London Tories call for Khan to reopen van and lorry scrappage scheme July 23, 2021 London’s Conservatives have today written to Mayor Sadiq Khan urging him put £50m from City Hall’s business rates reserves towards reopening scrappage schemes for vans and heavy vehicles ahead of the expansion of the ULEZ zone. Although Khan has so far provided £61m to drivers looking to trade in non-ULEZ compliant vehicles, the van and [...]
Global pharma and data firms have had access to NHS patient data for years, analysis finds July 23, 2021 More than 40 pharmaceutical, consultancy and data companies worldwide have access to UK hospital data and medical records, according to new analysis. The detailed medical records – many from the NHS – date back years, the Financial Times first reported. Some companies with access to the records are co-founded by the Sackler family, who have [...]
Whitewash Croydon tram inquest verdict raises more questions than answers July 22, 2021 Today the inquest into the Sandilands tram crash concluded with the jury returning a disappointing verdict of accidental death. I share the anger that seven people’s deaths are put down as simply an accident, when we have seen both the safety problems that the investigation brought to light, and the attempts to hide from scrutiny. [...]
Croydon tram crash: Accidental death verdict a ‘total farce’ July 22, 2021 The victims of the Croydon tram crash died as a result of an accident, and were not unlawfully killed, the jury at the inquest into their deaths has concluded. Seven passengers died and a further 62 were injured when a tram derailed in south London on November 9 2016. Dane Chinnery, 19, Philip Seary, 57, [...]
Commuter rail services axed due to staff self-isolating July 22, 2021 Commuter rail operators have today said that they will reduce the number of services they run from next week as a result of staff shortages due to workers being forced to isolate. Govia Thameslink, which runs both the Thameslink and Southern franchises, confirmed that it would run a reduced weekday service from Monday. The firm [...]
Go-Ahead Group names Transdev exec as new boss July 22, 2021 Go-Ahead Group has today named Christian Schreyer as its new chief executive following the departure of long-serving boss David Brown. German national Schreyer, who is currently the chief executive for central and north Europe at public transport operator Transdev, will take over on 1 November. Prior to that, he worked for Deutsche Bahn group for [...]
Turn the volume down: London could be revolutionised by the silent automation of the noisiest parts of city life July 22, 2021 Cities have always been the future. Development is nearly always metropolitan, regeneration usually urban. London is one of the world’s major cities, and we might expect it to be one of the fastest to bounce back from the turmoil of the last year. But will a post-pandemic world view cities in the same way? Covid [...]
Steve Jobs’ 1973 application to be auctioned in original format AND as an NFT July 21, 2021 Steve Jobs’ hand-written 1973 job application is set to challenge the traditional perceptions of value in a landmark auction that may prove the acid test for the NFT (Non-Fungible Token) market.
One in ten Londoners do not plan to ever commute again after pandemic July 20, 2021 As employees across the UK are to set to embark on their return to the workplace following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, a number of commuters are reluctant to return to the office in the coming months, mainly due to increased concern over infection control and social distancing on the daily commute. According to a [...]
The City of London’s Al Fresco dining is here to stay for one more year July 20, 2021 The City of London Corporation has agreed to ease the weight on the hospitality industry by offering free pavement licences for one more year. Amid table number and household restrictions, the UK’s hospitality sector has been making use of pavements for extra Al Fresco seating. “We expect the buzz of the City will swiftly return [...]