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Hotel rooms back on the market for the Olympics

Monday, January 30th, 2012

The organisers of the London Olympic Games have put 120,000 hotel rooms back on the market after having originally booked 600,000 for Olympic officials during the bidding process in 2005. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games said that the rooms were no longer required, and that it had always planned on giving back the excess bookings at the beginning of 2012.

Paul Deighton, Locog’s boss, said the return of the rooms would allow hotels to plan more effectively for the summer.

The number of rooms coming back onto the market is around 20 per cent of those originally reserved by the committee. They were initially booked for International Olympic Committee members, the International Sports Federations, sponsors, media and those working at the event.

VisitBritain’s chief executive, Sandie Dawe, said the availability of the rooms was good news for those who will be travelling from abroad to enjoy the festivities this summer. He added that the sector would be boosted by the addition and that it would help the UK to showcase itself as a destination of choice.

Miles Quest, of the British Hospitality Association, said that the reintroduction of the rooms would mean that an extra 8,000 night would be available to the public. He added that there would now be around 110,000 hotel rooms available in London, and some 75,000 more in the area around the capital.

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Festive season sees rise in drink drive arrests

Friday, January 20th, 2012

December’s crackdown on drink and drug drivers resulted in over 7,200 arrests. The AA said it was disappointed by the figures which were up on the past couple of years. However, the organisation conceded that better weather last month meant that more people were choosing to get behind the wheel.

Last year the poor weather meant that more people decided to stay at home over the festive period. According to road safety campaigners, the figures show that messages about the dangers of driving after drinking alcohol are not getting across. Figures released by the Association of Chief Police Officers show that younger drivers are more likely to drink drive.

The rate of offending for people below the age of 25 is 5.7 per cent compared to a 4 per cent rate for drivers over the age of 25. Detective Chief Constable Suzette Davenport of the Northamptonshire Police said there was a definite correlation between higher accident rates and drink driving.

Routine tests find that 4.1 per cent of drivers are over the limit, but tests conducted after an accident show that 7 per cent of motorists have had too much to drink. DCC Davenport said that driving while under the influence puts at risk more than just a driver’s safety.

She explained that being arrested can result in the loss of a licence, a prison term and being sacked from work. She added that even one drink can affect the way in which someone drives and advised that people who have drunk should stay away from the car.

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Olympic dove to feature on BA planes

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

British Airways has said that it will be celebrating the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics by repainting some of its planes with a dove design. The airline also said it will be repainting 747 and A319 planes with a colour representing the Olympics. The dove is the creation of Pascal Anson, a Kingston University design tutor who lives in Brighton.

He said that the idea for the artwork came to him while he watched airliners taking off and landing at Gatwick which he saw on his journey each day into London. He explained that to him the planes sometimes look as if they are birds.

Mr Anson said that he realised a dove would be appropriate for the Games as it has been used before in Olympic celebrations and it represents the idea of social unity and is the symbol of peace.

The design was chosen by a panel of judges. Amongst them was Tracey Emin, who will be on hand to advise Mr Anson throughout the repainting process. She said that the artwork was stunning, and certain to impress all of those who get to travel on the planes on which it will feature.

The design will cover the whole of the plane, but BA said that the flag carrier will still retain its identity. The planes will keep the new design throughout 2012, and the first glimpse of the artwork will be given in April. BA will be celebrating and promoting a range of UK talent up until the opening ceremony.

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Phase out of paper driving licence announced

Friday, December 16th, 2011

The UK government has said that it will be cutting some of the red tape for drivers by getting rid of the paper driving licence. The phase out will take place in 2015, and the authorities have also said that motorists will no longer be required to hold an insurance certificate.

Justine Greening, the transport secretary said that digital technology meant that insurance and driving license details could now be kept on computers. Information on databases, such as driving convictions, will be made available to vehicle rental firms and to the authorities in other countries.

