Transport for London, Islington and Camden Councils open public consultation for King’s Cross gyratory to be overhauled as part of area regeneration February 10, 2016 King's Cross gyratory is poised to get a major facelift, with simplified roads and better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Transport for London, Islington and Camden Councils have published plans for a public consultation that they say will "transform the King’s Cross area". The improvement work is part of the mayor’s ongoing £4bn road modernisation plan. Proposals include creating [...]
Uber and other private hire firms want to act as taxis, but without the costs: This is why Black Cab drivers are protesting TfL’s private hire review today February 10, 2016 A taxi demonstration is being held in Whitehall today in protest at this government’s intervention in proposed changes and updates to the private hire act 1998. Many proposals were both sensible and in the public interest. One of the changes was that any “app” may not display the whereabouts of an available vehicle in law this [...]
London doesn’t deserve PR gimmicks, but a thriving taxi and private hire market that caters for all February 9, 2016 London doesn’t deserve PR gimmicks but a thriving taxi and private hire market that caters for all. Uber’s decision to offer zero per cent commission to black cab drivers has been self-described as an "olive branch". This is slightly disingenuous. In the same press release Uber has questioned the need for the Knowledge, graduates of which are [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin says government won’t pay for Labour candidate Sadiq Khan’s fare freeze February 9, 2016 A Cabinet minister has rejected Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan's proposals for freezing Transport for London (TfL) fares until at least 2020, saying central government will not pick up the bill for any unfunded City Hall schemes. Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin attacked Khan's fare pledges today, saying they would put infrastructure projects in the capital "at [...]
TfL Tube strike 2016: First of seven 24-hour London Underground strikes to run from Friday 12 February – here is everything you need to know February 9, 2016 The first of seven 12 and 24-hour strikes is scheduled to take place this Friday in a fight over "basic safety issues". Commuters might have breathed a sigh of relief when first the Night Tube and then the ticket closure strikes were called off at the last minute – but this action is entirely separate, and likely [...]
Uber lets Londoners book black cabs without charging drivers as olive branch in regulation row, but industry and Hailo reject offer February 9, 2016 Black cabs will be available to passengers through the Uber app in a significant move aimed at dispelling tensions between tradition and technology on London's roads. Uber will make the app available for black cab drivers to find fares with no commission fee for the first 12 months, allowing them to pick up passengers in the same way as Uber drivers [...]
As east London’s population explodes, we must build more tunnels and bridges to connect north and south communities across the Thames February 8, 2016 London’s population is booming and nowhere more so than in east London, which is expected to see its population increase by 600,000 in the next 15 years. It is a region ripe with opportunity – hundreds of thousands of new homes and jobs can be created in the area. But with just three road crossings [...]
Addison Lee is taking the fight against Uber to the Big Apple February 7, 2016 To an outsider Addison Lee might look like a company that’s losing momentum. Disruptive rival Uber has burst on to the scene, and defied recent attempts (in the UK, at least) to use the strong arm of regulators to clip its wings. But Addison Lee insists that it had a great Christmas, and the minicab giant [...]
TfL Tube strike on 6 to 8 February 2016 is exposing London to cyber attacks February 5, 2016 The upcoming Tube strike is exposing London to a heightened risk of cyber attacks, as thousands of Londoners prepare to work from home on Monday. “It is crucial that employers are aware of the increased risk of cybercrime that comes with staff logging on from anywhere but the office,” warned Raj Samani, Intel Security’s chief [...]
Transport for London’s plan to make all Black Cabs accept card payments is great news – but the details tilts the playing field against them February 5, 2016 We all love simplicity and speed. Last weekend I popped into my local Apple Store at Bluewater to get a new charging cable. Instead of queuing, one of the staff came over to me and I purchased the cable via her handheld mobile payment device. The VAT business receipt was automatically emailed to me. What a [...]