Halt final TfL payment to Garden Bridge Trust, says shadow minister Andy McDonald

Preparations to pay the charity behind the Garden Bridge project its final multi-million pound chunk of public money should be suspended, the shadow transport secretary has said

The Garden Bridge Trust recently wrote to its public sector sponsor Transport for London with a request for up to £9 million of public money earmarked in an underwriting agreement provided by the Department for Transport (DfT).

However, Labour politicians including shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald have now called on TfL to withhold the money in the wake of a new legal opinion by a QC recently revealed by the AJ, raising the prospect of limiting the aborted scheme’s cost to the taxpayer, currently estimated at £46 million.

Jason Coppel, an expert in public and procurement law, said it was ‘likely’ that the trustees breached their legal duties to act with reasonable skill and care, ‘in particular in relation to the conclusion of the construction contract with Bouygues’, although he added that a claim against the trustees would not be straightforward due to the difficulty of any potential claimant proving they had suffered loss.

While Coppel’s opinion is understood to be strongly denied by the trustees, Labour London Assembly member Tom Copley has now written to TfL commissioner Mike Brown, attaching Coppel’s legal opinion and calling on Brown to ‘halt any payment of further public money to the trust’ until TfL had obtained its own legal advice over whether trustees had indeed breached their legal duties.

Copley’s intervention was backed by McDonald, the second shadow cabinet member to raise serious questions over the actions of the Garden Bridge Trust in recent weeks after repeated calls for a new Parliamentary inquiry were made by shadow communities secretary Andrew Gwynne.

McDonald said: ‘It’s the right thing to do by taxpayers to attempt to recover every penny possible from Boris Johnson’s scandalous Garden Bridge vanity project.

‘The taxpayer’s interest must be the priority, and that means using whatever legal means are available in order to limit the cost to the public purse.’

In his letter to Brown, which was copied to London mayor Sadiq Khan and the Charity Commission and was dated August 7, Copley wrote: ‘It has come to my attention that the Garden Bridge Trust has yet to draw down the £9 million of public money provided by the DfT, but has recently made a request to do so which TfL is reviewing.

‘I’m sure you will have seen the opinion of Jason Coppel QC … in light of this opinion from an eminent QC, which I attach, I’m writing to ask you to halt any payment of further public money to the trust until you have sought legal advice as to whether TfL can withhold further payments on the grounds that the trustees may have breached their legal duties. If this is the case it should be the trustees that are liable, not the taxpayer.’

In its latest set of accounts, published recently by the Charity Commission after being submitted more than 150 days late, the trust estimated that it would request £5.5 million or less of the £9 million underwriting facility from TfL in order to meet its financial liabilities.

The DfT’s guarantee was controversially provided in 2016 by then transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin in the face of strong opposition from the department’s then permanent secretary Philip Rutnam.

Brown has yet to reply to Copley but a TfL spokesperson said: ‘The Garden Bridge Trust has written to TfL with a request for payment under the underwriting agreement. We are currently reviewing their request.’

The Garden Bridge Trust is currently in the process of winding up and trustees were unavailable for comment.

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Early-bird: Adults Only 4* Marbella holiday 6nts from £383pp - incl. flights & hotel

Ahoy early-birds! We've laid eyes on the stylish, Adults Only 4* Amare Marbella Beach Hotel in an enviable location right on the beachfront offering an outdoor pool and spa, along with a buzzing beach club. Holiday details Travel duration: 6 nights (longer or shorter stays possible) Example date: 9th 15th Apr 2019 Flight +… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Cotswolds hut stay with private hot tub from £110pp - incl. breakfast

Pirates! Make the most of the fresh country air and go exploring the ever-popular Cotswolds. A staycation break at brand new Hilly Huts at The Fish Hotel in Broadway can be booked from £110 per person, per night, based on 2 sharing. These uber-cute cabins have a private outdoor hot tub and the price includes… Captain_Niamh POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Beachfront bliss: Ibiza getaway from £280pp - 6nts 4* adults only hotel, breakfast & flights

Ahoy pirates, fancy heading to Ibiza, we have found an awesome holiday to our favourite Balearic Island this October! You will stay in a great rated and award winning 4* hotel for 6 nights (longer stays possible) with breakfast included each morning of your stay. Book today with a deposit of just £25 per person!… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Young Couple ‘Nearly Die’ As Uber Car Plunges Into Sea…But Still Charged The £18 Fare

AN Uber passenger was still charged his £18 fare — despite “nearly dying” when his cab plunged into the sea.

