Bolt

ACDU calls for Bolt drivers’ strike, demanding the ride-hailing firm matches Uber on workers’ rights

After winning its legal case against Uber on workers’ rights, the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ACDU) is turning its attention to rival Bolt, calling for a drivers’ strike and user boycott of the app unless Bolt offers similar rights to its drivers as…

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BMW ringgo

BMW adds RingGo car park payment app to more than 150,000 cars across the UK

BMW drivers will now be able to use their in-car infotainment system to pay for parking after the car maker announced a partnership with online parking app RingGo. The move means RingGo is now available in more than 150,000 BMW cars in the UK.…

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used cars

Unprecedented used car price rises to continue into Q3, industry organisations predict

Used car prices are rising dramatically and will continue to do so into the third quarter of 2021, the Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) is predicting. The strong used car market is confirmed by used car marketplace Auto Trader, which claims most retailers saw their…

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Volvo XC40 recharge

Volvo starts online sales for expanded XC40 Recharge electric SUV range

The expanded Volvo XC40 Recharge pure electric range is now available for UK customers to order online. Three new versions of the compact SUV have been introduced, with updated equipment specifications: Twin, Twin Plus and Twin Pro. On-the-road prices start from £49,950 for Twin,…

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Court rules that TfL’s car-free Bishopsgate move was not illegal

Court rules that TfL’s car-free Bishopsgate move was not illegal

The Court of Appeal has upheld Transport for London’s appeal against a January ruling which stopped it from turning some London streets into no-car areas. Now the court has given Mayor Sadiq Khan the green light to continue imposing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) on…

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BP Pulse opens dedicated rapid charging hub for Uber electric cars

BP Pulse opens dedicated rapid charging hub for Uber electric cars

BP Pulse, the oil company, electric vehicles arm, has opened a dedicated fleet charging hub at London’s Park Lane. The hub has 10 rapid 50kW chargers, and a further 12 chargers are due to be added in the coming months. The Park Lane site…

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ComCab Taxi

Addison Lee acquires black taxi operator ComCab and CityFleet Networks

Addison Lee is to acquire black taxi provider ComCab, creating the capital’s largest private hire and taxi company with a combined fleet of more than 7,000 vehicles. The Addison Lee private hire fleet and ComCab hackney fleet will continue under their own brands. The…

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Uber adds Oxford operator 001 Taxis to ‘local cab’ pilot scheme

Uber adds Oxford operator 001 Taxis to ‘local cab’ pilot scheme

Uber has added a second city to its Local Cab scheme, with Oxford joining Plymouth as part of the pilot scheme. Anyone opening the Uber app in Oxford will see the ‘Local cab’ option which will connect passengers to the taxi firm 001 Taxis…

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Nemer MBE

MBEs for Cambridge taxi boss Nemer, who gave free rides to NHS frontline workers

A Cambridge-based taxi operator who drove NHS staff to and from work for free, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Camcab owner Rowhi Nemer, 63, offered the services of his company free of charge to frontline NHS and Air Ambulance…

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Ecotricity

Gridserve buys Ecotricity motorway EV charging network and promises major upgrade

Gridserve, which last year opened the first all-electric forecourt in the UK, has acquired pioneering charge point provider Ecotricity. The move is likely to signal major new investment in Ecotricity’s Electric Highway motorway services network, whose ageing and unreliable electric car chargers saw the…

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Connected Kerb

Connected Kerb launches project to bring EV chargers to remote Kent villages

A new project to bring affordable electric vehicle charging to smaller communities has been launched in Kent. Charging specialist, Connected Kerb, is working with Kent County Council to deliver a project that the company believes will provide a blueprint for local authorities across the…

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Free Now lockdown

Free Now looks to recruit drivers as demand rebounds following lockdown easing

Ride-hailing app Free Now is looking to recruit 10,000 new drivers to meet a bounce in demand after the easing of lockdown restrictions last month. The company reported an 38% week-on-week increase in UK journey requests nationwide following the reopening of indoor hospitality venues…

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scottish support

Union slams Scottish Government support package, claiming drivers and operators have been ‘short-changed’

Trade Union Unite has strongly criticised the Scottish Government for “short-changing” taxi drivers and operators in its latest round of Covid-19 support grants. Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has today announced an additional £62 million of support for 37,000 taxi and private hire operators…

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Take Me Birmingham

Birmingham pair TC Cars and Heritage Cars merge as Take Me Group accelerates national brand plans

Take Me Group’s Birmingham subsidiary TC Cars has announced a merger with local rival Heritage Cars, with both businesses planning to operate under the Take Me umbrella. The move, which creates a combined fleet in excess of 600 cars, is the latest step by…

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BMW charging

BMW Group launches one-stop EV charging packages for BMW and Mini customers

BMW Group has launched two monthly subscription packages for BMW and Mini EV drivers who make frequent use of public charging facilities. The new BMW Charging and MINI Charging services mean customers can charge their cars at more than 11,000 charging points across the…

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Charging VAT

Charge networks angry as HMRC hikes VAT rate on electricity at charge points to 20%

The cost of recharging your electric car at commercial charge points is set to rise after HMRC announced it would impose the standard rate of VAT (20%) on the facilities. Previously HMRC applied ‘de minimis’ provisions, which allowed a reduced rate of VAT of…

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Addison Bubble

Driver Bubble to install safety screens across Addison Lee executive fleet

Partition screen supplier Driver Bubble is to fit new safety screens behind the front seats of Addison Lee’s executive fleet of Mercedes E-class vehicles, adding to the safety screens already fitted to its standard Ford Galaxy and VW Sharan MPV fleet. This partnership with…

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Uber GMB

Uber recognises GMB Union to represent its UK drivers on employment rights

In a landmark agreement, Uber has recognised the GMB Union to represent up to 70,000 drivers, the first time the ride-share giant has done so globally. The move follows the UK Supreme Court ruling that Uber’s UK drivers should be classified as workers, with…

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