northern and TransPennine Express from 28 July to 25 August. The initial ballots gave the union a mandate for action [...]
FirstGroup US bidder granted deadline extension July 21, 2022 FirstGroup’s US bidder I Squared was given until 18 August to make a firm offer for the transport giant. The company said it allowed the deadline extension as discussions with the US private equity were still ongoing. This was the second extension in a month provided to I Squared after FirstGroup rejected its £1.9bn offer [...]
Motorists warned of disruption as fuel price protesters stage demonstrations July 21, 2022 Fuel price protests are expected to create disruption across the country tomorrow. According to an image posted on the Facebook group ‘Fuel Price Stand Against Tax,’ demonstrations are set to be held nationwide – impacting major urban areas and thousands of people embarking on their summer holidays. Avon and Somerset Police told motorists to expect [...]
Government repeals ‘1970s-style’ restrictions on strikebreakers July 21, 2022 Replacing striking staff with skilled agency workers will now be possible under the legal changes made by the UK Government. Approved by both Commons and Lords, the cross-sector changes will help ensure “crucial public services and people’s lives remain uninterrupted” by the strikes. The measure comes on the heels of a wave of industrial action [...]
Chaos after TfL backtracks on early closure of Central Line due to staff shortages July 21, 2022 Confusion reigned for Londoners this afternoon following TFL’s announcement the Central Line would close early due to staff closures – before uturning on the decision shortly after. Thousands of commuters were concerned as to how they might get home from the City, after an announcement by Transport for London (TFL) the line would shut by [...]
Britons brace themselves for hour-long queues at Dover ahead of school break July 21, 2022 People embarking on their well-deserved summer holidays are currently stuck in hour-long bottlenecks at the port of Dover. Ferry operator P&O told passengers to “allow sufficient time” to clear the queues before checking in. “There are currently major queues at border controls in Dover,” the company said in a tweet. “If you miss your ferry, [...]
Overseas travel down by third as Brits shun holidays abroad for UK getaways July 21, 2022 Britons might be shunning holidays abroad in favour of a UK getaway as overseas travel has gone down by a third. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, visits overseas went down to 5.6 million in April this year – 33 per cent below 2019 levels. Whereas searches for UK destinations went up [...]
Regulators call on airlines to comply with consumer law if they want to avoid enforcement July 21, 2022 The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have warned airlines they could face enforcement action if they fail to comply with consumer law. In a joint letter sent to carriers today, the regulators said they were concerned about consumers experiencing harm “unless airlines meet their obligations” and “minimise flight disruption [...]