Government under pressure to suspend non-essential construction work March 25, 2020 The government is facing growing pressure to halt non-essential construction work as it tries to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak. In a Downing Street briefing on Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said construction workers could and should continue to work so long as they are two metres apart. “The judgment we have made is that [...]
Coronavirus: Government goes to war with City Hall over London Tube restrictions March 24, 2020 The government and City Hall are at war over Transport for London’s decision to restrict the Tube’s services, which has forced remaining commuters to cram into available carriages. Last week, TfL shut 40 stations and reduced the usual weekday service with some lines only running a train every 10 minutes. The Waterloo & City shuttle [...]
Coronavirus: Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey calls for more Tube services March 24, 2020 Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has urged Sadiq Khan to increase Tube capacity to alleviate rush hour overcrowding. Pictures and videos of overcrowding on Tube carriages flooded social media for the second day in a row this morning, despite the government’s new draconian restrictions. Khan and train drivers’ union Aslef have both been quick to [...]
London coronavirus lockdown: Which Tubes and buses are still operating? March 24, 2020 Boris Johnson’s address to the nation last night confirmed what many had thought inevitable. From today, the UK is under a police-enforced coronavirus lockdown, with people only allowed to go outside for a limited set of reasons. Public meetings of more than two people have been banned, while all stores deemed non-essential have been forcibly [...]
Coronavirus lockdown: Sadiq Khan urges construction sites to close March 24, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called for London construction sites to be closed down in the wake of the government’s effective coronavirus lockdown. The mayor of London said he disagreed with the government’s ruling that construction sites could stay open and that it would be “very, very difficult” for those workers to follow social distancing instructions. Khan [...]
Crossrail construction suspended over coronavirus lockdown March 24, 2020 Construction on Crossrail and all Transport for London (TfL) projects has been stopped due to the coronavirus lockdown. TfL commissioner Mike Brown MVO made the call today, after Boris Johnson effectively placed the country in lockdown last night. The halt to work on Crossrail means the new £18.25bn train line will almost certainly not be [...]
Coronavirus: Tube could shut amid overcrowding, union warns March 24, 2020 Transport for London’s (TfL) biggest train drivers’ union has warned the Tube could shut if people continue to overcrowd carriages at rush hour. Chaotic scenes were witnessed on the Tube once again this morning, despite Boris Johnson effectively putting the country on coronavirus lockdown last night. TfL also heavily reduced its public transport services last [...]
How coronavirus could change our working lives (and the climate) March 24, 2020 financial markets. The epicentre of the shock is clearly being felt in travel related industries, as people cancel or put holiday plans on hold, and businesses cancel conferences and move to remote working. Remote working tools widely available As an investor looking at climate change trends, these changes in working practices are interesting in an [...]
London must unite to beat coronavirus, for the sake of our city and our NHS March 24, 2020 In coronavirus, London is facing an unprecedented challenge. The actions we take today will decide who lives and dies, and whether our National Health Service will survive. Unless every single Londoner follows the government’s advice, we face losing thousands of our family, friends, and colleagues to this virus. This may be a global crisis, but [...]
Coronavirus: Columbia Road Flower Market shuts March 23, 2020 Columbia Road Flower Market has been shut down just one day after pictures emerged of people ignoring government instructions and flocking to the East London market. Photos and videos were shared on social media yesterday of people congregating in open spaces, including the famous flower market, despite government instructions to stop socialising in public to [...]