Travel News

(Bloomberg) --

Bordered by the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange and Mansion House, Bank Junction is the beating heart of the City of London. It is also one of the financial district’s top money spinners.

A traffic camera system designed to catch vehicles who breach its stringent restrictions pulled in £15.2 million ($18.9 million) in penalty charges in the three years through 2021, according to a Freedom of Information request to the City of London Corporation, the district’s governing body. 

Its £3.2 million haul in 2021 was about 40% of all such fines levied in the Square Mile and makes it one of the most lucrative traffic spots in the UK capital -- even with takings down almost half from 2020 as drivers cottoned onto the restrictions.

Only buses and pedal cyclists have been allowed to cross the intersection on weekdays between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. since 2017. Breach those restrictions and you’ll be hit with a £130 penalty notice, although that is reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days.

With multiple streets converging on a statue of the Duke of Wellington astride a horse, the junction was once one of London’s most popular thoroughfares. Now the streets feature warnings of the restrictions and offering advice on alternative routes. Blue bus and cycle only signs are displayed where the restrictions start, although those who have been penalized mutter darkly about the warnings being difficult to spot.

John Walters, a 36-year-old taxi driver, said he’d been fined five times at the junction and successfully appealed three times. “I’ve been nervous for quite a long time, it’s been challenging to pick up passengers with all these cameras,” he said in an interview. “It just makes driving here difficult.”

A representative for the City of London noted that parking and traffic enforcement aims to be self-financing and “where there is a surplus, it is ringfenced by law to highways and transport-related activities such as resurfacing.”

The prohibition at the junction is part of a wider trend that have seen similar crossroads across London become major generators of revenue, according to FOI requests by Bloomberg News. 

Newham made £11.8 million from junctions similar to the one at Bank last year. Hackney in East London made £8.79 million and Enfield collected £7.58 million. 

A spokesperson for Newham said traffic restrictions cut nitrogen dioxide in the immediate area by 40%. A representative for Enfield said much of the money funded free travel passes for the young and elderly. Hackney Council said the restrictions kept people safe and made streets greener, adding that the money is plowed into services including road maintenance and school transport.

At Bank Junction, the favorable market conditions behind its seven-figure income may soon be in retreat. The City of London is reviewing the restrictions at the crossroads that may see them eased.

Some users aren’t holding their breath.

“With the City of London, I’ll believe it when I see it,” said cab driver Scott Forth.

The lengthy Schengen visa process is set to go completely online in the next few years.

The new digital system - proposed by the European Commission last week - will replace the arduous paper application process endured by millions of would-be visitors to Europe.

Travellers can expect a “smoother and more secure” system, the European Commission has promised.

“With some member states already switching to digital, it is vital the Schengen area now moves forward as one,’ declared Commission Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas.

So how will the new system work - and when should you start planning a Euro getaway?

Who needs a Schengen visa?

The Schengen visa allows travellers to stay for tourism or business in 26 European countries for up to 90 days in a 180 day period.

The travel area covers most EU countries, plus Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. EU countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are excluded.

Most foreign nationals must obtain the visa to visit the travel area, including visitors from India, China, and South Africa.

The full list of countries who need a Schengen visa is available here. Americans, Brits, and Australians are amongst those exempt from the visa rules.

In 2019, over 15 million people used Schengen visas to travel around Europe.

How do you apply for a Schengen visa?

At the moment, would be visitors must submit their application at the consulate of the country they intend to spend the most time in during their trip.

They must then return, in person, to pick up their passports when the physical visa sticker has been added.

According to the Commission, this process “proved problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The visa processing time ranges from two weeks to 60 days.

The tedious bureaucratic process must evolve, declared European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

“Half of those coming to the EU with a Schengen visa consider the visa application burdensome, one third have to travel long distances to ask for a visa,” she said.

“It is high time that the EU provides a quick, safe and web-based EU visa application platform for the citizens of the 102 third countries that require short term visa to travel to the EU.”

How will the digital Schengen system work?

In The New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the European Commission outlined a goal to “fully digitise” visa procedures by 2025.

Visa applicants will be able to apply - and pay - for a visa through a single online EU platform.

The platform will automatically determine which Schengen country is responsible for examining an application. At the moment, the paper procedure can be confusing for applicants who intend to visit multiple European countries.