Businessman Nick Christoforou, 31, and colleague Sophia Toon, 23, had to swim for their lives after their taxi drove off the end of a jetty.

Nick said: “One minute I was in the back of an Uber heading home, and the next I was in the sea.”

He went on: “I managed to get the car door open and got to the surface to find the others.

"If I wasn’t in a fit and able state we would all be 100 per cent dead.”

The real estate worker from Cockfosters, north London, was on a work trip to the South of France when he booked a car via the popular Uber app.

Sophia were picked up at 1.30am in Cannes by a driver in a Citroen DS5.

Nick said: “All of a sudden I felt falling.

"Five seconds later and the car was filling up with water.

“Even now I am not certain what caused it.”

The route the car travelled and its landing point

The car sank into water 3m (10ft) deep at Port Pierre Canto, a marina for 500 yachts in the city, which hosts Cannes Film Festival each year.

Nick swam to the nearest boat and pulled the others to safety.

The driver was breathalysed and found to be sober.

Uber driver plays game on his phone as he speeds along busy London street

No arrests were made.

A police spokesman said: “Luckily the car sank slowly, allowing some time for the occupants to get out safely.”

Source : The Sun.

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We Still Don’t Know Whether Uber Is a Real Business?

It has never had to live on the cash it generates

In March, Uber will turn 10 years old. On paper, it’s one of the world’s most highly valued companies. Uber has become a verb for rides on demand, changed the transportation habits of millions and pushed changes in city planning around the world.

But after a decade of operation and perhaps a year or so away from its initial public offering, an essential unanswered question remains: Is Uber viable?

Put aside questions about whether Uber is overvalued, evil or whatever other clouds exist. I’m talking about simple dollars and cents. Uber Technologies Inc. has burned through more than $1 billion in cash in the last year, by design, and continues to fund itself with the huge capital pools available for young superstar companies since about 2010. If all that cash from SoftBank, Saudi Arabian oil wealth, conventional tech investment funds -- or even cash from future public stockholders -- unexpectedly dries up, does Uber’s business model work? I don’t know, and almost no one else does either.

There are always questions about whether relatively young companies will have staying power, but because Uber has never had to finance itself solely with the cash generated by its businesses, questions about the company’s basic viability are even more urgent. 

It’s been said before that Uber has sensibly tailored its business strategy to the financial realities of the last eight or so years of financial markets. Never before has so much money been thrown at promising young technology companies, and for good reason. People with money are desperate to make more money, and private technology companies have been an appealing way to turn $1 into $10 or $100. 

If Uber had started just a few years earlier, it might have been confined to its original business of dispatching luxury cars. Instead, Uber has taken in more than $15 billion from stock sales and borrowings, and that cash has let Uber dream big. It offers semiprofessional drivers at the tap of a smartphone screen in dozens of global cities, has branched into transportation by bicycles and has visions of robot-driven cars and flying taxis. It’s investing in food delivery, matching supply and demand for freight and more.

Uber’s cash has let it become this ambitious, but it’s never been forced to live in a world where it has to operate solely with the cash it generates. The company’s free cash flow -- or cash generated by its operations minus costs for capital projects -- was negative $1.3 billion in the last 12 months, according to Bloomberg News and other media reports on the company’s self-reported, cherry-picked financial figures. For the sake of comparison to a recent but dramatically different era in technology, Facebook had positive free cash flow for three full years when it filed to go public in 2012. 

Don’t just listen to me about the importance of companies that can sustain themselves with their own cash flow. Listen to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. "The most important factor for me," he said at a Fortune conference last month, is "cash flow generation."

 "I don't want to be dependent on private, public or any markets to fund the business expansion and the extraordinary expansion in front of us," he said.

Well said. Uber doesn’t need to be cash flow positive when it goes public. And maybe not for years. But eventually it does, and at this point it’s not clear how or when that might happen. 

