Extinction Rebellion threatens to use drones in 10-day Heathrow airport shutdown in third runway protest May 31, 2019 Climate protest group Extinction Rebellion has threatened to shut down London’s Heathrow airport for as long as 10 days this summer in protest at plans to build a third runway. Read more: Police charge 71 in relation to Extinction Rebellion protests The climate change activists will protest at the airport on 18 June before a [...]
Wizz Air profits rise as it expects higher fuel costs to push up 2020 earnings May 31, 2019 Wizz Air’s profit margin was squeezed in its latest financial year despite posting record profit today as revenues soared, and predicting more good times to come as rivals fall by the wayside. The figures Wizz Air saw profit grow six per cent year on year to hit €292m (£257.9m) in the 12 months to the [...]
DEBATE: Should we really be that excited about the launch of 5G? May 31, 2019 Should we really be that excited about the launch of 5G? Leon Emirali, an entrepreneur and investor, says YES. 5G is well worth the wait. While there is no doubt that extra-fast internet speeds will be welcomed by consumers, we must look beyond our own mobile devices to see the real benefits of the 5G revolution. [...]
Uber loses $1bn in first quarterly results since stock market float May 30, 2019 Uber has reported a $1bn (£790m) loss in its first quarterly financial report as a public company, despite revenue rising by one-fifth. Read more: Uber partners with insurtech start-up to offer digital insurance The loss will not come as a surprise to investors in the ride-hailing giant, after it already predicted the figure in a [...]
Government target ‘infeasible’ as smart meter rollout slows May 30, 2019 The government’s target of installing a smart meter in every home by 2020 is “implausible,” experts have warned as new figures show the rollout slowed last quarter. Just over 1m smart meters were installed in the first three months of the year, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed today, a 6.7 per [...]
RMT rail union to stage five-day strike on South Western Railway in June May 30, 2019 Workers on the embattled South Western Railway (SWR) will strike for five days in June over a dispute with the role of guards on trains. The strike will take place from 18 June, rail union RMT said. The RMT has told its guards and drivers to not book on for duty for 24 hours on [...]
Outsourcer Amey agrees terms for £300m deal to escape Birmingham roads contract May 30, 2019 Contractor Amey is close to reaching a £300m agreement that would see it pay its way out of a maintenance contract for Birmingham’s 1,600-mile road network, it is reported. Read more: Amey 'offers £300m' to Birmingham city council to escape road contract Amey’s deal with Birmingham City Council and the government will see it pay [...]
TfL awards £1bn Silvertown Tunnel contract to Aberdeen Standard-backed consortium May 30, 2019 A consortium comprising Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI), Cintra and Macquarie Capital will build the £1bn Silvertown tunnel under the river Thames. The project, which will connect the Greenwich peninsula to Silvertown through an under-the-water tunnel, will come within Transport for London’s (TfL) ultra-low emission zone, meaning vehicles that do not meet certain emissions standards will [...]
Uber partners with insurtech startup to offer digital insurance May 30, 2019 Ride sharing giant Uber has struck a deal with a US insurtech startup to offer digital insurance for its drivers. Inshur uses information about average trips, locations and driver ratings in near real-time to calculate the price of the driver’s policy. Read more: Uber facing £1bn VAT tax bill after HMRC opens investigation The startup [...]
Train delays and shoddy rail service are holding back British business May 30, 2019 Trains in the UK are rubbish. Okay, this isn’t really a surprise announcement, but neither is the “we’re sorry to announce that your train is delayed” when it blares over the tannoy on a regular basis. I’m sure this will fill many of you with the same sense of unbridled want-to-drive-a-tractor-through-the-ticket-office rage as it does [...]