From 2015 motorists will only have to carry a photocard, but until then, drivers will be required to produce the old paper licence if they are stopped by the police. A date is still to be set for the phasing out of insurance documents, but it will soon be easier to get a tax disc from the post office because insurance details will be held on computers.

Greening said that getting rid of the paper licence and insurance papers would free people from unnecessary regulations, and also remove barriers to economic recovery. She added that the statute books were due for a spring clean as many of the regulations had become out dated.

The phasing out of the insurance documents is currently something that is being discussed with the industry. Details will be stored on a database which will be accessed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

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Peter Vaughan wants speed limit to remain 70mph

Monday, November 14th, 2011

Peter Vaughan, South Wales Police chief constable, has said that he does not agree with the government’s plans to increase the speed limit on the roads. At the moment, the rules are set to change in 2013 when the limit will go up to 80mph. He also said that he would like to see control of policing in Wales devolved to Cardiff Bay from Westminster.

Vaughan explained that crime in Wales, such as robberies and burglaries, was being reduced, but conceded that more needed to be done to be done to persuade the public that this is the case.

The chief constable said the he realised why many wanted to see the speed limit pushed up, adding that as far as he was concerned, 70mph was sufficient. He explained that it was basic science that when and object travels faster it makes more of an impact when it hits something which is stationary.

The 70mph speed limit on the roads was introduced in 1965. According to a recent survey by the Department for Transport, 49 per cent of drivers admit that they have exceeded the limit either intentionally, or without realising it.

The government claims that the advances in car technology mean that driving at higher speeds is now much safer than it once was. Since the speed limit was introduced, there has been a 75 per cent reduction in the number of deaths on the road. Vaughan said that Gwent Police were currently testing measures to make road travel safer on the M4.

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M5 crash investigation could take weeks

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Transport Secretary Justine Greening said that an investigation into the exact cause of last Friday’s pile up on the M5 in Somerset could take weeks. She confirmed that 51 people had been hurt in the crash and that 37 vehicles had been involved. Ms Greening also told MPs that seven people had died.

She added that the investigation would involve careful examination of the vehicles, as well as a large number of witness statements. Among those who died were two drivers who worked for the same haulage company. Another colleague was injured. Pam and Tony Adams, a couple in their 70s were also killed as they were driving home to south Wales.

The investigation into what caused one of the largest pile ups on a UK road in recent memory is focussing on the fact that there may have been a significant amount of smoke wafting over the carriageway from a nearby firework display.

The display had been organised by Taunton Rugby Club which said it was currently assisting the police with enquires. Anthony Bangham, of the Avon and Somerset Police, confirmed that the investigation was focusing on the fireworks display, and that officers would be interviewing those who attended.

He added that driving conditions in the area were already difficult on Friday night because of fog. However, they could have been made significantly worse if smoke was billowing over the motorway. West Somerset coroner, Michael Rose, said he will begin inquests into the deaths of the victims on Thursday.

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RMT slams TfL for dangerous proposals in leaked paper

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

The country’s largest transport union has condemned a leaked paper, drawn up by Transport for London, which suggests new technology could replace staff on the London Underground. The RMT claims that ideas such as closing ticket offices at stations and introducing driverless trains across the network are irresponsible and dangerous.

The authors of the document make the point that the introduction of such measures could reduce the workforce on the Tube by 1,500. The outlined plans include shutting all but 30 of the ticket offices in favour of introducing more ‘wave and pay’ machines. The 30 remaining offices would then be turned into information centres.

The RMT is appalled at proposals to make all the trains on the network fully automated. It pointed out that a remote controlled train was not much use to passengers stranded in a tunnel. Union boss, Bob Crow, also said that reducing staff at stations would create a paradise for vandals and muggers.

However, TfL has been quick to point out that the document was only being used to create discussion. Managing director of the London Underground, Mike Brown, said that nothing had been agreed to by the mayor, TfL or the Tube’s board. He added that LU was still very much committed to keeping stations fully staffed at all times.