Khosrowshahi and investors in both Uber and other on-demand ride companies have said the economics of the basic business are nicely profitable and improving in some established cities. They say finances for Uber and its rivals are distorted by intentional decisions to grab market share in many cities, global expansion into areas where rides aren’t immediately profitable and investments in promising but cash-draining businesses such as driverless cars.

Young tech companies often say they can pare spending or curtail growth investments if they need to fund themselves solely with cash their businesses generate. That sounds great, but it’s remarkable to think we don’t know what Uber’s business looks like -- or if it can even exist -- if the company had to live within its means.

If times change and Uber needs to become cash flow profitable earlier than it expects, what happens to Uber’s fares or the availability of rides? Does the cost for a ride double or triple? And if so, and demand for rides shrinks, how much more does it cost Uber to attract and retain drivers, which then depresses demand from riders? If Uber has to stop or pare back its investments in driverless cars or food delivery, what happens to the company’s future value or its cash flow?

And it’s not trivial to cross the chasm from a fast-growing technology company that needs constant fresh cash to a firm that can finance its own operations. In a recent analysis I did of tech companies that had gone public since 2010, I was surprised to see that some relatively seasoned companies had for years generated less cash than their businesses needed to operate. Companies such as Pandora Media and FireEye need continual supplies of fresh cash from stock sales or borrowings. 

To be clear, Uber had billions of dollars of cash on hand as of June 30. It’s not in danger of blowing up. But nothing about Uber is a sure thing. Not its eye-popping valuation, not its ability to withstand competition and regulatory challenges around the world, and certainly not its very viability as a business. .

Source : Bloomberg 

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Luxe 4* Crete half board holiday 7nts from £355pp - incl. flights & hotel

Ahoy mateys! We've clocked this great value for money holiday to sunny Crete in Greece placing you at the top-rated 4* Iberostar Creta Panorama & Mare Hotel. You'll have half board included in your stay here, along with a slew of top-facilities plus a private beach. Holiday details Travel duration: 7 nights (longer or shorter… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Union boss begins lobbying government to appose Khan's proposals to cap minicab licenses

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Chairman of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA), Steve Wright has told Kate Oglesby from the Times Series, that they have begun lobbying the government to make sure the Mayor of London's proposals to cap the amount of minicab drivers in London does not go through. This week TaxiPoint published a letter sent from the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to the transport secretary Chris Grayling, highlighting his desire to cap the amount of PHV drivers in the capital which is currently at over 110,000, up from 60,000 in 2011. According to the Times report, Mr Wright now thinks that the proposed plans discriminate against minicab drivers in favour of Hackney Carriage drivers because they don't currently have a cap on the amount of licences which are issued. London black taxi drivers have to pass the "knowledge of London" which normally takes anywhere between 3 to 5 years to complete, before they are issued a licence, so it is a much slower process to obtain a working licence. There are currently around 23,000 licensed black taxi drivers in London. Wright said in his statement: "Black cabs are a lot more expensive than minicabs, for elderly and disabled people minicabs are their cheap form of transport". Wright believes a cap on the amount of minicab drivers would be bad for the trade as a whole and would push prices up for passengers and make it harder for companies to recruit drivers. Wright branded the proposal as "an absolutely ridiculous" one. Chief editor of TaxiPoint, Perry Richardson, was approached by the Times for comment on Khan's new proposals and in contrast to Mr Wright, Mr Richardson believes the plans are good for the industry. In his statement to Kate Oglesby, he said: "The number of minicabs is far too high and has diluted the market pushing many drivers into working excessive hours just to cover costs. London doesn't need this number of vehicles to give good coverage to the public".

