Sadiq Khan calls for compulsory face coverings in all stores June 5, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called for the government to make face coverings mandatory in all stores, after they were made compulsory on all English public transport networks yesterday. The mayor of London said he welcomed the “U-turn from the government” on making coverings compulsory on public transport, but said it should go further. Non-essential retail shops [...]
Face coverings mandatory on TfL network from 15 June June 4, 2020 It will be mandatory for commuters to wear face coverings on all English public transport networks from 15 June, including on Transport for London (TfL). Transport secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement at today’s press briefing, adding that non-compliance would lead to a refusal of travel and fines. Shapps said there would be exemptions for [...]
Night Tube to be suspended until March 2021 June 4, 2020 Transport for London have confirmed there are no plans to bring back the Night Tube in the immediate future, with transport unions saying it will not be before March 2021. Tube union RMT have been told the overnight service will not run until the new year. A TfL spokesperson said: “With the current lockdown regulations [...]
Bailey calls for key workers to be exempt from congestion charge June 2, 2020 Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has called for key workers to be exempt from paying the newly reinstated London congestion charge. In a statement, Bailey said that the measure would be a “fair way” of rewarding the capital’s key workers, many of whom may be driving to avoid public transport during the current crisis. He [...]
TfL urges Londoners to walk and cycle as schools reopen May 31, 2020 TfL has urged people to consider alternatives to using public transport as schools start to gradually reopen from Monday. TfL has issued advice for headteachers, parents and guardians and called for those who can to walk and cycle to school to make space for those who have no other alternative. TfL is currently operating around [...]
TfL bailout conditions published as rescue row rolls on May 29, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) has today published the terms and conditions of its £1.6bn bailout from the government as the row over the rescue package continued. In the letter from transport secretary Grant Shapps, TfL was asked to suspend free travel for under 18s and Freedom Pass holders and reinstate the congestion charge in order [...]
London must square the circle to deliver a sustainable transport network May 28, 2020 Transport for London’s (TfL) funding, both in the short and long-term, was a thorny issue even before the pandemic set the scene for an eruption of the tensions between central and London governments. While keeping the system afloat is rightly the focus of debate – and will be again when the temporary solution expires in [...]
London First: Give more powers to City Hall to fund TfL May 28, 2020 Business group London First has this morning called on the government to devolve further powers to the Greater London Assembly in order to secure the long-term finances of Transport for London (TfL). In a new report produced in partnership with KPMG, the group argues that unless City Hall is given access to tax revenues via [...]
London’s first skyscraper 55 Broadway to be converted into luxury hotel May 27, 2020 The former London Underground headquarters in St James’ Park will be converted into a luxury hotel after the development was given the green light by planning authorities. Westminster City Council has granted planning permission for Blue Orchid Hotels, part of the Integrity International Group, to transform the 55 Broadway complex into a new hotel. Transport [...]
Transport for London taps former New York transit chief as new boss May 27, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) has this afternoon named Andy Byford as its new transport commissioner. The former chief executive of the New York City Transit Authority will take over from his predecessor Mike Brown in July. Brown, who has held the role for five years, will take on a new position overseeing the renovation of [...]