Exclusive: Argyll Club COO on the future of the City of London July 19, 2021 As England lifts most Covid-related restrictions from today, City A.M. sits down with Emily Smith, chief operating officer of flexspace provider The Argyll Club, to zoom in on the future of the Square Mile post-pandemic. Smith is a true industry veteran, with 20 years’ experience and stints at IWG, Regus, The Crown Estate and Grosvenor. Now, she sits at the helm of The [...]
Let’s talk logistics: Transport software firm Microlise to float in London July 19, 2021 Transport logistics software group Microlise is set to list on London’s junior market later this week, as the transport industry seeks to slash emissions amid supply chain struggles. “Our customers are under pressure to meet increased environmental regulations and want more integration across supply chains,” CEO Nadeem Raza said. “The challenges of the pandemic and [...]
Bus privatisation a ‘masterclass in how not to run a public service’, report finds July 19, 2021 The privatisation of the UK’s bus industry three decades ago has proved a “masterclass in how not to run an essential public service”, a new report into the sector has found. Philip Alston, a law professor and former UN special rapporteur for poverty, said that since Margaret Thatcher’s reforms in 1985, the country had been [...]
TfL launches campaign to rally confidence in commuters and fill-up tubes July 19, 2021 In its bid to breathe the capital back to life, Transport for London (TfL) has launched its largest campaign since the 2012 Olympics to rally confidence in commuters. Tube and bus networks have been far quieter than they were 16 months ago, so TFL’s ‘Welcome back London’ campaign seeks to highlight what Londoners have missed [...]
Freedom Day: Where do I need to wear a face mask from today? July 19, 2021 Across England, the final remaining coronavirus restrictions have been lifted. From today, people are no longer required by law to wear masks. The government has said, however, that people will still be expected to wear face masks in certain situations while some businesses, travel operators and local politicians have said that masks will still be [...]
Morrisons push ahead with plans to open automated grocery store as ‘pingdemic’ continues to hit supermarkets July 19, 2021 Morrisons are said to be close to unveiling an unmanned pilot store to the public “within months”, as they look to follow Amazon’s lead in modernising the approach to grocery shopping. The store will rely on shoppers to scan their smartphones upon entry before having digital cameras follow their every step in store to check [...]
London needs to overhaul its transport system to meet Sadiq Khan’s net zero ambitions July 18, 2021 We have less than a decade to become a zero-carbon city if we’re to meet the Mayor of London’s ambitions. Sadiq Khan has committed to using his second term as Mayor to tackle the climate emergency by setting a target for London to be carbon-neutral by 2030. City Hall is not alone. Twenty-eight of London’s [...]
China places state investigators in Didi’s offices to conduct security probe July 16, 2021 Beijing’s heavyweight state spy industry and six other government departments have swooped on ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing’s offices to conduct a security investigation. The bold move comes after Chinese authorities opened an investigation into Didi for allegedly violating user privacy, just days after its $4.4bn listing in New York last month. As of yet, there [...]
Face mask mandate to stay for airports and flights July 16, 2021 Travellers will still be required to wear face masks after English legal restrictions ease, UK airports and airlines said in a joint statement today. Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will be denied boarding for both domestic and international flights. Children and those with medical reasons preventing them from wearing a mask will continue [...]
Pingdemic shutdown: No industry untouched by NHS Test and Trace havoc July 16, 2021 Staffing shortages have turned manufacturing, bin collections, retail, transport and healthcare upside down as the NHS Test and Trace app “pinged” more than half a million people into isolation last week. The contact tracing app’s sensitivity is now under review after reports that the app is “pinging wrong” and Brits are being told to self-isolate [...]