Councils accused of turning e-bike operators into ‘revenue stream’ as fees surge Transport & Infrastructure Cash-strapped London boroughs are squeezing e-bike operators with steep fee rises and growing enforcement charges, as the industry’s heavyweights warn councils are increasingly treating them as a cash cow. One London borough increased annual operating fees more than five-fold in a single year without adding any extra parking bays, according to figures seen by City [...]
Bolt eyes former Zipcar customers with London car-sharing push Tech Bolt is expanding into UK car sharing through a new partnership with Hiyacar, as the ride-hailing giant looks to fill the gap left by Zipcar’s withdrawal from London. From autumn, Londoners will be able to book Hiyacar vehicles directly through the Bolt app without paying a membership fee, marking the first UK launch of Bolt [...]
HMRC secures £190m VAT appeal win against Bolt Tax HMRC has won an appeal against ride hailing platform Bolt over how it calculates and pays its VAT, overturning previous decisions that had ruled in favour of Bolt. This follows an appeal hearing last month brought by the tax authority, which had questioned whether Bolt could use the tour operators’ margin scheme (TOMS). Under this [...]
Uber wants your journey on tape as safety concerns mount May 29, 2026 Uber is turning passengers’ phones into in-car recording devices as the ride-hailing giant introduces a new feature allowing users to capture audio during journeys amid growing concerns around safety and identity verification. From Thursday, riders across the UK were able to press record before or during trips directly through the Uber app, with encrypted audio [...]
Fintech boss defends sacking entire HR department for ‘creating problems that didn’t exist’ May 20, 2026 US fintech Bolt has become the latest company to openly link job cuts and restructuring to AI, after chief executive Ryan Breslow defended scrapping the firm’s HR department during a recent round of layoffs. Speaking at a Fortune event Breslow said Bolt’s HR function had become counterproductive as the company attempted to streamline operations. “We [...]
HMRC fights to close Bolt’s VAT loophole May 19, 2026 Ride-hailing platform Bolt faces the tax authorities in court today over how it calculates and pays its VAT bill. At the centre of this dispute was the question of whether Bolt could use the tour operators’ margin scheme (TOMS). Under this scheme, businesses only pay VAT on the profit margin they make between buying a [...]
Bolt expands London e-bikes ahead of Tube strike disruption April 20, 2026 Bolt is expanding its e-bike network across central and west London ahead of a fresh wave of Tube and bus strikes, Morning Wire understands, to try ease pressure on the capital’s strained transport system. The ride-hailing firm said its bikes are now available in Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham, adding to its existing presence in [...]
Forest swerves TfL’s e-scooter trial January 15, 2026 Major bike lenders are snubbing Transport for London’s e-scooter rollout as the capital’s micromobility players question regulations around trials. TfL opened the bidding for the next phase of its e-scooter experiment last week. But major electric bike operators may snub the chance to introduce e-scooters into fleets of rental vehicles across the capital, Morning Wire [...]
Uber prices set to soar as ministers introduce VAT crackdown January 2, 2026 Prices on ride hailing apps like Uber are set to soar, after the government ploughed ahead with a promise to apply VAT to online mini cab companies despite warnings from the industry that the move would worsen the cost of living. From Friday, private hire vehicle operators in London will no longer be able to [...]
Bolt targets 100,000 driverless cars by 2035 December 9, 2025 Bolt is accelerating its self-driving mission with a new hardware partnership with Stellantis, it was announced on Tuesday. Together, both firms will deploy 100,000 autonomous vehicles on its platform within the next decade. Trials are to kick off across European hubs from 2026, placing the mobility platform ahead in the AV race. The deal will [...]