Boris Johnson dismisses Uber as “excessively bumptious” August 5, 2014 London Mayor Boris Johnson has criticised the attitude of San-Fransico based firm Uber as "excessively bumptious." Johnson, speaking on LBC, added that he didn't like the way Uber were "moving into London and claiming they could take all this business away from black cabs." The company's rapid growth and penchant for innovation have clearly not conformed [...]
London buses: Now you can pay fares by tapping in with a mobile August 4, 2014 In the march towards a future where you can do everything through your mobile phone, London buses are the latest to get on board. Contactless payment system Cash on Tap is being accepted by TFL on all London bus routes and works in the same way as an Oyster card or contactless card. Handy if [...]
Uber’s tax status slammed by Labour MP August 1, 2014 Chair of the Public Accounts Committee and Labour MP Margaret Hodge has condemned the tax arrangements of the popular taxi app service Uber in a letter to London Mayor Boris Johnson. According to Hodge, Uber has “unfairly undercut London operators by opting out of the UK tax regime". The Labour MP is unhappy that the [...]
14 plans for London transport by 2050: From 24/7 Tube to Crossrail 3 July 31, 2014 London Mayor Boris Johnson has said £1.3tn of investment is needed in the capital over the next 35 years in order for London to retain its world class status. Transport is the biggest focus of the "London Infrastructure Plan 2050", and £973tn of spending is needed on transport alone to keep up with the rising population [...]
Suit alors! lawyer cycles Boris bike to Paris July 28, 2014 Save the Boris bike spotted in Gambia, few have been further than the one cycled by Richard Jordan, lawyer at K&L Gates, from London to Paris at the weekend. Raising money for the RNLI by cycling the 250 miles between the two cities for the second time, Jordan decided to up the ante by doing [...]
Would you ride a Boris Bike to Paris? This guy just did July 28, 2014 It's designed for leisurely cycles around the city and short commutes between tube stations not epic cross-country journeys, but one man decided the Boris Bike was destined for greater things beyond the confines of Zone 6. Richard Jordan has cycled 250 miles from London to Paris on a Boris Bike, despite it being probably the [...]
TfL commissioner and Crossrail chief among top London bureaucrats set for pay probe July 22, 2014 Top bosses tasked with running London could be facing tough questions over their pay today, as a committee of politicians prepares to investigate excessive salaries. Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the Greater London Authority oversight committee, is calling on Mayor Boris Johnson to curb the amount top bosses are paid, after it emerged that [...]
Crossrail to be run by Hong Kong Metro operator MTR beating British rail firms to £1.4bn contract July 18, 2014 Hong Kong transport company MTR has been awarded the lucrative contract to run London’s new Crossrail train service by Transport for London. MTR already runs London Overground in a partnership with British firm Arriva, which it triumphed over in the bidding. Keolis with partner Go Ahead and National Express were also in the running. The [...]
Heathrow City in pictures: Designs for airport redevelopment include new homes and tech hub July 16, 2014 Heathrow airport could be replaced by 190,000 new homes, a factory or swathes of parkland, according to plans revealed by architects. London mayor Boris Johnson is especially keen on the plans to develop a "Heathrow City", given his backing for a new airport in the Thames estuary. The designs were backed by Johnson and commissioned by [...]
London’s future growth depends on bridging the east Thames chasm July 10, 2014 London is growing – and it is growing eastwards. A combination of large-scale redevelopment projects and underdeveloped land means that east London is in demand for both new homes and jobs. Over a fifth of all developments underway in London today are taking place in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich, while over a third of [...]