Upfront cost of electric cars putting customers off August 2, 2021 The upfront cost of buying an electric vehicle is putting people off buying one, new research from Which has found. According to a recent survey by the consumer group, more than a third (34 per cent) of potential buyers cited costs as the reason they might not buy one. That is despite the fact that [...]
Rishi Sunak warns Boris Johnson travel restrictions are ‘out of step’ August 1, 2021 The Chancellor has warned Boris Johnson that the UK’s travel restrictions are “out of step” with its international rivals as he pushes for holiday rules to be relaxed, according to reports. The Sunday Times reports today that Rishi Sunak has written to the Prime Minister about the damage that the current border rules are doing [...]
Court rules Grant Shapps’ plan to build £1.7bn tunnel near Stonehenge is ‘unlawful’ July 30, 2021 Transport secretary Grant Shapps was found to have made a “material error of law” over his controversial road building plans that include a tunnel near Stonehenge. In a court ruling on Friday, Shapps’ decision to approve the £1.7bn scheme to overhaul eight miles of the A303 and build a two-mile tunnel near Stonehenge was ruled [...]
BA owner IAG dives to fresh €2bn loss July 30, 2021 British Airways owner IAG today plunged to a €2bn (£1.7bn) half year loss as continued travel restrictions continue to batter the airlines group. In the second quarter, the FTSE blue chip said that its airlines flew at a combined capacity of 21.9 per cent. For the coming period, it expects this to rise to 45 [...]
Eurostar boss calls on UK to hike airline taxes to fund rail link July 30, 2021 The boss of Eurostar has said that the UK should tax airlines more in order to pay for the cross-Channel rail link. In an interview with the Telegraph, Jacques Damas said such a step would help the government to achieve its net zero ambitions. He also said that the £250m shareholder rescue in May would [...]
Chip shortage to cut Renault production by 200,000 cars this year July 30, 2021 Renault this morning warned that it would lose production of 200,000 cars this year as a result of the global semiconductor shortage. The figure is double the shortfall that the French car giant had previously forecast. However, despite the fall in production the firm said that it was on track to turn a profit for [...]
New travel rules are a stark reminder of previous government failures July 29, 2021 Even Boris Johnson’s most vocal supporters would admit the government’s Covid travel policy, insofar as it has had one, has been wracked with inconsistencies, confusion and inaction. Dominic Cummings’ suggestion that Johnson outright refused to implement a coherent travel policy in the second half of last year appears to be painfully true when confronting the [...]
New frontier: UK renews outdated space policies as giants seek commercial travel July 29, 2021 The UK is set to start regulating commercial space travel from today, as an increasing number of companies look to capitalise on the race to the stars. Before appointing its first-ever space travel regulator, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), the global legal framework surrounding commercial space travel appeared a relic of the Cold [...]
Watch: Suez ‘blocker’ Ever Given container ship arrives in Rotterdam July 29, 2021 The Ever Given container ship, which blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week in March, finally arrived in the Dutch port of Rotterdam earlier today. Watch the full report.
Open waters: International cruises to welcome passengers again July 29, 2021 International cruises will be allowed to restart next Monday after an extended break due to the coronavirus crisis. Months after domestic cruises restarted, international cruise lines operating in EU, UK, and US waters are finally allowed to welcome passengers onboard at 4am on 2 August but many companies say this won’t be possible until later [...]