I went to Auschwitz with Holocaust survivors. It was shocking, but so memorable April 3, 2023 Survivors, now in their 90s, return to Holocaust sites to take visitors on tours for the annual March of the Living. Daniel Edward went along I’m not generally a nervous traveller, it would be something of a professional impediment, but I must admit to being nervous of visiting some of the most horrific sites of [...]
London will NOT be next: Paris bans e-scooters after mini referendum April 3, 2023 Parisians have overwhelmingly voted to banish for-hire e-scooters from the streets of the French capital, in a mini-referendum the mayor said sent a “very clear message”. Approximately 15,000 e-scooters could now vanish from central Paris at the end of August when the city’s contracts with the three operators expire. In Paris, the question that City [...]
The Notebook: Adam Tyndall on London’s freight dilemma, a must-read book and cricket at Lord’s April 3, 2023 The Notebook is a place for interesting people to say interesting things. Today it’s Adam Tyndall, Programme Director for Transport at BusinessLDN London policy wonks love to collect examples of all the ways in which the capital supports the whole country. Two events last week gave me fresh material for the list, in the form [...]
Docklands Light Railway: Cleaners and security staff launch strike over pay April 1, 2023 Cleaners, security staff and other workers on the Docklands Light Railway have launched a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pay. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) employed by ISS on the London railway have rejected an offer the union said was worth 1.8 per cent. The RMT claimed ISS staff on [...]
Explainer: Why e-scooters are London’s biggest fire threat March 30, 2023 What’s the biggest fire threat in London? You would think it’s kitchen electricals, cigarette butts still burning, or millennials leaving scented candles on. But you’d be wrong: it’s actually e-scooters and e-bikes’ batteries. The London Fire Brigade has warned the risk of these batteries exploding is the most pressing issue they’re facing in the capital. [...]
Superloop or ‘Superflop’? Khan unveils £6m bus network connecting outer London ahead of ULEZ expansion March 28, 2023 Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans for a new “Superloop” orbital bus network linking services around outer London. Express bus routes on the network will have limited stops, faster journey times and connect outer London, City Hall says. The mayor of London is funding £6m towards the scheme, but TfL says it will cost much more. [...]
North and South agree: we have to build HS2 from Euston to Manchester March 28, 2023 Delaying HS2 or shortening its railway from Euston will only cost even more money and create another generation of growth stuck behind a red signal, writes John Dickie and Henri Murison, chief executives of BusinessLDN and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership
No light at end of the tunnel: HS2 delay leading to higher costs as London Euston link nearing £5bn March 27, 2023 Delays linking up HS2 and Euston will mean extra costs and potentially even higher spending, the National Audit Office has warned ministers. A near 50-page report, looking specifically at the Euston element of the much delayed high-speed line, concluded that a “reset” in 2020 had “not succeeded”. It comes after Transport Secretary was criticised earlier [...]
ULEZ row: Khan reassures 90 per cent are unaffected by expansion, as 700K face new charge and ‘massive financial impact’ March 24, 2023 Nearly 700,000 car drivers in London will face a daily £12.50 ultra low emission zone (Ulez) fee when the scheme expands, according to new analysis. The RAC, which carried out the research, said the expansion of the zone from August 29 will have a “massive financial impact on motorists and businesses”. It comes a day [...]
The Influence of e-bikes on ESG policies March 24, 2023 How e-bikes can and should be part of the drive towards better corporate ESG policiesWith environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues now placed at the forefront of manycorporate agendas, it is easy to be sceptical about the actual actions taken forward versus publiclyvoiced sustainable intentions. At times it has felt like many have addressed what [...]