August 17, 2018 at 07:19PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI Michael Murphy THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Dominican Republic break £657pp - incl. 7nts all inclusive resort, flights, bags & transfers

It's time to get the 5* treatment you truly deserve with a stay at the stunning Iberostar Costa Dorada in the Dominican Republic. Enjoy mountain views from the huge pool or soak up the sun on the adjoining beach - this resort has it all! As well as staying on an all inclusive basis in… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Beautiful spring vineyard B&B stay in Sussex: Romantic 5* lodge w/ spa bath from £103pp

A stay on an English vineyard? Wine-not! Swap your bottles of rum for glasses of wine at this quaint vineyard stay in West Sussex. The quaint 5* Tinwood Estate Vineyard Lodges are located near the town of Chichester and offer a luxurious lodge stay in the countryside. There's availability all through spring 2019 or why… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Robber jailed for over five years after assaulting taxi drivers in Gravesend

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Liam Bushell, 26, of Gravesend, was sentenced to five years and three months at Maidstone Crown Court on 7 August 2018 after a jury found him guilty of robbery and an attempted robbery.The jurors heard how between 12.35am and 1am on 30 March 2018 Bushell booked a taxi from Orchard Road, Northfleet to York Road, Kings Farm, Gravesend.

No money for fare When Bushell arrived at the address he claimed he did not have the money to pay the fare. The victim offered to take him to a nearby cash point however Bushell said he did not have his wallet on him. He also claimed to not have a phone so could not pay the next day.The taxi driver asked Bushell for his phone number and at this point Bushell used a glass beer bottle to hit the driver over the back of his head.Realising he was bleeding the victim put his hand on his head and was struck again. The driver immediately got out of the car and ran up the road for help.The victim turned back to see that Bushell was running away from the taxi with a carrier bag. The driver returned to the car to find that his mobile phone, takings from the previous night, a tablet computer, a Dash Cam and a further security camera had all been stolen.The victim went to hospital to be treated for lacerations to the back of his head.On 4 April Bushell requested a taxi to collect him from a pub in Old Road West, Gravesend, at around 3.40am. After the taxi driver picked him up Bushell directed him to Oak Road.Having asked Bushell where he would like to stop Bushell then hit him on the back of the head twice with a beer bottle.

Shouts for help The victim got out of the car and shouted for help. At the same time Bushell attempted to get into the taxi driver’s seat. The victim, who had fallen to the floor, got up and attempted to stop Bushell from stealing his taxi.Bushell continued to attack the victim who also fought back, until two people from a nearby house came out to help. Bushell then ran away.Officers arrived and the taxi driver was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for various cuts and scratches and a large cut to his head.While carrying out enquiries into the incident officers found a mobile phone nearby which belonged to Bushell. He was also identified through Dash Cam footage filmed during the second incident.He was located at around 2.20pm on 4 April in Kitchener Road, Gravesend, where he was arrested and subsequently charged with the offences.Investigating officer Detective Constable Iain Joyce said: “Bushell carried out vicious attacks on both men who were entirely innocent and working to make a living.“He booked both taxis knowing that he would not be paying the fares and went equipped with a beer bottle on both occasions which he used to cause injuries.

“Dash Cams are really important to have inside vehicles and as seen in this case helped to secure a good sentence due to the overwhelming evidence against him.“Bushell’s behaviour was out of control during the incidents and I’m pleased he has been sentenced accordingly.”

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Dubai getaway from £499pp - 4nts luxe ship stay, breakfast, Heritage tour, flights & extras

Ahoy there pirates, check this out, Fleetway are offering this awesome getaway to Dubai staying in a stunning luxury ship with breakfast included each morning of your stay. This Dubai holiday has some great extras included such as one free evening meal per person per stay, a Heritage tour of the Queen Elizabeth II and… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Caliente! Direct flights to Cancún, Dominican Republic or Orlando from £245rtn

Pirates, extend your summer with these last minute flights to Cancún, Punta Cana or Orlando from our Flights Finder! Flights are direct from several UK cities with TUI, with an inflight meal included. We've seen availability for departures in August and September, If you'd prefer to book accommodation together with flights, check out our Package… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Discover somewhere new: Return flights to Transylvania from £42rtn

Enough with the run of the mill destinations, here's one for those Pirates looking for somewhere new to explore. Now is the perfect time to book your flights to Dracula country in the depths of Romania. We have discovered some cheap flights to Transylvania where you can visit the countryside and castles that inspired the… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

September sun: Sleek 4* Croatia half board holiday 7nts from £387pp - incl. flights & hotel