First time applicants will still have to visit a consulate for the collection of biometric identifiers.

The proposal will have to be approved by the European Parliament and Council, but will likely sail through. It will be tabled in parliament at some point in the next few months.

With hassle-free travel on the horizon, it could be time to start planning your dream European holiday.

The finding led to a temporary closure of the runway.

By Abdulkareem Mojeed 

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that it discovered “unidentified human remains” on the runway of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

In a statement by Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, FAAN’s acting corporate affairs general manager, FAAN said a motorized cleaner cleared to carry out cleaning of the runway discovered the remains in the night.

“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public of an incident in which an unidentified human remains were found on Runway 18R/36L on Thursday, May 19, 2022,” the statement said.

As a result, FAAN said the runway was temporarily closed between 1:10 am and 3:43 am in order to allow for immediate evacuation of the remains.

“Flight operations resumed at 0343 hours,” it said.

According to the statement, investigations are ongoing, and a report will be issued accordingly.

By  Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna

The Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) has appealed to the Federal and Kaduna State government to intervene through the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and consider the use of the old Kaduna Airport for commercial flights to Kaduna.

President, KADCCIMA, Suleiman Aliyu in a statement yesterday said the shutdown is adversely affecting the business climate as well as expected revenues and income in form of taxes that would have accrued to the Kaduna State government.

He, however, observed that the temporary use of the old airport as a secure and convenient hub for air travelers and cargoes will go a long way in giving the commercial airlines the confidence to resume flights to/from Kaduna thereby reducing the hardship experienced by businesses and air travelers alike since the suspension of commercial flights to Kaduna.

He said, “Even though a number of chartered flights operate from and into the Kaduna old airport at the moment, the call to temporarily use it as a hub for commercial flights becomes necessary as businesses and the ease of doing business is seriously affected by the closure of International Airport and absence of train services to and from Kaduna.

“In addition, a significant number of conferences and socio-economic events of note earlier scheduled to hold in Kaduna had to be shifted to other places. This situation has – in no small measure – adversely affected business climate as well as expected revenues and income in form of taxes that would have accrued to Kaduna State government.”

He appreciated the efforts of Kaduna State and the federal government of Nigeria in improving security within the State and along our roads nationwide adding, “The speed with which the portion of the rail track bombed recently by armed bandits was repaired is indeed commendable.”

He then advised that the use of the old airport should be considered as a stop-gap measure until the security situation at Kaduna International Airport improves

“It is our sincere belief that our appeal to His Excellency the Governor of Kaduna State, Mal. Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i OFR and the Federal Ministry of Aviation will be given the much-needed attention it deserves in the best interest of the State and the business community at large,” he said.

By Olusegun Koiki

LAGOS  – The African Union Commission (AUC) has said that the compulsory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for all international travellers is reducing the total number of travellers in Africa by 15 per cent. 

This is as the commission mentioned the full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) by 2023 as one of its key priorities. 

Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, AU, while speaking at the weeklong 7th International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in conjunction with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in Abuja ,insisted that the PCR test cost places African aviation at a significant disadvantage. 

According to him, PCR tests being the standard tests required by African States cost between $30-$150 per test across countries in Africa, thereby increasing travel cost for Africans by additional 10 per cent and reducing the demand at continental level by 15 per cent. 

Rather, said that in order to support a sustainable re-opening of air transport services, the AU through Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending member states to encourage the use Rapid Diagnostic Antigen test (RDT) for fully vaccinated passengers. 

Quoting statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Abou-Zeid stated that over the past year, governments around the world has provided over $400 billion to airlines to support their survival and restart efforts, given the importance of aviation to economies. 

But, in Africa, he said the total estimated amount of the financial relief measures provided to airlines $2,721,539,647 (about $2.7 billion) by end of 2021. 

This, he explained that this included the government support in the form of providing loans, guarantees, wage subsidies, and direct cash injections to airlines: $2,638,765,827. 

According to him, this support was insignificant and said the AUC had continued to urge African States and our key Development Finance Institutions on the continent to further support African airlines, using many forms, including deferral of charges and taxes whenever possible, sovereign guarantees for private airlines, wage subsidies and other payment support. 

Besides, he said that the AU Taskforce on safe reopening of borders is also working on harmonising the existing digital platforms for traveller health credentials and border requirements. 

