Why London black cabs might ferry you around the Tokyo Olympics January 21, 2020 Londoners visiting Tokyo this summer will find a small part of home on the streets of the Japanese capital, after a fleet of London black cabs comes to the city in time for the Olympic Games. The London Electric Vehicle Company, the UK-based maker of the plug-in hybrid version of London’s black cabs which is [...]
Government doubles funding for electric car charge points to £10m January 21, 2020 The transport secretary has announced a fresh wave of funding to build thousands more on-street residential electric vehicle charge points this year. Grant Shapps said he hoped to help make it easier to find “affordable, reliable” charge points for electric car drivers by doubling current funding to £10m. This is enough to build up to [...]
Uber boss Khosrowshahi met with TfL commissioner to discuss London ban January 20, 2020 Uber’s chief executive met privately with TfL’s boss in recent days amid a brewing legal battle over the US ride-sharing firm’s future in the capital. Dara Khosrowshahi met TfL commissioner Mike Brown to discuss the dispute, Sky News reported. The meeting, which had not been disclosed, happened while Khosrowshahi was on his way to Davos [...]
HS2 Q&A: Where is the route, how much will it cost and when will it open? January 20, 2020 Today’s forecast that the cost of HS2 could soar as high as £106bn will come as no surprise to close observers of the project. The number, calculated by infrastructure consultant Michael Byng, is in line with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s prediction last year that the project will come in “north of £100bn”. But the figure [...]
HS2: Pressure mounts on Boris Johnson from all sides after leaked review January 20, 2020 Britain’s business groups have demanded Boris Johnson press on with the HS2 rail line as soon as possible, as the pressure mounts on the PM to make a decision on the divisive project. It comes amid today’s revelations that the government-commissioned review of the scheme is set to predict the cost could rise to £106bn. [...]
HS2 costs could hit £106bn, leaked review warns January 20, 2020 Building HS2 could cost up to £106bn, according to a leaked government-commissioned review that reportedly outlines a 20 per cent rise in costs to the UK infrastructure project. The review into the controversial high-speed rail link project warns of “considerable risk” that costs could balloon further from HS2’s original budget of £32.7bn. The government has [...]
Boeing reveals new software issue could further delay 737 Max return to service January 18, 2020 Boeing has revealed it is addressing a new software issue on the grounded 737 Mac which could further delay its return to service. The aircraft maker discovered an issue relating to its power-up monitoring function that verifies some system monitors are operating correctly, during a technical review in Iowa last weekend. “We are making necessary [...]
Flybe’s government rescue deal is much smaller than you think January 17, 2020 Regional airline Flybe has hit back at claims by its competitors that it has received favourable treatment from the state, after it struck a rescue deal with the government earlier this week. The struggling carrier sought to correct reports that the government had deferred a tax bill of more than £100m to keep it aloft. [...]
Government faces accusations of lying over Flybe rescue package January 17, 2020 The recriminations surrounding the government’s rescue package for Flybe grew yet again this morning, as Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary accused the state of a cover-up of the true terms of the deal. O’Leary has already written to chancellor Sajid Javid threatening legal action over what he calls illegal state aid to one of his competitors. [...]
Flybe or not to Flybe? This bailout flies in the face of market economics January 17, 2020 The philosophy of the market is based on the idea that the key to a prosperous economy is competition. Fair and vibrant competition, the argument goes, spurs businesses to improve quality and reduce prices, benefiting consumers and fuelling economic growth. Companies that struggle should be allowed to fail, making room for more agile or innovative [...]