Back to the future: London unveils first fully electric taxi since… 1897 October 23, 2019 A completely electric taxi hit London’s roads today, although the first fully electric vehicle came to the capital more than 100 years ago. The zero emissions Dynamo Taxi, made from a converted Nissan e-NV200 Evalia MPV, was unveiled as a part of the International Clean Air Conference at City Hall. Read more: Electric taxi cab [...]
CMA fines concrete cartel £36m for pushing up prices for seven years October 23, 2019 A concrete cartel must pay a £36m fine for breaking competition law for almost seven years. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ordered three firms to cough up after fixing prices between July 2006 to March 2013. Read more: Audit watchdog calls on firms to improve reporting on climate change They also shared the [...]
Ulez charge drastically cuts London’s air pollution October 22, 2019 London’s pollution charges have significantly decreased levels of toxic gas emitted by vehicles, according to new figures. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan first introduced the Toxicity Charge in October 2017, which forced drivers of older diesel and petrol cars to pay £10 a day to drive in parts of London. Read more: Ulez should include [...]
Crossrail at risk of facing further delays October 22, 2019 Crossrail is increasingly likely to face further cost blowouts and delays, according to a new report. The £15.9bn underground rail line was due to open in December 2018, but now has a target date of between October 2020 and March 2021. Read more: Crossrail to renegotiate pay with Bechtel However, a new report from Jacobs [...]
British flight ban to Sharm el-Sheikh lifted, as airlines eye resort for summer 2020 October 22, 2019 British holidaymakers could soon have the chance to return to the popular Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh, after the government lifted a ban imposed in 2015. Flights to the resort town were suspended after 224 people were killed by the bombing of a Russian airliner, which was linked to the so-called Islamic State group (Isis). Read [...]
MPs slam ‘inconceivable’ judgement of Thomas Cook auditor EY October 22, 2019 Thomas Cook’s auditor, EY, has faced a barrage of criticism from MPs, who called it “inconceivable” that accountants judged it a sustainable business in the year leading to its collapse. Bosses at EY and PwC, two of the so-called big four accountancy firms, were hauled in front of the business select committee this morning as [...]
Travis Perkins halts sale of plumbing and heating unit amid ‘unprecedented’ uncertainty October 22, 2019 Travis Perkins has put the sale of its plumbing and heating business on hold due to an “unprecedented level of uncertainty” in the market. The building materials distributor had decided to tell the unit last December in a bid to simplify and cut costs. Read more: Travis Perkins confirms plans to demerge Wickes But the [...]
On the Beach swoops in for Thomas Cook market share after collapse October 22, 2019 Package holiday firm On the Beach has jumped at the opportunity created by the collapse of Thomas Cook, it said today, nudging shares up in early trading. The London-listed firm said the failure of the 178-year-old travel giant has “created an unprecedented opportunity to take additional market share at an increased rate”. Read more: Thomas [...]
Grant Shapps accused of ‘recycling’ year-old green number plate plan for electric cars October 22, 2019 Transport secretary Grant Schapps has come under heavy criticism for “recycling” a year-old announcement to introduce green number plates for electric cars. His department this morning asked the industry for feedback on whether to give bright green number plates to zero-emission cars, in a bid to encourage people to buy electric vehicles. However, the plan [...]
Boeing ‘regrets’ leaked 737 Max Whatsapp messages October 21, 2019 Boeing has said it understands the clamour over leaked messages from a former test pilot over erratic software behavior on its 737 Max jet two years before recent crashes. US regulator the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday ordered Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg to give an “immediate” explanation for the delay in turning over [...]