Government launches consulation on new transport solutions March 16, 2020 The government has today launched a consultation on the UK’s transport laws in an attempt to make the country’s journeys “greener, easier and smarter” through new technology. The review will be accompanied by £90m in funding for three new “Future Transport Zones” where new modes of transport will be trialled. The three zones will be [...]
Business on the brink: Airlines, hospitality and train operators in line for state support March 16, 2020 The existential threat to business posed by the Covid-19 pandemic became crystal clear this weekend as a host of industries warned of a potentially fatal cash crunch in the coming weeks. The aviation industry led calls for targeted government support, with train operators struggling with lower passenger numbers and the hospitality industry not far behind. [...]
Coronavirus: Government will brief public daily on outbreak March 15, 2020 The government will now hold a daily press conference to brief the public on the coronavirus outbreak, Downing Street has said. Number 10 had come in for criticism over the weekend over its perceived lack of transparency regarding sharing information about the disease. As of tomorrow, however, Prime Minister Boris Johnson or another Cabinet minister [...]
Federal Reserve slashes interest rates to zero amid coronavirus chaos March 15, 2020 The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to near zero this evening in a fresh attempt to shore up the economy amid the devastation caused by the coronavirus epidemic. The move, which cuts rates to 0.0 to 0.25 per cent, comes just days after an initial emergency cut of 50 basis points, which had [...]
UK coronavirus epidemic could lead to 7.9m people being hospitalised March 15, 2020 Up to 7.9m people could be hospitalised as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which is expected to last until next spring, a Public Health England (PHE) document has revealed. According to media reports, the document is the first time that health authorities have acknowledged that the virus will continue to be a problem for [...]
Unite joins calls for government rescue package for airlines March 15, 2020 Unite, the UK’s largest union, has called on the government to listen to the country’s airlines, which have warned that they are facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus outbreak. The workers’ association, which represents tens of thousands of people in the aviation sector, said that the industry needs government assistance now to help it [...]
Fintech start-up Lifetise begins crowdfunding push March 15, 2020 Award-winning start-up Lifetise has launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Seedrs platform, just weeks after its chief executive was named one of Innovative Finance’s rising stars of fintech. The platform, which helps people decide how to afford big life decisions like buying a house, was recently listed as one of the 2020’s most influential fintech [...]
Sir Ian Cheshire to join BT as non-executive director March 15, 2020 Former head of department store Debenhams Sir Ian Cheshire is on the brink of being named as a non-executive director at telecoms giant BT. Sky News reported that Sir Ian’s appointment could be announced as early as this week, in a boardroom coup for Britain’s largest telecoms firm. Sir Ian, who currently chairs Barclays’ UK [...]
Coronavirus: Scandinavian Airlines puts flights ‘on hold’ due to ‘non-existent’ demand March 15, 2020 Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) today announced that it has put most of its operations “on hold” due to the “non-existent” demand for air travel as a result of coronavirus. The measures are the most extreme yet taken by an airline and comes amid the grounding of thousands of planes worldwide as countries step up their measures [...]
Railway industry in talks with government over emergency coronavirus measures March 15, 2020 The government is in talks with the rail industry over a range of steps to protect franchises against falling passenger numbers due to the coronavirus outbreak. According to the BBC, at a meeting of industry figures last week it was revealed that numbers had fallen by up to 18 per cent on certain lines, although [...]
