Garden Bridge Trust awarded £21m in contracts ‘prematurely’ and ‘recklessly’ October 15, 2019 Backers of the abandoned Garden Bridge awarded £21m in construction contracts before getting key land and building permits, according to a new report. The report, from the London Assembly’s Garden Bridge Working Group, details the “reckless” spending of the Garden Bridge Trust (GBT) and Transport for London (TfL) on the failed £53m project. Read more: [...]
Business committee chair Rachel Reeves attacks defiant Thomas Cook leadership October 15, 2019 Business select committee chair Rachel Reeves launched a stinging attack on Thomas Cook executives today in a heated evidence session into the firm’s collapse last month. After hearing evidence on how the company was allowed to fall into liquidation, putting 9,000 people out of a job and 150,000 more stranded abroad, she told chief executive [...]
Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser: I worked ‘extremely hard’ for pay October 15, 2019 Thomas Cook chief executive Peter Fankhauser defended his pay at a heated showdown with MPs today. Fankhauser said he was “deeply sorry” for the holiday operator’s collapse, but added that he “worked extremely hard” for his pay. Read more: Jet 2 owner sees bookings rise after collapse of Thomas Cook “In relation to [a] normal [...]
Finance watchdog to crack down on interest-linked car commission October 15, 2019 Britain’s financial watchdog has said it plans to ban auto dealers from taking commission linked to the interest rates on loans used to pay for cars, which it says would save consumers £165m. Dealers and brokers that receive interest-linked commission can currently set the rate, causing a strong incentive for them to act against customers’ [...]
Former Thomas Cook executives to face grilling from MPs after collapse October 14, 2019 Thomas Cook bosses will be hauled in front of MPs tomorrow morning and forced to explain the firm’s catastrophic collapse, which left 150,000 Brits stranded abroad and forced the biggest peacetime repatriation in history by the British government. Chief executive Peter Fankhauser will answer questions from the Commons’ business select committee, in the first evidence [...]
London Night Tube crime rates soar in 2018-19 October 14, 2019 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been slammed as having a “complacent attitude” on crime in the wake of soaring violence on London’s Night Tube. New figures from the Greater London Authority show violent crime and sexual assault on Night Tube journeys rose by 32 and 10 per cent respectively in 2018-19. The increases were [...]
Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham open to public comment October 14, 2019 Plans to extend the Bakerloo line to Lewisham will go under public scrutiny today. Transport for London (TfL) began the 10-week public consultation on the extension today, welcoming comment from people on the route and the required works to implement the new route. TfL is planning to extend the Bakerloo line from Elephant and Castle [...]
Uber challenger Bolt launches XL vehicle category in London October 14, 2019 Ride-hailing app Bolt is launching a new XL category of vehicles – with space for up to six passengers – in London today, in a bid to compete with rival Uber in its biggest European market. Bolt, which launched in London in June, is hoping its expanded offering, coupled with its comparatively low prices, will [...]
Rail franchising model set to be scrapped by Boris Johnson October 13, 2019 The UK’s rail franchising system is set to be drastically overhauled as early as next year. Plans will be announced in tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech to scrap the current rail franchising model – where contracts are awarded to private companies to run commercial rail services – and replace it with a system based on “performance and [...]
UK awards no-deal Brexit ferry contracts worth £87m October 12, 2019 The government has awarded contracts to several ferry companies to transport medicines in the even of a no-deal Brexit. Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O and Stena Line are those in line to deliver supplies from 31 October after being awarded contracts worth £86.6m. Read more: Brexit tunnel talks: What you need to know The contracts will [...]