American Airlines has opened its first office in Cuba despite Trump uncertainty February 2, 2017 American Airlines has formally opened its first office in Havana, Cuba, despite uncertainty on US President Donald Trump's approach towards the country. It comes two months after the airline's first scheduled commercial flight from the US to Havana in over 50 years. The airline said the flight and the new office underlined the company's commitment to [...]
Nimbyism in decline as housing shortage bites February 2, 2017 The construction of new homes is now a top five priority for voters, with increasing numbers of people willing to support housing projects in their local area. A report by the Centre for Policy Studies, a think tank, suggests attitudes to new builds have changed dramatically over the last ten years. Citing a British Social [...]
Third runway set for take off: Government unveils Heathrow expansion national policy statement today February 2, 2017 Transport secretary Chris Grayling will today set out the government’s proposals for Heathrow expansion with a draft national policy statement. It comes after the High Court delayed a legal challenge to the third runway earlier this week. This marks the start of a 16-week national public consultation for the huge infrastructure project, giving people across the UK [...]
Volkswagen agrees to pay at least $1.2bn to US vehicle owners of big diesels February 1, 2017 Volkswagen has agreed to pay at least $1.2bn (£950m) in buybacks and compensation to owners of larger diesel engines affected by the firm's emissions scandal in the US. According to court documents filed late on Tuesday, VW has agreed to pay the total to fix or buy back nearly 80,000 polluting 3.0 litre diesel-engine vehicles, to [...]
Southern commuters launch legal claim as DfT faces fresh scrutiny over its handling of the crisis with National Audit Office investigation February 1, 2017 Southern rail commuters announced today they have launched a legal claim in an attempt to force the government to take action over the service. An application for a judicial review of the Department for Transport's (DfT) handling of the crisis has been filed by lawyers for the Association of British Commuters. A group spokesperson said: "It is right that [...]
Mayor’s concessions to the unions over Tube strikes will cost £17m a year, say GLA Conservatives February 1, 2017 Efforts to avoid a repeat of this month's hugely disruptive Tube strike will come at a hefty cost, GLA Conservatives have warned. London Underground (LU) bosses have been in fresh talks with the RMT union to try and avoid more walkouts starting at the end of this week. As part of its proposals made to both the RMT [...]
How will the rail fare shake-up affect you? February 1, 2017 By now you’ve probably heard the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, is switching up the fare system for passengers in a trial. RDG has acknowledged the current setup is “baffling” for passengers and has said it wants to make sure people are offered the cheapest possible fares. So you’re probably wondering how it’ll [...]
Wizz Air slashes profit forecast as low prices and bad weather take their toll February 1, 2017 Wizz Air has cut its profit forecast for the full year due to falling prices and the impact of particularly bad weather. The figures The largest budget airline in Central and Eastern Europe carried 20.1 per cent more passengers than last year – pushing the total for the three months to the end of December up [...]
Good news: UK train ticket pricing is getting an overhaul February 1, 2017 It's been a tough few months for train travellers – but finally, there's some good news. The UK's ticket pricing system is getting a much-needed facelift to scrap overpriced routes and make it easier for passengers to buy the cheapest tickets. Some fares for longer, connecting train journeys will be removed because cheaper options exist. [...]
The Department for Transport pledges to improve accessibility on trains for disabled people February 1, 2017 The Department for Transport (DfT) has committed to improving disabled access to toilets on trains and stages. Clearer information will be made about the availability of accessible toilets in advance of journeys and the DfT will work with train companies to assess how staff training can be improved. It added that where facilities are out [...]