This $2m report just killed calls for a limit on Uber driver numbers January 18, 2016 Uber has been delivered a boost in London after a new report concluded the taxi-hailing service has little effect on city congestion. The report, quietly published on a Friday before a public holiday, ended previous attempts by New York mayor Bill de Blasio and City Hall to cap for-hire vehicle numbers in the city. It comes amid similar calls by the London [...]
Tube strike 2016: Unite pulls out of scheduled dates for action as talks continue between Aslef, RMT and TfL January 18, 2016 Unite, one of three unions involved in Tube strikes which are due to begin next week, has pulled out of the industrial action as talks with Transport for London resume to try and avert the walkout. Latest: Now a new union will join the Tube strikes The union, representing 600 Tube engineers and maintenance staff, had joined [...]
London small business confidence booming but UK north-south divide becomes apparent January 18, 2016 London’s small businesses are in a buoyant mood and are expecting a strong start to 2016, new survey figures published today reveal. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) gauge of confidence – compiled from a survey of 144 London firms – climbed to a score of 25 points from [...]
Action for Cabbies turns to crowdfunding to launch a judicial review challenging Transport for London’s licensing of Uber January 17, 2016 A company founded by the wife of a black cab driver will today launch a crowdfunding campaign to try to force Transport for London (TfL) to curb Uber in the capital. Action for Cabbies will use crowdfunder.co.uk to try and raise £600,000 to fund the first phase of a judicial review, arguing that in 2012 TfL [...]
Piccadilly line delays: problems have continued all day due to a “temporary shortage of train operators” January 17, 2016 Forget leaves on the line, or the wrong kind of snow. Transport for London has a far more serious problem: there are severe delays on the Piccadilly line, thanks to a shortage of staff. Passengers have been advised to avoid using the line completely if at all possible. https://twitter.com/piccadillyline/status/688744543706025985 TfL said there was a "shortage [...]
Why south London desperately needs the Overground instead of Southeastern, Southern and South West trains January 17, 2016 South London desperately needs a transport upgrade. Estimates show that demand for rail travel could grow by as much as 100 per cent by 2035. Yet south London's transport system is already under enormous pressure. Look at the Tube map and you would think that London more or less stops just south of the Thames. In [...]
From retail mania and the Tube strike to oil prices and the Chinese economy: Here’s what got us talking this week January 15, 2016 We all got invited to a very special birthday party, while someone else got an early birthday present. Meanwhile, the details of Boris Johnson's Iraq antics were leaked. Oh no, BoJo. Here's what got us talking this week 1) Ground control to major Tim The world mourned as we digested the news that David Bowie had died [...]
Tube strike 2016 could be called off as talks to continue next week as TfL, Aslef and RMT negotiate over pay, Night Tube January 15, 2016 Talks between transport bosses and unions will continue throughout the next week, as both sides attempt to reach an agreement ahead of scheduled strikes. Members of Aslef and RMT are currently planning to strike on three 24-hour strikes, with the first starting at 9.15pm on Tuesday 26 January and running until the same time on Wednesday 27 [...]
Tech City UK: What London needs from the next mayor January 15, 2016 The race to become London’s next mayor has begun, and now more than ever we need a tech champion at the controls in City Hall. London is unquestionably the digital capital of Europe. Our fintech pioneers, app developers and software innovators are re-defining city life. Digital businesses employ over 250,000 people in the capital alone. [...]
End of Southeastern, Southern and South West trains? Think tank calls for TfL to run south London train services as Overground January 14, 2016 South London's train operators Southeastern, Southern and South West Trains should be scrapped and turned into the Overground with Transport for London running services. The shake-up is the only way to keep up with increasing demand for transport in south London, according to a new think tank report. The Centre for London concludes scrapping the rail [...]