7:13 am, July 12, 2020
- Here’s your business, motoring and news round-up for Sunday, July 12
Public transport restrictions set to ease
Restrictions on using public transport are reportedly set to be eased as the government urges people to return to work rather than stay at home.
Current guidance for England states that people should consider ‘all other forms of transport’ before using trains, tubes, buses and trams.
But the Sunday Telegraph said ministers are preparing to ease restrictions to encourage people to return to work and help reboot the economy. Face masks are compulsory on public transport, but Boris Johnson hinted on Friday they could soon be made mandatory in shops as well.
Workers must get back to offices to help economy recover
Britain’s economy will not recover to pre-pandemic levels until workers are able to return safely to offices, the founder of a recruitment group has warned.
Robert Walters, chief executive of the eponymous firm, said it is ‘essential’ for his industry and other sectors to be able to return to their normal workplaces instead of remote working.
He said Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s £30bn Plan for Jobs announced on Wednesday was an ‘encouraging move’ but said many companies across a raft of sectors cannot return to full strength with a remote workforce.
Mazda partners up with NewMotion for EV charging solutions
Mazda has chosen NewMotion as its preferred charging provider in the UK, prior to its first electric model arriving early next year.
Owners of the upcoming MX-30 will be able to access NewMotion’s public charging network of 2,500 points across the country.
Buyers will be able to add NewMotion’s power management to their charging package, which will help them to manage their home energy consumption. The system is capable of monitoring the amount of energy being consumed and can adjust the speed of the car’s charging rate accordingly.
Government announces £700m for Brexit border
More than £700m is to be spent on building new infrastructure, hiring staff and developing technology to ensure Britain’s border systems are fully operational when the UK leaves the EU at the end of the year.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the major investment would ensure traders and the border industry are able to ‘manage the changes and seize the opportunities’ when the transition period ends in December.
The £705m package includes £235m for staffing and IT systems, and £470m for port and inland infrastructure to ensure compliance with new customs procedures and controls. New border infrastructure will be built inland where there is no space at ports.
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series debuts in official video
Mercedes-AMG has revealed its GT Black Series in a new video posted on social media that shows the range-topping supercar being used around a wet circuit.
With a huge rear wing and plenty of additional aerodynamic features, the Black Series’ motorsport-related influence is easy to see.
As well as the large rear wing, the video shows a wide rear diffuser and a huge front splitter. The car will likely use a modified version of the regular GT’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, and is rumoured to produce around 680bhp.
Trump wears mask in public
Donald Trump wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital, the first time the president has been seen in public with the type of facial covering recommended by health officials.
President Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in suburban Washington to meet wounded service members and health care providers caring for Covid-19 patients.
As he left the White House, he told reporters: ‘When you’re in a hospital, especially, I think it’s expected to wear a mask.’ It comes days after Boris Johnson was seen wearing one for the first time too.
G4S to pay out £44m to settle electronic-tagging fraud case
Security giant G4S is to pay out more than £44m after it ‘repeatedly lied’ to the government over electronic-tagging contracts, following investigations by the Serious Fraud Office.
The company said it will pay the sum in a settlement deal relating to the investigation, which started in 2013.
The agreement means that G4S Care & Justice will not be prosecuted provided the business meets requirements, such as paying a £38.5m fine and covering the SFO’s £5.9m in costs related to the case.
Leaving dogs in cars dangerous all year round
Leaving dogs in parked cars can be potentially dangerous all year round, even in the winter when outside temperatures are low, researchers have warned.
A study by experts in dog welfare at Nottingham Trent University has found temperatures inside cars are hot enough throughout the year to pose a risk to dog health.
The researchers monitored internal temperatures of cars in the UK, which had no dogs inside, every day for two years. They found temperatures exceeded 25C in every month of the year, high enough to cause overheating in breeds with flat faces, such as bulldogs and pugs.
Warm week ahead but cloudy
The BBC says most places will be dry and fine today as high pressure builds, bringing spells of sunshine, but western Scotland and Northern Ireland will see cloud and rain move in later.
Tonight, many northern and western areas will see cloud thicken with outbreaks of rain spreading eastwards, but it will be mostly light and patchy. South-eastern areas will remain dry.
For the start of the week, it will be cloudy for many with outbreaks of showery rain at times across the north and west. The south-east should remain dry with some sunny intervals.
- Rate your manufacturer and favourite suppliers in Car Dealer Power – it takes a few minutes to have your say here
- Join our breaking news WhatsApp group. Broadcast only, no chit chat, and headlines to your phone. Send us a message and ask to join here.
- Download the latest digital edition of Car Dealer Magazine Issue 148 for free here.