He expressed that it was important to ensure that the adopted platforms are interoperable and are recognised by other regions to address the issue of restrictions to travel within or out of Africa. 

He urged governments to continue on their health protocols or requireto provide timely and accurate updates ments and to continue to provide digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates. 

Besides, he pointed out that the operationalisation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) was still among the AU’s key priorities to ensure sustainable restart and recovery of the industry and also improve air transport connectivity in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

“I am glad to inform you that AUC finalised a continental study on the benefits of SAATM, which is now serving as advocacy tool to urge remaining States to join SAATM. 

AU said that one of its major priorities in 2023 was to provide the legal framework for SAATM and remove all the current bottlenecks slowing down its full implementation. 

“Our current key priorities now next year include the establishment of a strong regulatory framework to fully implement SAATM and remove all the bottlenecks that are still preventing the continent to enjoy the full benefits of a safe, secure and sustainable air transport. Another priority is to develop a seamless airspace and air navigation services architecture to support SAATM. 

“The full liberalisation of air transport services in Africa and operationalisation of SAATM and particularly the improvement of connectivity and enhancement of safety and security is seen as the important enabler of the Continental free trade area and the socio-economic transformation of Africa that we all want to see in the next few years,” he added. 

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has inaugurated an app for taxi services at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA).

Rabiu Yadudu, managing director of FAAN, who launched the app on Thursday, said the newly deployed technology would boost the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Yadudu was represented at the event by Usman Sadiq, director of security service, FAAN.

”The project is planned to be operated under the public and private partnership (PPP),” Yadudu said.

”The FAAN taxi app is to enable air travellers to book online for a taxi to the airport and from the airport.

”It is also aimed at eliminating touting and analogue ways of operating taxi at the airport as anyone could book the FAAN taxi at the airport and move just like other transport apps.”

According to Yadudu, the project will improve safety, security and comfort and further ensure development in the aviation sector.

“This is a good development. We fear changes naturally. Sometimes, when change occurs we will be proud of it. I am assuring taxi and commercial drivers that this will actually lead to laudable development, ” Yadudu said.

“It is in furtherance of conformity with international standards and will equally add to the gross domestic product of Nigeria.

“This laudable project is as a result of careful planning, negotiation and some meetings of relevant stakeholders. I hope everybody will key into this project and work towards its success.”

The agency added that the app will soon be extended to Lagos and Port Harcourt international airports.

Speaking about the project, a taxi operator at the airport, said the drivers were allowed to register their vehicles on the platform without fees.

BY  Stephen Angbulu

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has expressed his determination to do more to ensure the growth and intensification of the strategic partnership between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.

According to a statement signed on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said this in a short interaction with the new Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during a condolence visit to the Presidential Palace on Friday.

Expressing his condolences and that of Nigeria on the demise of the late President Sheikh Khalifah, Buhari also congratulated the new President on his election.

The statement is titled ‘Nigeria, UAE to further extend bilateral ties,’ and read in part, “President Buhari expressed the hope that under Sheikh Mohamed the two countries will continue to actively champion a vision of sustainable security, strengthen counterterrorism cooperation, facilitate trade and investment, and promote prosperity and development.

“In the seven years of the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency, the two countries have actively conducted bilateral dialogues leading to several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding that have paved the way for further cooperation, mutual understanding and progress in many aspects of their bilateral relations.”

The President is expected back to the country today, Saturday.

Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it has suspended the resumption of train services on the Abuja-Kaduna route.

In March, the government suspended operations on the route after an attack on the train by gunmen. 

Eight passengers died in the attack, while many were kidnapped.

The train service was scheduled to resume on Monday, May 23, 2022, but the families of the kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna train passengers kicked against the resumption.

In a statement on Friday, Yakubu Mahmood, spokesperson of NRC, said a new date would be announced soon.

“Sequel to our earlier Press Release No. 10 dated 16th May 2022 on the above caption, the General Public is kindly invited to note the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is announcing a shift in the resumption date for Abuja Kaduna,” the statement reads.

While apologising for the delay in the resumption of train services, Mahmood assured the distraught families that it was working hard to secure the victims’ release.

“The NRC will continue to cooperate and collaborate with the Federal Government in its uncompromising mandate of protecting the territorial integrity and the internal security of Nigeria for safeguarding the lives and properties of its citizens especially as it concerns the rail sub-sector,” the statement adds.

