TfL mines passenger phone data to improve Tube journey estimates November 5, 2019 Tracking passengers’ phone usage on the Tube has allowed Transport for London (TfL) to improve its travel time estimates. TfL has analysed 2.7bn pieces of anonymised data since June, which has been gained through tracking people’s usage of Wi-Fi networks at stations across the capital. Read more: TfL is investigating illegal London minicab drivers This [...]
London Underground has the city’s highest level of air pollution November 5, 2019 The London Underground is the most polluted place in the city with air quality 10-times worse higher than recommended by health guidelines in some parts. An investigation has revealed that levels of PM 2.5 – particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause heart and lung disease – has been recorded at [...]
Labour’s private jet ban plan makes ‘little sense,’ says industry November 4, 2019 The private aviation industry has criticised a Labour-backed proposal to impose a fully-fledged ban on private jets in the UK as soon as 2025 as making “little sense”. In a move which would remove London as Europe’s most active player in the industry should it come to fruition, shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald yesterday backed [...]
TfL is investigating thousands of potentially illegal minicab drivers November 4, 2019 Transport for London is investigating almost 2,000 London minicab drivers that may have illegally gained their driving qualifications. Minicab drivers must complete several requirements – passing topographical tests, medical checks and criminal record checks – with TfL before gaining a private hire vehicle licence. Read more: TfL cracks down on illegal minicabs and taxis However, [...]
TfL adds more trains to Victoria line at peak times November 4, 2019 The Victoria line has increased its capacity by 275,000 passengers each weekday after more trains have been added at peak times. Transport for London (TfL) announced today that one train will arrive every 100 seconds for three hours in the morning and evening – from 7.15am to 10.15am and from 4.15pm to 7.15pm. Read more: [...]
Revealed: The towns that pay the most income tax are nearly all in the South East November 4, 2019 Commuter towns in an area just outside of London known as the Stockbroker Belt are paying the highest levels of income tax in the country, according to research. Nine out of the top 10 towns for average income tax are located in the region, a report by accountant UHY Hacker Young has found. Read more: [...]
‘Dirty business’: Rail firms will still be dumping raw sewage on the line next year November 3, 2019 Rail operators have been forced to backtrack on a promise to stop the “dirty business” of dumping excrement on tracks by the end of the year. Network Rail and a number of train companies have admitted the 2017 promise – to stop using carriages whose toilets flush sewage directly onto the track by the end [...]
HS2 review still unfinished, with no final decision expected until after election November 3, 2019 A decision on whether to proceed with the controversial HS2 rail project appears to have been pushed back until after the upcoming General Election, amid uncertainty over how it will feature in party manifestos. Lord Tony Berkeley, the deputy chairman of the official review into the high-speed rail scheme, said the report remains unfinished, with [...]
Toxic Tube a health hazard for commuters November 3, 2019 Commuters on the London Underground inhale on average tens of millions of toxic particles a minute, including iron dust, clothing fragments and their fellow passenger’s dead skin cells. The Sunday Times has revealed that the Tube has some of the most polluted air in Britain, with levels of toxicity 18 times higher than on surface [...]
Carlyle in driving seat to acquire Arriva in £2.2bn deal November 2, 2019 American private equity firm Carlyle is the front-runner to buy Arriva in a deal worth £2.2bn. Carlyle has entered talks with one of the UK’s largest public transport operators, which runs rail franchises including Northern and London Overground, as well as buses across Britain. Read more: Stagecoach to stop share buy-back programme at £30 Arriva’s [...]