Keep electric cars exempt from Congestion Charge, says Polestar boss June 3, 2025 Electric car users should not be forced to pay London’s congestion charge, even at a discount, the boss of Polestar has said. Transport for London (TfL) last week unveiled proposals to hike the Congestion Charge by a fifth last week, the first increase since 2029. The announcement was coupled with news that electric vehicle (EV) [...]
Open access is ‘key priority,’ says Firstgroup boss June 2, 2025 Firstgroup is pushing ahead with plans to expand its open access offering despite fears over a government clampdown. The transport giant on Monday announced it had leased five Class 222, six car diesel trains after signing an agreement with rolling stock firm Eversholt Rail. It intends for the 340-seat trains to be used on a [...]
Gatwick: Boss of worst airport for flight delays promoted May 30, 2025 London Gatwick Airport has named a new top boss after its long-serving chief executive was promoted to a newly created position. Stewart Wingate has served as the airport’s CEO for the last 15 years but has now been named as managing director, UK airports, for Vinci Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners. Vinci Airports owns a [...]
Transport vigilante Jenrick takes on TfL fare dodgers May 29, 2025 Tory MP Rob Jenrick is amping up his public presence amid growing expectations he could displace an unpopular Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Conservatives. Jenrick has launched a transport vigilante campaign where he questions TfL fare dodgers on the London underground. London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office did not respond to Jenrick’s diatribe. Ex-Reform MP [...]
Can banning ‘bare beating’ force people to wear headphones on the tube? May 29, 2025 ‘Headphone dodgers’ who listen to music on the tube with the sound up are easy to hate but ‘bare beating’ is a problem that is harder to solve than you think, argues James Ford Public transport is often seen as an inherently good thing. Done well, transport policy can be a silver bullet that solves [...]
La Môme at The Berkeley review: a splash of high camp May 28, 2025 The Berkeley’s newest restaurant, La Môme, is best when it leans into eccentricity, but the food needs work, says Adam Bloodworth The Maybourne Group run the very plushest London hotels. Their newest, The Emory – London’s first and only all-suite hotel – charges north of a grand for an entry-level room. It opened last year [...]
John Lewis gets green light to build hundreds of homes in West Ealing May 28, 2025 Plans by the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) to redevelop Waitrose West Ealing have been given the go-ahead by Ealing Council after a successful appeal by the retail giant. The application, which has been in the planning system for nearly two years, is part of JLP’s long-term strategy to diversify its income streams via build-to-rent. The [...]
‘Extraordinary denial of reality’: Ricardo shareholder pens open letter amid vote to oust chair May 28, 2025 One of the largest shareholders in transport and energy consultancy Ricardo has blasted the firm’s “blinkered perspective” and “extraordinary denial of reality” ahead of a vote to oust its chair. Science Group, which controls around a fifth of the share capital of the London-listed business, earlier this month called for a general meeting of shareholders [...]
Transport for London proposes 20 per cent hike to Congestion Charge May 27, 2025 Transport for London (TfL) has proposed a fresh hike to the Congestion Charge from January next year, sparking backlash from small business owners. London’s transport body said it would hike fees from £15 to £18, a 20 per cent increase and the first since 2020, according to an announcement on Tuesday. Drivers will then be [...]
UK nightlife economy under pressure as venues struggle May 27, 2025 The UK’s nightlife industry, once a powerful driver of urban business, faces mounting pressures as shifting consumer habits, economic headwinds and regulatory challenges tighten the squeeze on late-night operators. Phil Urban, chief executive of one of the UK’s largest pub and bar chains, Mitchells & Butlers, has warned that the late-night segment is “the toughest [...]