London buses to double passenger capacity from Monday May 13, 2021 Londoners will soon face fewer capacity-related bus frustrations, as from Monday social distancing measures on buses across England will be eased. In London capacity on double decker buses will be doubled to around 60 passengers from Monday. For single decker buses capacity will be increased to 28, up from between 11 and 14 currently, depending [...]
Re-elected Khan already caught in the middle as RMT union threatens tube strike over Night Tube jobs May 10, 2021 The RMT union is raining on Sadiq Khan’s re-election celebrations with threats of industrial action if Transport for London doesn’t back down over scrapping Night Tube jobs and merging roles with regular Tube drivers. Transport for London, which is in a dire financial state after more than a year of Covid-19 lockdowns and remote working [...]
Central Line strike planned for election day suspended as union officials hold talks with Tube bosses May 4, 2021 A Central Line strike planned to coincide with the Mayoral election this week has been suspended. The Rail, Transport and Maritime (RMT) union had previously called for industrial action following the “victimisation” and subsequent sacking of tube driver, and union rep, Gary Carney. However, today union bosses told members at Leytonstone, Loughton, West Ruislip and [...]
Central line tube strike expected on polling day April 30, 2021 A 24-hour long Central line tube strike is expected to go ahead on 6 May, a date that coincides with polling day for London’s mayor elections. Central line train operators, Night Tube train operators and instructor operators at Leytonstone, Loughton, West Ruislip & White City Traincrew Depots will take strike action by not booking on [...]
Passenger shortage set to hammer Network Rail finances April 25, 2021 The UK’s railways are facing a drop in usage that could see up to 2m passengers fewer use trains every day as working patterns shift due to Covid-19. According to a worst-case estimate prepared for rail authorities, passenger numbers may be no higher than 60 per cent of pre-Covid levels for the next four years. [...]
Navalny allies arrested as Russia braces for nationwide protests April 21, 2021 Two of Alexei Navalny’s closest allies were arrested on Wednesday at the start of a planned day of mass protests in support of the jailed Kremlin critic. Lyubov Sobol, one of the faces of Navalny’s popular YouTube channel, and Kira Yarmysh, his spokeswoman, were both detained in Moscow, according to their lawyers. Navalny, Russia’s leading [...]
Transport for London to face funding squeeze as journey numbers will ‘never hit pre-Covid peak’ March 29, 2021 Transport for London to face funding squeeze as journey numbers will never hit pre-Covid peak
Jordan B Peterson interview: The unlikely conservative superstar March 1, 2021 As Jordan Peterson’s new book Beyond Order is released, we revisit our 2018 interview with the unlikely conservative superstar, discussing the high price of fame, causing offence and that interview with Cathy Newman. ••• Professor Jordan B Peterson’s apartment smells of meat. It’s 8am and his wife, Tammy, is fastidiously slicing a pile of steaks, [...]
England Netball chief Fran Connolly on the sport’s huge growth, plans to professionalise, and interest from private investors February 20, 2021 Few sports can have had their momentum checked by the pandemic quite like netball in the UK. A decade of extraordinary growth in which participation doubled and exposure at elite level reached unseen heights was jeopardised when Covid-19 hit, forcing a premature end to the Superleague season and halting grassroots netball. Almost a year on, [...]
Don’t believe the hype: streaming doesn’t sell artists down the river January 19, 2021 Last October, the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee launched an inquiry into the impact of music streaming on artists and the industry, after calls from campaigners to shake up how streaming royalties work. While I appreciate the concerns of many artists, I should say that I am a big fan of streaming, for many [...]