The paper suggests that, by the end of the decade, all trains on the network will be controlled remotely. However, experts believe this may be an unrealistic target because of the amount of testing which would be involved.

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MPs blame suing culture for high cost of car insurance

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

The Commons Transport Committee has been hearing how claims firms, credit hire companies and unscrupulous lawyers mean that motorists are paying around £2 billion per year more in insurance costs than they should be. Blackburn Labour MP, Jack Straw, has delivered a report which criticises a culture of suing within the UK.

Mr Straw attacked the practice of cold-calling by accident claim firms, claiming that as he was preparing his report the night before he had picked the telephone up to a company asking him if he would like representation for an accident. He said that he had not been involved in an accident, but that the call proved just how widespread the problem had become.

Jonathan Djangoly, Justice Minister, said that the government needed to ban referral fees in order to cut down on the number of greedy insurance claims being made. He pointed out that motorists’ being told by lawyers that they cannot lose by making a claim are usually going to go for it, and that the practice had to be stopped.

Mike Penning, Roads Minister, labelled claims companies ‘ambulance chasers’. He said that he found it shocking that organisations were seeking to make a profit out of someone else’s injuries. Reportedly, around half of all motor insurance claims are made for personal injuries.

Comprehensive car insurance taken out annually went up, on average, to £892 from £636 over the year ending in March. By June, that figure was £923.90 and is likely to hit four figures in the near future.

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Transport Secretary proposes increasing motorway speed limit

Friday, September 30th, 2011

The government has said that it will examine proposals made by Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, to raise the speed limit on Britain’s motorways. Mr Hammond said that the 70mph restriction needed to be revised because huge advances in technology meant that cars were now capable of driving at higher speeds safely.

He pointed out that the 70mph limit, which was introduced in 1965, had become somewhat irrelevant as many of the countries motorists break it when travelling on the motorway. Mr Hammond wants to see the limit increased to 80mph and claims that doing so also made sense for the country’s economy. He said that millions would be saved by shortening journey times.

However, some groups have already started to criticise Mr Hammond’s suggestion. Brake, a road safety charity, said that it was inevitable that any increase in speed would lead to more deaths on the road.

Campaign for Better Transport said the plans were an empty gesture for drivers. Chief executive, Stephen Joseph, explained that an increase in speed meant an increase in fuel consumption which would not be good for the environment or for motorists’ wallets. He added that higher speeds would mean more casualties.

RAC Foundation director, Professor Stephen Glaister, said there were positive and negative aspects to pushing the limit up to 80mph. He said it was true that motorists would get where they needed to be in a shorter time but that an increase of 10mph would result in 20 per cent more fuel being burnt which means 20 per cent more pollution.

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British Airways launches new ad campaign

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

British Airways is launching its most ambitious advertising campaign in more than a decade. The flag carrier will use staff to promote its virtues as it hopes to finally put behind it the damage caused by a long-running dispute with cabin crew. Commercials on the television will be rolled out in the UK and America before being shown in other international markets. The ad will debut on the airline’s Facebook page.

Press ads will concentrate on the experience and expertise of BA staff. A picture of a human heart makes the point that BA is skilled in carrying precious cargo like donor organs. Another features a baby wrapped the jacket of a BA cabin crew member to show that staff are capable of dealing with emergencies like delivering babies.

BA is also promoting its commitment to superior customer service by retaining the motto: To Fly. To Serve. The airline’s chief executive, Keith Williams, said the campaign had been created to mark the beginning of a new chapter in BA’s history. He added that the last decade had been tough for the airline industry because of 9/11, political upheaval and a world-wide financial crisis.

Mr Williams went on to say that the future was looking much more positive and that he was confident about the airline moving forward.

The campaign is thought to have cost around £20 million. BA’s brand engagement head, Abigail Comber, said the advertising was meant to reignite pride in the flag carrier with customers, viewers and staff.

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