Small cities are key to Northern Powerhouse success, says think tank IPPR June 10, 2016 The government's ambition to create a Northern Powerhouse is dependent on small and medium sized cities (SMCs), a new report has warned. A report by IPPR North has found that SMCs are essential to boosting growth in the north of England, with smaller cities representing a third of the Northern economy and play a key role [...]
Now you can get Twitter alerts directly when your Tube line is delayed June 9, 2016 Want to know when there's delays on your Tube line before you head to work? Now you can get simple direct updates on delays and any other issues with services direct to your phone via Twitter, making the faff of searching and checking updates obsolete. Transport for London (TfL) has teamed up with Twitter to deliver [...]
Here’s how much it actually cost TfL to rebrand Crossrail as The Elizabeth Line June 9, 2016 When Transport for London (TfL) announced back in February that it was rebranding Crossrail as The Elizabeth Line, eyes across the capital were rolled. Another lame corporate rebrand, probably costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, right? Wrong, apparently. City Metric, an arm of the New Statesman, submitted a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to find [...]
London mayor Khan faces cross-party fury over fare freeze pledge June 8, 2016 London Mayor Sadiq Khan is facing cross-party fury after it emerged that a much-vaunted freeze on TfL fares would exclude large numbers of tickets. A four-year freeze on fares was the flagship policy in Khan's plans for London, with the former Tooting MP stating in his manifesto that “Londoners won't pay a penny for more [...]
Londoners are now spending 70 per cent of their income on rent and bills June 8, 2016 Londoners are now shelling out a staggering 70 per cent of average income on their rent and essential bills, new data shows. Analysis from Portico London estate agents shows that for three and a half days of a Londoner's working week earns them enough to pay for rent, as well as taxes, housing costs and [...]
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says first savings found to fund his fares freeze, but some tickets will be excluded June 8, 2016 A major efficiency savings programme to enable fares on Transport for London services to be frozen until 2020 has been announced by the Mayor of London, but not all travel costs are set to be included. Sadiq Khan and London’s transport commissioner, Mike Brown, announced the plans which will allow the freeze to come into force without hitting [...]
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin hints that diesel taxes could rise to cut air pollution June 8, 2016 Diesel car owners could face a tax hike in order to tackle the rising problem of air pollution, the transport secretary has indicated. Patrick McLoughlin said that it had been a mistake for former Labour chancellor – and Prime Minister – Gordon Brown to cut taxes on diesel. In an interview with the Evening Standard, McLoughlin said: "We [...]
Are Sadiq Khan’s planning reforms viable? June 6, 2016 After just two weeks in office as the new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan revealed his plans to deal with the capital’s housing crisis and said the previous mayor had “left the cupboard bare” when it comes to delivering affordable housing. Khan says he will be working with the government to actively identify surplus public [...]
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan vows to tackle air pollution as worrying new figures reveal capital’s health inequalities June 6, 2016 New figures that lay bare the extent of London's air pollution has sparked a promised crackdown by the Mayor of London. Data published today revealed that Londoners living in the capital’s most deprived boroughs are significantly more likely to die of lung cancer, asthma and other lung diseases than those who live in more affluent parts [...]
Low fuel prices means it’s cheaper to run a car now than it was in 2013 June 6, 2016 One of a household's biggest bills is being held down by low oil prices. The average annual cost of running a car is around 22 per cent – or £622 – less than 2013, coming in at £2,197.42. The decline is due to the price of petrol at the pump, which makes up almost half of the costs of [...]