Arrr mateys! Who's in the market for some late summer Croatian sunshine? You will be staying at the beachfront 4* Aminess Maestral boasting an inviting infinity pool overlooking the Adriatic Sea, situated in the quaint fishing village of Novigrad on the Istrian Riviera famous for it's local wine and delicacies! What more could you… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

London Uber driver denies accusations of murdering his eight-week-old son

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An Uber driver appeared at the Old Bailey yesterday to face accusations of killing his eight-week-old son pleading not guilty to murder.Abdoul Boudabes, 39, from Plumstead south east London, was charged and remanded in custody back in May of this year.Detectives from the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation after the eight-week-old baby, named as Tyrone Boudabes was admitted to hospital with unexplained injuries on 16 September 2016. He sadly died on 20 September.A 35-year-old woman was previously arrested in connection with this investigation before being bailed and then released with no further action.

The driver originally from Ivory Coastdenies the allegation and pleads not guilty to murder.

The trial is due to begin later this year.

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Lawless London Illegal Electric Rickshaws Driven By Drunken Drivers....Enough's, Enough

'Lawless' rickshaw drivers are accused of drinking and cycling on the streets of London by disgruntled taxi driver

This is the incredible moment a London black cab driver caught out two rickshaw hosts drinking on the job. 

Driver, Tom, noticed the the two rickshaw drivers sitting in their vehicles and drinking alcohol. 

The 41-year-old decided to pull into the taxi rank next to them on Wardour Street in London and watch the pair as they guzzled cans of lager.  

Pair of rickshaw drivers caught drinking alcohol on the job

Tom, who shared the video on Twitter, confronted the drivers who then accused him of being racist. 

He tweeted: 'There it is , you can see #London is lawless #rickshaw 'drivers' drinking alcohol outside m&m store waiting to pick up children and their parents and posting as #taxi @TheLTDA @LTDAForum @The_LCDC @MetCC @TfL @MayorofLondon how long before they gonna kill someone?' 

The pair then go on to criticise Tom's ability to speak English and said, 'When you come to Europe, you need to learn the language.'

Two rickshaw drivers were confronted for drinking lager on the job in Wardour Street, London

The pair, who shared a can, called a black cab driver a racist when he confronted them

Tom said: 'I have arrived on Wardour Street and saw two rickshaws and their drivers sitting in one of them. 

'There was a can of lager on the floor so I decided to keep an eye on them. I put myself on the taxi rank then I noticed that they are actually drinking that lager.'

'It was outside M&M store so clearly they were waiting for children and parents to take them on the ride around London.   

'Those rickshaws have electric engines which makes them illegal and drunk driving that's even more dangerous. 

See ATMs video n Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/tom_1_3_/status/1029359107424313344?s=21

Tom took to Twitter to tell others about what he witnessed and raise awareness of drink driving

'I've called met police but they were extremely busy as it was the same time as that incident outside parliament so it was clearly ignored. 

'I decided to record those drivers to raise awareness about this illegal activities around West End. I'm shocked that TFL and met police is powerless around them. 

'Just wondering what needs to happen for them to be taken off the roads?' 

Source  : Daily Mail.

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Group stay in LA: California holiday from £646pp - 7nts 4* Hilton hotel, flights & luggage

Ahoy pirates, California is calling as we have come across this great group stay in Los Angeles, staying in a Hilton hotel for a week. There are great prices from November through to May 2019 for this Los Angeles holiday and we have listed all the prices below. Holiday details Travel duration: 7 nights (longer… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Canaries at Easter: 7nts with the family in Fuerteventura from £294pp incl. flights & 4* hotel

Well it looks like the most recent heat wave has disappeared, but if you'd like get ahead and start booking your 2019 getaway then check out this Easter escape to Fuerteventura! You and the whole family will be staying in a villa at the Pierre & Vacances Fuerteventura - the perfect family accommodation with great… Worlds_End_Gem POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Yorkshire Dales designer lodge group getaway 2nts from £57pp (Sleeps 4-6)

Arrr! Escape to the countryside without giving up the home comforts with the Natural Retreats modern luxury lodges nestled in the rich green Yorkshire Dales. These sexy lodges boast sleek interiors and are a designer vision of wood and glass, bringing nature right into your living space with exceptional views of the green… Castaway_Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT