Buses for trains? Unions say government plans will boost Go-Ahead revenues December 21, 2016 Unions have once again accused the owners of Southern rail of cashing in on the industrial action that has blighted the network. During Parliamentary questions yesterday, rail minister Paul Maynard revealed officials were working with the bus and coach body, the confederation of passenger transport, to "determine how bus and coach operators can best assist with providing [...]
London mayor Sadiq Khan brings in minimum salary of £23,000 for the capital’s bus drivers December 21, 2016 The mayor of London's office announced today that a new 'minimum professional London bus driver wage' will be introduced to apply to all new Transport for London (TfL) contracts awarded to bus companies from April next year. Sadiq Khan said he was taking the first step towards fulfilling his election manifesto promise to provide a new fairer deal for [...]
Volkswagen agrees to compensate more owners of emissions-cheating diesel vehicles in the US December 20, 2016 German automaker Volkswagen has taken another step to make good on its emissions-cheating scandal. Today, the company agreed on a mix of buybacks and fixes for around 80,000 3.0-litre diesel VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles, a US federal judge said in a San Francisco hearing. The German software developer for the VW diesels, Robert Bosch GmbH, also agreed in [...]
Uber’s financials just leaked – here’s how much it lost December 20, 2016 Uber's losses clocked in at $800m in the third quarter of the year, according to leaked documents. It brings total losses to more than $2.2bn for the first nine months of the year, while revenues for the startup are expected to come in at $5.5bn for the year, according to the figures first reported by The Information, indicating [...]
Flying high: 48-hour walkout by airport staff called off December 20, 2016 Strikes by airport staff which had been planned for 23 and 24 December have been called off. More than 1,500 workers at Swissport, including baggage handlers, cargo crew and check-in staff across 18 airports, had been due to start a 48-hour walkout on Friday in a row over pay. This has now been cancelled following successful [...]
From crackers to cranberry sauce: 10 Christmas items that’ll be confiscated if you sneak them into hand luggage December 20, 2016 Don't get too too swept away in the spirit of Christmas. At least not to the extent where you're trying to shuffle onto a flight to visit family with a handbag stashed with mincemeat and brandy butter. That's what's London City Airport is warning anyway as it's compiled a list of the top 10 Christmas [...]
The Southern rail strike saga has cost the economy £300m already, says university study December 20, 2016 The Southern rail strikes are costing the UK economy hundreds of millions of pounds, according to new research from the University of Chichester. A study, led by Dave Cooper, professor of management and economic development, has put the cost of the strike saga to the country's GDP at as much as £300m. The industrial action, carried [...]
East Midlands Airport has been spared a £12.5m fine for fixing car park prices December 20, 2016 An airport has avoided a £12.5m fine for fixing car park charges, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). East Midlands International Airport (EMIA), owned by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), and Prestige Parking Limited broke competition law, but the airport was spared the fine after disclosing full details of the wrongdoing. An investigation by the [...]
The RMT wants a Christmas truce over Southern rail saga – but says it’s in the government’s hands December 20, 2016 The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union wants a Christmas truce over Southern rail – only it says it's up to the government to make it happen. Commuters are battling through today's second day of delays as a 48-hour strike goes on by guards over proposed changes to their roles. There have been months of [...]
Mayor unveils walking and cycling commissioner to bridge the pedestrian vs cycle superhighway divide December 20, 2016 A Nike director has been chosen by mayor Sadiq Khan as the capital's very first walking and cycling commissioner. Will Norman, currently global partnerships director at Nike, will be tasked with getting London stretching its legs and making non-polluting travel easier. He'll also be working on the development of the capital's cycle superhighways and speaking to [...]