Citymapper launches contactless London travelcard that is cheaper than TfL’s Tube and bus travel fares February 20, 2019 London commuter app Citymapper has launched a new subscription service that will allow people to pay for weekly travel across all modes of transport, built into a contactless card. From launch, Citymapper Pass will cover travel on the Tube, buses, trains, Santander bikes and its own Citymapper Ride shared taxi service in zones one and two. Read more: TfL told [...]
In a cashless society, what will we do when our colleagues turn up rattling the collection tin? January 17, 2019 Periodically, a senior economist will suggest that as a society we could abolish cash. As an idea, it unites left and right in immediate dismay. On the one hand, it would strike a blow against individual liberty, giving retailers, banks, and possibly governments the potential to track your every transaction. On the other, it would [...]
Are Britain’s banks close-minded to Open Banking? January 14, 2019 Lauded as the start of a new revolution in banking, Open Banking was expected to take the financial world by storm when it was introduced almost a year ago to the day. The set of new rules require that the big banks allow their customers to share their own transaction data with third parties. Specifically designed to open [...]
Giving to a charity at Christmas is great, but we should think of helping others all year round December 13, 2018 It is nearly Christmas, and it is well known that the theme of the season is the giving of gifts and thinking of others. As a result, it is also a popular time of year for people to give to charity. In fact, data from the Charities Aid Foundation shows that November and December are [...]
Stagecoach shares climb 15 per cent despite £85m balance sheet blow from US division December 5, 2018 Stagecoach shares climbed by 12 per cent this morning despite its writedown of its US, as investors focused on the business’s underlying performance in the UK. The figures Stagecoach revenue fell to £1.23bn in the six months to the end of October, down from £1.79bn in the same period in 2017. Underlying profit before tax [...]
Happy birthday, bitcoin: Onwards to a brave new crypto-fulled world October 29, 2018 A decde ago this Wednesday, just weeks after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the start of the financial crisis, an anonymous figure published the famous essay – “Bitcoin: a peer-to-peer electronic cash system”. Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, has to this day never been unmasked, but his invention has since [...]
Card clash: Mastercard UK’s Mark Barnett on the battle for payments market share October 15, 2018 The likelihood is that, reading this, you have a Visa debit card somewhere on your person. Only two per cent of Britons currently have a Mastercard debit card, but that will change shortly after a string of wins for the US giant which will see its market share increase by 10 times. TSB and Santander [...]
RMT union calls on Sadiq Khan to halt possible ticket office closures on London Overground October 3, 2018 The RMT rail union has called on the mayor of London Sadiq Khan to halt the planned closures for ticket offices on the London Overground. Last September the operator of the London Overground, Arriva Rail London (ARL), announced a review into how people pay for their tube travel, following the boom in people paying for travel via contactless [...]
Brompton Electric review: The iconic folding bike gains a motor, but loses some portability along the way September 27, 2018 The Brompton is a magical object. The most popular bike in Britain, it appears to defy several laws of physics when it folds in on itself, collapsing like a neutron star into the size of something approaching a sugar cube. The compact format of a Brompton means it can go places other bicycles aren’t allowed, [...]
Season ticket holders hit by May timetable chaos have a month to claim compensation September 25, 2018 Eligible season ticket holders affected by the May timetable disruption have until 30 November to reclaim compensation. Embattled operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has opened the second phase of its compensation scheme for passengers who were hit with cancellations and delays arising from the timetable overhaul in May. GTR, which operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and [...]