London Underground users charged £365m for incomplete journeys February 20, 2017 London’s Tube travellers are leaving themselves open to over-charging by failing to “tap out” with oysters or bank cards at stations on the Underground network. TfL has charged its customers £365m over six years from cards with incomplete journeys, according to figures provided to the Evening Standard. During peak hours, the Tube network charges £7.80 [...]
Unite boss to meet PSA on Friday for clarity over growing job concerns at Vauxhall plants February 20, 2017 Unite boss Len McCluskey plans to meet PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares on Friday to discuss concerns over UK jobs at Vauxhall plants in the prospective deal between Peugeot-maker PSA and General Motors. The union confirmed the plans are for the two to meet at the end of the week, but said as yet there [...]
Fresh talks to go ahead between Southern rail and Aslef union to try and put the brakes on the strike saga February 20, 2017 Fresh talks will be held between Southern rail and train drivers' union Aslef after members of the union rejected a previously agreed deal last week. The agreement was expected to bring the row over the so-called driver-only operated trains to a close and end the ongoing industrial action that had disrupted the network, subject to the referendum [...]
Why HS2 could be a train wreck for Euston station February 20, 2017 Today MPs will debate the HS2 bill in parliament for what is almost certainly the final time. Yet after hundreds of hours of debate and deliberation over more than five years by both MPs and peers, the plan for High Speed Rail 2 into London remains fundamentally flawed. Irrespective of the merits of the entire [...]
BMW bosses meet union reps for crunch talks to avoid strike chaos at Mini and Rolls-Royce February 20, 2017 BMW bosses meet with union representatives today in a bid to avoid industrial action in a row over what Unite has described as "pensions robbery". Unite has warned BMW to brace itself for "serious industrial action" involving some 7,000 car workers should the car company "continue to ignore their concerns". Strikes are on the horizon at BMW [...]
We won’t build a Global Britain with the highest taxes on air travel in the world February 20, 2017 The Prime Minister – in her Lancaster House speech last month – set out her vision for Brexit and her goal of “a truly global Britain”. She has been clear that she seeks to lead “a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe” and “a country that goes into the world to build relationships”. [...]
TfL awards Barclaycard 10-year contract that’ll include the roll out of contactless on the Elizabeth Line February 20, 2017 Barclaycard has retained its contract providing payment solutions to Transport for London (TfL), securing a new 10-year contract that includes the roll-out of contactless for the Elizabeth Line. The awarding of the £380m contract is for seven years with an option of extending for a further three years. Barclaycard will help TfL roll out contactless for [...]
It’s lift off for government plans to bolster UK space sector as new legal powers could soon send scientists into space February 20, 2017 New powers unveiled this week will allow British scientists to fly to the edge of space to conduct medical experiments. UK scientists could research and develop vaccines and antibiotics up in space, which grow differently where there is no gravity. The government said today that the powers will allow the launch of satellites from the [...]
The HS2 cost for taxpayers could top £90bn, warns the TaxPayers’ Alliance February 20, 2017 HS2 costs could top £90bn, if the high-speed rail project follows in the footsteps of other government-managed, large infrastructure projects, according to a think tank. The TaxPayers' Alliance has warned that taxpayers should "take no comfort" in government insistence that HS2 will be delivered on budget, given an "appalling track record". Ministers had said the London 2012 [...]
The Department for Transport (DfT) wants Google, Uber and co. on board to help run HS2 February 19, 2017 The government is considering plans for tech giants to be involved in running the new HS2 service and is encouraging the likes of Uber and Google to buy minority stakes in the franchise that will serve the train line. The plans, considering a range of innovative firms as possible investors, have been floated by the transport department in [...]