Letters to the Editor – 20/06 – The estuary option, Flatter the better, Best of Twitter June 19, 2014 The estuary option This week, Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports Commission, was questioned by the London Assembly. Some of his answers were worrying. He seemed to refuse to acknowledge the benefits a new four-runway hub airport would bring to Britain. When hubs are being built all over the world, with upwards of four [...]
BG Group gets rid of holding in major North Sea gas pipeline June 17, 2014 BG GROUP is selling off its majority stake in one of the North Sea’s biggest gas pipelines for as much as £562m. The London-listed firm said it will still have the right to transport fuel through the Central Area Transmission System (Cats) following the sale of a 62.78 per cent stake to investment group Antin [...]
How Mark Carney’s move from Canada cost the Bank of England over £100k June 17, 2014 The Bank of England paid £102,816 to assist governor Mark Carney and his family in their move from Ottawa, Canada, to London, according to the Bank of England's latest annual report. The ex-Goldman Sachs staffer moved over to the UK with his wife Diana and four daughters last year. He even brought with him his [...]
City Moves for 13 June 2014 | Who’s switching jobs June 12, 2014 Investec Asset Finance Jane Mantell has been appointed head of portfolio risk at the asset finance provider. She joins from Insight Plus, the consultancy, where she has worked since 2007. Mantell previously spent nine years with Foxreed Consulting. UBS Michael Hafner has been appointed head of oil and gas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) [...]
Look mum, three hands! June 12, 2014 The panoply of watches out there is overwhelming – so why not think bike Despite the staggering variety of watches produced every year, your average London gent typically plumps for one of a few well-known models from a few well-known brands. It’s understandable – we’re not a nation known for our exotic dress sense, after [...]
Uber app wins the heart of EU commissioner after taxi protests June 12, 2014 Smartphone app Uber has found a new champion in the form of EU digital affairs commissioner Neelie Kroes. After protests against the San Francisco startup swept Europe yesterday, Kroes wrote "we cannot address these challenges by ignoring them, by going on strike, or by trying to ban these innovations out of existence." “The disruptive force [...]
Uber app vs black taxis: Cab war heats up June 11, 2014 Taxi drivers bring central London streets to a standstill over Uber – yet smartphone app says it won the day Thousands of black cabs caused gridlock in London’s west end yesterday as taxi drivers protested over the smartphone app Uber and warned that they could bring more chaos to the streets of the capital with [...]
More than 300 Transport for London staff now earning over £100,000 June 11, 2014 More than 300 staff at Transport for London are now paid more than £100,000, and the boss of Crossrail’s pay has topped £700,000, new accounts show. Andrew Wolstenholme was awarded a bonus of £176,000 as well as a £523,000 salary in his role as the head of the new railway, giving him a pay rise [...]
London’s Uber app taxi protests: Here’s what you need to know June 11, 2014 Thousands of London’s iconic black cabs are today staging a mass protest against innovative taxi app service Uber. Uber customers can hail a ride using their smartphone, which will show them the nearest vehicle available. Organised by the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), the protest could wreak traffic chaos across large swathes of the capital. [...]
Taxi app or London black cab: Which offers the best fares? June 11, 2014 Black-cab drivers are taking to the streets of London this afternoon in protest against Transport for London (TfL) and taxi app start up Uber (here's why, if you haven't been keeping up). In the battle of old vs new, tradition vs disrupters, which taxi services actually offer the best fare for you? Well, it depends, [...]