Revealed: The London bus drivers ‘abandoned’ to the pandemic February 2, 2021 London bus drivers have told City A.M. they were “abandoned” by their employers and unions alike and forced to fend for themselves as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the UK. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a number of drivers revealed to City A.M. the personal risks to which they have been exposed while keeping essential [...]
Eurostar: Protect ‘key to our future connectivity’, says Labour peer November 26, 2020 Labour life peer Lord Berkeley has joined calls for the government to provide emergency funding for the Eurostar after a crippling collapse in passenger numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic. Writing in City A.M., Lord Berkeley, a well-known figure in the transport industry, said that the cross-Channel rail link was “the key to our future [...]
RMT joins calls for emergency Eurostar funding as passenger numbers collapse November 25, 2020 Rail union the RMT has called on the government to provide emergency funding for the Eurostar, saying that a failure to do so threatens the future of the rail link. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic,the Eurostar is currently battling a 95 per cent decline in passenger numbers. If the service were to fail [...]
Business bodies slam government’s TfL bailout conditions as a ‘mockery’ October 21, 2020 London business bodies have slammed the government’s demands for a potential bailout for Transport for London (TfL) as a “mockery”, accusing ministers of “railroading” policy through while the transport network is on its knees during the pandemic. Ministers last night threatened to take direct control of TfL unless London mayor Sadiq Khan accepts a raft [...]
Government warns that it will ‘take control’ of TfL unless bailout demands met October 20, 2020 The government has warned Sadiq Khan that it will take the management of Transport for London (TfL) into its own hands if the Mayor does not accept its demands as part of a new bailout deal. In return for a second rescue package, transport secretary Grant Shapps has set out a number of demands including [...]
Four ferry firms sign £80m post-Brexit freight deal October 13, 2020 Four ferry firms have signed contracts with the Department for Transport (DfT) worth a combined £77.6m to provide freight services after Brexit. Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O and Stena Line will between them provide extra capacity for the equivalent of 3,000 heavy goods vehicles a week. The new contracts will ensure that vital medical supplies and other [...]
Tory mayoral candidate vows ‘mental health covenant’ for TfL staff October 9, 2020 Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has pledged to offer more mental health support to Transport for London (TfL) staff if elected mayor as figures show increasing levels of psychological distress among the workforce. Bailey told City A.M. that he would create a “mental health covenant” for TfL workers in a similar vein to existing programmes [...]
Rail franchising ‘ended’ as government extends emergency support September 21, 2020 Ministers today announced the end of rail franchising after 24 years by extending support measures introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Department for Transport (DfT) today announced a wide scale shake-up to the UK’s rail network in a bid to create a “simpler and more effective structure” over the coming months. Train [...]
PM calls for driverless Tube trains in TfL bailout July 6, 2020 Boris Johnson has said that driverless Tube trains should be a condition of any future government bailout of Transport for London (TfL). The government gave TfL a £1.6bn support package in May following a slump in revenue as the coronavirus lockdown prevented commuters from using the service. The funding is due to expire in September. [...]
Super Saturday: Pubs to open as London braces for boozing Brits July 3, 2020 Pubs and restaurants up and down the country are preparing to open tomorrow – dubbed Super Saturday – for the first time since lockdown began, as Brits readjust to life under social distancing. Bars and eateries will be allowed to open their doors for the first time using measures such as table service and visitor [...]