West End businesses lose £12m in two days during climate change protests April 17, 2019 West End businesses have lost an estimated £12m in sales due to the disruption caused by climate change protesters this week. Extinction Rebellion protests at Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Marble Arch have hit retailers in London’s main shopping district, with some stores reporting a 25 per cent drop in footfall. Read more: Climate change protesters target [...]
Council blasted for ‘incompetence’ over Hammersmith Bridge closure April 11, 2019 Hammersmith and Fulham council have been criticised for an apparent lack of transparency over the Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed indefinitely over safety concerns. The suspension bridge over the Thames was found with “critical faults” that would risk the safety of users and the council said it had “no choice” but to shut the bridge. The [...]
Transport heads raise concerns over Sadiq Khan’s plans for TfL takeover of Network Rail April 9, 2019 Leading Assembly members have raised concerns over Sadiq Khan’s headline-grabbing plan for Transport for London (TfL) to take over key routes and stations from Network Rail in London. Last month the London mayor said responsibility and funding for key rail assets such as tracks and stations should be transferred to the transport body to plug [...]
Debate: Is Sadiq Khan’s new ultra-low emission zone an effective solution for tackling air pollution? April 9, 2019 Debate: Is Sadiq Khan’s new ultra-low emission zone an effective solution for tackling air pollution? Yes – Fiona Howarth is chief executive of Octopus Electric Vehicles. If London’s water supplies were poisoning 9,000 people a year, there would be national outrage. So why are we not outraged about the air that we breathe? Research published [...]
TfL scraps Brunei tourism adverts amid outcry over new anti-LGBT laws April 4, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) has scrapped adverts promoting Brunei following international condemnation of the state’s draconian new anti-LGBT laws. The adverts, which have appeared across the London transport network, promote the country as a tourist destination under the slogan “Abode of Peace”. Read more: Sadiq Khan says TfL will remove controversial Michael Jackson bus ads [...]
MPs cast doubt over Crossrail 2020 opening aim as they warn Elizabeth Line may need more than £2.8bn bailout April 3, 2019 MPs are “not convinced” that Crossrail will open in 2020 and fear the project will need more than the extra £2.8bn in funding it received to stay afloat, according to a damning report released today. Spending watchdog the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the costs of the railway, also known as the Elizabeth Line, had [...]
Ranked: How ready are all 33 London boroughs for Sadiq Khan’s Ulez ultra-low emissions zone? March 29, 2019 London mayor Sadiq Khan's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) will come into force from 8 April in a bid to tackle illegal levels of pollution in the capital. Read more: Travel chaos: London Bridge closed in black cab protest It means cars and vans will need to meet new exhaust emissions standards or else pay a [...]
Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey pledges ‘aggressive’ action against absentee landlords March 28, 2019 Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey has said he will crack down on London's empty "ghost homes" if he replaces Sadiq Khan as the capital's mayor. Bailey has pledged to give more money to councils to levy empty dwelling management orders, which give them legal powers to take over unoccupied properties to use as housing. A review by housing [...]
TfL leak reveals plans for the world’s longest and tallest bridge across the Thames March 27, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) wants its proposed Canary Wharf Thames crossing to be the tallest and longest vertical lifting bridge in the world. TfL's planned bridge is a 90m tall and 180m-wide vertical lift bridge that will connect Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf across the River Thames. The bridge will be fitted with concrete towers that will be 90m [...]
Sadiq Khan calls for TfL to take over from Network Rail as London’s railway manager March 26, 2019 Sadiq Khan has said Transport for London (TfL) should replace Network Rail as the UK's rail infrastructure manager to improve the reliability of services for London's commuters. The London mayor wants responsibility and funding for key rail assets such as tracks and stations to be transferred to the transport body so it is able to plug the communication gap [...]