Barack Obama just welcomed driverless cars September 20, 2016 The US President Barack Obama is on board with driverless cars, welcoming the technology's potential for increasing safety and reducing pollution on roads across the US as the country announces new rules for the vehicles. "In the seven-and-a-half years of my presidency, self-driving cars have gone from sci-fi fantasy to an emerging reality with the [...]
Severe delays on Central Line after person hit by train at Bethnal Green Tube station September 19, 2016 There are severe delays on the Central Line this afternoon, following a customer incident earlier. A person was killed after being hit by a train at Bethnal Green Tube station, which was subsequently closed. The station has since reopened. Transport for London said there were severe delays on the entire Central Line. https://twitter.com/centralline/status/777866520722538496 British Transport [...]
Govia is embarking on a timetable shake-up to win back support from disgruntled passengers September 19, 2016 Govia Thameslink Railway is planning a timetable shake-up with the aim of providing new connections and faster journeys. Govia has been beset by problems recently due to a dispute with train guards on its Southern railway service, but is now trying to win back customer loyalty with its plans for new services. Read more: A (partial) defence of [...]
Air Astana to outline plans for London IPO September 19, 2016 Kazakhstan flag carrier Air Astana will detail plans for its initial public offering today, with London in line to be chosen for a secondary listing. In a presentation today it’s expected the company will outline how much of it will be sold. The IPO is currently scheduled for between October next year and October 2018. [...]
Chinese group gatecrashes National Grid’s £11bn gas pipeline auction September 18, 2016 A group of Chinese investors are eyeing a bid for National Grid’s gas pipelines that supply nearly 11m homes and businesses. The group is targetting a majority stake in the key national infrastructure. It’s thought the consortium includes Fosun and the state behemoth China Gas. “Regardless of their identity, all bidders will have to go through [...]
Cathay family paid £60m dividend despite profit slump September 18, 2016 The family company which owns Cathay Pacific has paid itself a dividend of £60m, even though pre-tax profits fell by 20 per cent. John Swire & Sons, a 200-year old conglomerate which is still largely owned by the Swire family, has a large portfolio of companies in various sectors including bakeries, offshore oil exploration and [...]
London’s black cab drivers are considering a legal challenge against accepting card payments September 18, 2016 Cab drivers are considering whether to launch a legal challenge over the mandatory introduction of card payments in black taxis across London, as they put on hold plans for protests on the capital's roads this week. Passengers will be able to pay for journeys by credit or debit card under rules due to come into force by the end of [...]
Mayor of London slammed over RMT union’s planned Tube strikes on Hammersmith & City and Circle Lines September 15, 2016 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been slammed today over his lack of response to a Tube strike planned by drivers on the Hammersmith & City and Circle Lines, due to start tonight. The RMT union said this morning that, following an "overwhelming vote for action" by drivers who are union members, 24 hours of strike [...]
TfL warns Hammersmith & City and Circle Line workers to go on strike Today and Friday September 14, 2016 Transport for London (TfL) has warned Londoners that there may be a strike on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines today and tomorrow. Some drivers on these two lines who are RMT union members are currently planning to strike from 21:30 on Thursday 15 September for 24 hours, TfL said. which will see some drivers not book [...]
The Mayor of London has opted to protect privilege not competition September 14, 2016 Sadiq Khan’s crackdown on London’s private hire industry is a sop to a privileged monopoly that distorts competitive markets and fails to defend consumer interests. As private hire services make inroads into London’s black cab monopoly, the case to protect them from decline and enforce consumer safety may sound reasonable. But Khan’s reforms go beyond safety and are [...]