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 [...]
UK now has more electric car charging points than petrol stations November 2, 2019 There are now more public electric car charging points in Britain than petrol stations, according to newly released figures. The Department of Transport has released numbers showing a breakdown of the amount of charging points in each borough in the UK. Read more: Dyson pulls plug on electric car project The total number of public [...]
Focus on Willesden: A well-connected area where North London buyers can upsize November 1, 2019 One of the universally acknowledged truths of the London housing market is that needing more space often means moving further out. But it need not mean going all the way out into the sticks – and the North West London neighbourhood of Willesden is testament to that. While it is on the zone two-three border [...]
Revealed: The London boroughs most likely to avoid a Brexit house price crash November 1, 2019 So you’re a first-time buyer who has finally saved up enough to get on the housing ladder. All that’s left now is to decide which corner of the capital you’re going to invest your cash in. That decision is arguably more important than ever, given that a recession is a very real possibility – particularly [...]