GMB union goes to war with Addison Lee over driver dismissals August 25, 2016 The GMB union has launched legal action against London private car hire company Addison Lee over the dismissal of three drivers. The challenge – which relates to contracts that were terminated earlier this year – is understood to be a test case for the union which could lead to action against hundreds of former drivers. The drivers were dismissed following protests [...]
Notting Hill Carnival 2016 guide: Where to watch the parade and how to get there August 25, 2016 Planning on negotiating bus strikes and the inevitable downpours to go to the Notting Hill Carnival this year? Here's our guide to how to make the best of Europe’s biggest and most colourful street festival 1. The weather The good news is while the bank holiday won't quite hit the Caribbean temperatures experienced in the capital this week, [...]
RMT announces another strike on the Govia network that will coincide with the Southern industrial action August 25, 2016 Commuters are facing a double-whammy of industrial action just as the summer holidays come to end. The RMT has announced another strike on 7 September on the Govia Thameslink network in a dispute over the future role of station staff. The 24 hour walk-out follows confirmation of a 70 per cent vote for strike action of ballot of members in [...]
Now you can book an Uber in advance as Scheduled Rides comes to London August 25, 2016 Uber is shaking up the way users can order a car, expanding upon the on-demand model which first made it a hit with a new feature for scheduling journeys ahead of time. People will now be able to book a car up to a month in advance of their journey, or just 15 minutes ahead. [...]
Don’t fall for the Uber hype – London needs a common sense approach to taxis August 25, 2016 The lavishly resourced Uber PR machine has cranked into gear once again – with a blizzard of activity attempting to obstruct Transport for London's eminently sensible new rules for regulating the taxi industry in London. Quite why Uber are huffing and puffing as much as they are is anyone’s guess: TFL – the industry's regulator – [...]
The world’s first driverless taxis have hit the road (beating Uber) August 25, 2016 The first-ever driverless taxis have hit the road in Singapore, and despite the ambitious plans of Uber announced just last week that it's about to put autonomous cabs into service, the billion dollar startup has been pipped to the post. Residents of Singapore will spot the robo-taxis driving around the business district and they will even be able [...]
Airlander (AKA the flying bum) has crashed August 24, 2016 Airlander, the British aircraft which is the longest in the world and also happens to be nicknamed the "flying bum" plane because of its appearance, has had a minor crash. The Airlander 10 was damaged during the landing of only its second ever test flight. No one was injured but there was damage to the cockpit underneath the craft. Watch: Airlander [...]
The commuter life of train delays, warm journeys and overcrowding are worse for your health and happiness than you already thought August 24, 2016 If you're one of the UK's 24m commuters and had the sneaking suspicion your journey-heavy lifestyle was making you less healthy… unfortunately, you were right. The average commuter in the UK travels for 56 minutes a day, with the majority of these types of journeys usually being undertaken on "non-active" modes of transport such as [...]
Now Bus workers are going on strike including during Notting Hill Carnival August 24, 2016 After a slew of strikes across train networks, bus workers have now voted to go on strike in London – including on Bank Holiday Monday when Notting Hill Carnival is held. Unite the union said 1,000 drivers, engineers and other workers are involved in a dispute affecting some 28 bus routes across London. The stoppages [...]
Come fly with me? City Airport will start playing songs during security screenings to entertain passengers August 23, 2016 London City Airport has decided to play music for passengers as they go through the airport's security search area because it will apparently provide a positive distraction. The airport says that music psychologist from the University of Sheffield has argued the background music may provide a positive distraction whilst proceeding through security, enhance the experience and [...]