Uber’s regulatory wild ride: Meet the man behind the wheel September 30, 2019 Uber UK and Europe boss Jamie Heywood may have only been in the job for 18 months, but he already personifies what the company has become since its angry confrontation with London mayor Sadiq Khan. That spat over Uber’s London operations has seen the previously cavalier company grow into a firm that is careful and [...]
Booze budgets: Brits splash the cash on nights out September 30, 2019 The average amount of money spent on UK nights out has surged in the last year, as boozy Brits refuse to let political uncertainty rain on their parade. Profligate partygoers now spend just over £70 on average during a night out, up more than 25 per cent year-on-year, according to the latest Deltic Night Index. [...]
Focus on Wapping: First-time home buyers are taking advantage of City connections and ‘sensible’ prices September 27, 2019 Located on the north bank of the Thames just to the east of Tower Bridge, Wapping is one of the few remaining postcodes where you can snap up a flat within walking distance of the City without a completely eye-watering price tag. Formerly the domain of dock workers, large swathes of the area have been [...]
New builds: Homes on the market in London this week, from a former quarry to flats overlooking the Houses of Parliament September 27, 2019 Ridgeway Views, Mill Hill From £93,125 for a 25 per cent share of a one-bed Buyers looking for a leafy, suburban location on a budget will want to check out L&Q’s Ridgeway Views, launching this Saturday. The shared ownership homes are located in Mill Hill, close to the 35-acre Mill Hill Park, Arrandene Open Space [...]
The private sector can unlock Africa’s promise September 27, 2019 The success of Africa matters to us all. The continent is home to four of the five fastest growing economies in the world. But still African countries currently receive less than four per cent of all global foreign direct investment. Around 20m jobs a year need to be created just to keep pace with its [...]
Uber teams up with the Open University to offer drivers free courses September 26, 2019 Ride-hailing giant Uber has teamed up with the Open University to offer free higher education courses to its drivers. The firm has today launched Uber Pro, a tiered loyalty scheme that gives drivers access to a variety of courses depending on the number of trips they have completed as well as ratings they receive from [...]
Tube drivers vow October disruption over ‘excessive’ track noise September 26, 2019 Tube drivers are set to launch industrial action in October over the noise levels of train tracks, saying they cause “distraction, discomfort, and anxiety” for drivers and passengers. The RMT union said 95 per cent of drivers voted in favour of taking action in a ballot covering the Jubilee, Central, Northern and Victoria Lines. Read [...]
Crossrail: TfL to run Paddington to Reading trains from December September 26, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) will start running services between Paddington and Reading from this December, which will become part of Crossrail when it opens from 2021. TfL Rail will replace GWR as the operator of the services, with four trains per hour at peak time and two at off-peak. Read more: Crossrail shares progress pictures [...]
The modular model: Can factory-built homes solve the housing crisis? September 26, 2019 picture a vast warehouse somewhere in the north of England. Workers in hard hats are poring over intricate plans against a background of humming machinery. Robot arms slice through sheets of metal and wood as they pass by on a conveyor belt, precisely cutting out shapes that look like huge versions of Airfix models. Across [...]
Boris Bus-t: Red bus maker Wrightbus goes into administration, putting 1,300 jobs at risk September 25, 2019 Britain’s embattled manufacturing industry was dealt a fresh blow this morning as Wrightbus entered administration, putting nearly 5,000 jobs at risk. The company, which is famous for building the so-called Boris bus Routemaster model in London, had been suffering from cash flow shortages, and had been looking for a new owner. Read more: Wrightbus in [...]