Train passengers braced for pingdemic chaos amid restaurant closure threat July 24, 2021 British rail passengers are braced for a summer of travel chaos after a string of operators prepare for mass cancellations due to the so-called pingdemic. At least seven train networks have been granted government approval to impose emergency timetables as a result of a severe shortage of drivers and crew. The measures could reportedly last [...]
‘Pingdemic’: Transport workers set for exemption, Shapps says July 23, 2021 Some transport workers will be exempt from having to isolate if they are “pinged” by the NHS Covid-19 app, the government has announced this evening. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said that testing would be introduced at a number of key transport sites around the country. It comes after a number of rail franchises announced that [...]
London Tories call for Khan to reopen van and lorry scrappage scheme July 23, 2021 London’s Conservatives have today written to Mayor Sadiq Khan urging him put £50m from City Hall’s business rates reserves towards reopening scrappage schemes for vans and heavy vehicles ahead of the expansion of the ULEZ zone. Although Khan has so far provided £61m to drivers looking to trade in non-ULEZ compliant vehicles, the van and [...]
CMA urges action to fix electric vehicle charge point ‘postcode lottery’ July 23, 2021 The UK’s competition watchdog has today urged the government to accelerate the roll-out of its electric vehicle charging points, describing the current situation as a “postcode lottery”. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that it was particularly concerned by the choice and availability of chargepoints at motorway service stations. It also said that the [...]
Shapps: Government to review £27bn roads plan after Covid-19 reshaped travel July 22, 2021 The government is set to review its £27bn roads investment plan after Covid-19 reshaped travel, the transport secretary said today. Lockdown measures like working from home and online shopping have had permanent impacts on the UK’s travel routines. “In the last eighteen months, fundamental changes have occurred in commuting, shopping, and business travel, which before [...]
Mercedes to invest €40bn in electric cars over next decade July 22, 2021 Mercedes-Benz will invest €40bn (£34.3bn) into battery electric vehicles over the next decade, owner Daimler announced today, as the race to ditch the internal combustion engine continues apace. The German marque said that by the end of the decade the majority of its sales would be of electric vehicles, but did not commit to a [...]
Croydon tram crash: Accidental death verdict a ‘total farce’ July 22, 2021 The victims of the Croydon tram crash died as a result of an accident, and were not unlawfully killed, the jury at the inquest into their deaths has concluded. Seven passengers died and a further 62 were injured when a tram derailed in south London on November 9 2016. Dane Chinnery, 19, Philip Seary, 57, [...]
Commuter rail services axed due to staff self-isolating July 22, 2021 Commuter rail operators have today said that they will reduce the number of services they run from next week as a result of staff shortages due to workers being forced to isolate. Govia Thameslink, which runs both the Thameslink and Southern franchises, confirmed that it would run a reduced weekday service from Monday. The firm [...]
Go-Ahead Group names Transdev exec as new boss July 22, 2021 Go-Ahead Group has today named Christian Schreyer as its new chief executive following the departure of long-serving boss David Brown. German national Schreyer, who is currently the chief executive for central and north Europe at public transport operator Transdev, will take over on 1 November. Prior to that, he worked for Deutsche Bahn group for [...]
Carbon capture development costs could surpass £40bn by 2035, trade body says July 22, 2021 The cost of development of clean hydrogen and greenhouse gas removals could surpass £40bn by 2035, according to a new report by the UK’s carbon capture trade body. The report by the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), found that around 85 per cent of the lofty cost is expected to be spent on onshore [...]
