Coronavirus: How safe is the post-lockdown commute to work? August 4, 2020 After more than four months of lockdown Londoners are beginning to return to the office as public transport operators take measures to make the once-daily commute as safe as possible from coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave employers “more discretion” from 1 August to bring back their staff if it was safe to do so. [...]
Coronavirus: Rail journeys fall 95 per cent as passengers heed travel restrictions April 7, 2020 New figures revealed today by the Department of Transport show that only a very small proportion of people in the UK are still travelling, suggesting the government’s lockdown measures are in the most part being observed. Speaking at a virtual meeting of the transport select committee, rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said that rail journeys were [...]
Train operators running out of time to renew rail franchises March 22, 2020 Train operators are running short on time to agree new contracts with the government as the coronavirus outbreak continues to drive down passenger numbers. Go Ahead Group and First Group run the Great Western and South Eastern franchises respectively, the contracts for which expire on 31 March. Under the Railways Act, the government will step [...]
Face coverings mandatory on TfL network from 15 June June 4, 2020 It will be mandatory for commuters to wear face coverings on all English public transport networks from 15 June, including on Transport for London (TfL). Transport secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement at today’s press briefing, adding that non-compliance would lead to a refusal of travel and fines. Shapps said there would be exemptions for [...]
P&O Ferries to cut 1,100 jobs May 11, 2020 P&O Ferries today said it will cut 1,100 jobs after demand for travel was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The ferry operator said it has started consultations “with a proposal to make around 1,100 of our colleagues redundant.” A spokesperson for P&O Ferries said: “Since the beginning of the crisis, P&O Ferries has been working [...]
South Western Railway guards vote for more strike action January 23, 2020 Rail commuters face more misery on South Western Railway in the coming months, after staff voted for more strike action in the long-running dispute over the role of train guards. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has not yet announced strike dates, but the action follows a record-breaking 27-day strike in [...]
New concept designs for Smithfield East & West Market buildings and Rotunda unveiled January 7, 2021 The City of London Corporation has revealed the first images of new concept designs for turning these special buildings into a new food and cultural destination for all Londoners. The new images, which have been put together by architects Studio Egret West, show how the buildings could be used in the future – helping to [...]
Key worker list: These UK staff can still send their children to school amid coronavirus crisis March 20, 2020 With schools across the country shutting their gates until further notice to help contain the spread of coronavirus, the government has released a list of so-called key workers deemed essential to the UK’s fight against the pandemic. Schools will be closed to the majority of children from 23 March, but have been asked to continue [...]
Commuting in the post-Covid world July 3, 2020 It’s a cliche to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything — we need to get over this and embrace “the new normal”. But change needs more than an embrace: it needs to be understood and thought-through, not rushed into headlong because everyone else is doing it. And nowhere is such consideration more necessary [...]
Welcoming Londoners back to Finsbury Circus Gardens August 10, 2020 This month, the Square Mile’s largest open space and London’s first public park is opening once more after being closed for 10 years due to Crossrail works. We are delighted to reopen the beautiful Finsbury Circus Gardens for the public to enjoy this summer, as staff begin to return to the City for work. Finsbury [...]