‘Abusive’ Jet2 passenger fined £85,000 and given lifetime ban July 18, 2019 An “abusive” passenger who attempted to open aircraft doors while on board a Jet2 flight has been fined more than £85,000 and given a lifetime ban by the airline. Chloe Haines has been accused of “aggressive, abusive and dangerous behaviour” that forced the Turkey-bound flight to be diverted to Stansted on 22 June. Read more: [...]
Ursula von der Leyen: What kind of EU leader can the UK expect? July 17, 2019 After months of deliberation, the EU parliament has now elected a new successor to Jean-Claude Juncker, the larger than life head of the EU Commission who has been navigating Brexit’s choppy waters since 2016. Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defence minister and key ally of Angela Merkel, will soon lead the Brexit negotiations [...]
Uber rival Kapten partners with Citymapper on London travel July 17, 2019 Citymapper has teamed up with rival Kapten to offer a £10 credit to some of its users. Users of Citymappers’ pass, which was launched in March, will receive a free £10 weekly credit for rides via Kapten, the only private hire firm to have teamed up with the transport app. Read more: French ride-hailing app [...]
Chris Grayling admits Cabinet overruled him on Eurotunnel ferry settlement July 17, 2019 Transport secretary Chris Grayling has said he personally wanted to fight Eurotunnel’s legal challenge against the government’s no-deal Brexit ferry strategy in court but that Cabinet collectively decided to settle it. In what was most likely his last appearance before the Transport Select Committee, Grayling was asked why the Department for Transport (DfT), which he [...]
HS2 locks horns with Bechtel in bid to break contract stalemate July 16, 2019 HS2 has asked the High Court to allow it to push on with the construction of one its London stations despite an ongoing legal challenge from engineering giant Bechtel. HS2 Limited, which is overseeing the proposed £56bn railway linking London to the north, has applied to lift the “automatic suspension” that is preventing it from [...]
UK rail franchising system has ‘had its day’, says review head July 16, 2019 The UK’s rail franchising system has “had its day”, the man in charge with reviewing Britain’s railways has said. Former British Airways chief executive Keith Williams, who is leading a government-commissioned review into how to improve the industry, said the franchising model needed to be replaced by a “new commercial model” that worked in the [...]
Boss of First Group’s US cash cow quits July 15, 2019 The boss of First Group’s largest business has resigned as the company continues to suffer from the fallout of an activist rebellion, City A.M. can reveal. Dennis Maple, the president of First Student, the largest provider of student transportation in North America, is understood to have taken up a role at another company after serving [...]
Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey calls for ‘pause’ on HS2 July 15, 2019 Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey has said High Speed Two (HS2) should be “paused” and investment redirected to the north as the project’s future hangs in the balance. Bailey called HS2, the £56bn railway that will connect London to the north via Birmingham, an “overpriced scheme based on outdated technology” that was “crowding out the [...]
Former BA operations chief to head up London Underground July 15, 2019 A former British Airways chief is to join Transport for London (TfL) as its new managing director of the Underground, taking over from the incumbent Nigel Holness. Andy Lord worked at BA for 25 years before progressing to the role as director of operations from 2008 to 2015. He also held the role of executive [...]
Uber rival Via Van wins three-year licence renewal from TfL July 15, 2019 Ride-sharing service Via Van has had its London licence renewed for the next three years, following its launch in the capital last year. The three-year licence renewal puts Via Van ahead of rivals Uber and Kapten, which are operating on a probationary 15-month licence and a 12-month licence respectively. Read more: Mercedes-backed ViaVan launches weekly [...]