“In the same vein, we once again identify with the relatives of those in captivity on the account of the recent attack on AKTS to rest assured that the Federal Government is alive to its responsibility for the safe rescue of all persons being held hostage.

“We, therefore, appeal, particularly to the relatives of persons held hostage to be patient and cooperate with the Corporation and the Security Agencies as the Federal Government is exploring all possible ways and means to ensure the safe release of their loved ones from captivity, soonest.

“The NRC expresses its profound gratitude to the security agencies for the continued support.”

BY  Chinedu Eze

Air travel in Nigeria is beset by delays caused by many factors, which include weather, breakdown of aircraft, poor airport facilities and poor scheduling. 

Poor scheduling is problem of airlines, which can be averted with efficient schedule arrangement and maintenance.

In Nigeria there is also poor aircraft utilisation because the system and infrastructure guarantee limited period of time in a day to fly. Airlines can fly till midnight from Abuja to Lagos, but they cannot fly to many other airports because either those airports do not have airfield lighting or there is insecurity. 

So even if it is possible, airlines cannot schedule flights late to Port Harcourt, Owerri, Kaduna and even Benin due to security concerns.

But if an airline properly schedules its rotations in the day, it would minimize delays and flight cancelations.

THISDAY spoke to the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Fola Akinkuotu, who said schedule and maintenance were very crucial to an airline and determines its operation success, revenue earnings and utilisation of aircraft.

In order to mitigate flight delays and cancellation, airlines can keep aircraft on standby in case if anyone in operation suffer bird strike, engine failure or even undercarriage problem. Once any of the aircraft in the fleet is grounded for any reason, the one on standby would be deployed.

But Akinkuotu noted that it might not be practically realistic to keep aircraft on standby while it generates expenses, instead of operating and earning revenue with it. He suggested that while an airline could maximiseeach aircraft in its fleet, it could reduce routing of one of the aircraft so that it could be on standby, but it is a waste of resources to keep airworthy aircraft on ground from morning till night.

“What you have to look at is this. Liken this situation to owning vehicles. If you have 10 vehicles you pay insurance, vehicle licence, roadworthiness and others. These are standard expenses. If you bought that vehicle on higher purchase you will still be paying for it whether it is parked or not.

“In airline, you have 10 aircraft and you keep one on ground, you continue to pay for its insurance. If you leased the aircraft you will still be paying for the lease. You pay for all these while the aircraft is on ground. So you are not using the aircraft maximally.

“In scheduling you may reduce the rotation of one of the aircraft. For example, if you have 10 Boeing and each one operates eight rotation, you may have one that will do four rotations; so that when you have disruptions, you can deploy it to replace the one that has broken down,” he said.

Akinkuotu said it does not make sense to keep one aircraft as spare because the airline will be losing revenue. But an airline can keep engine as spare if it can afford it; so if there is incident like bird strike, the airline can replace the engine, depending on the damage.

“It does not make economic sense to rest an aircraft, but you can minimize its utilisation,” he said.

He said that flight scheduling contributes to delays and cancellation; that is why scheduling is a very important job, remarking that good schedule plan must envisage possible disruptions and plan the schedule accordingly.

Akinkuotu said that having more aircraft benefits an airline because it maximizes its personnel and an airline ought to have more aircraft for robust profitable operation, suggesting that to maximise economy of scale, an airline ought to have about 13 aircraft.

The former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) also said that if a schedule plan were done very well it would pre-empt a situation where aircraft in the fleet is taken out for maintenance so it would plan to cover the absence of that aircraft.

“For example, if you have four aircraft and one is taken out for maintenance, there are two options; either you reschedule your flights or you lease an aircraft on short term to cover that slot. Ibom Air did something like that recently when its aircraft went for maintenance; it leased aircraft to cover the operations of that aircraft. But what is important here is knowing that the aircraft is going for maintenance and rescheduling your operations.

“So you plan for the maintenance. Your engineers have the slot card, you secure slot with your maintenance company and ferry your aircraft there. If you don’t have efficient schedule plan, you will be in trouble. Schedule and maintenance is a critical department Nigeria Airways Limited,” Akinkuotu told THISDAY.

Many industry observers say that many Nigerian airlines do not have efficient schedulers and therefore inefficient schedule plan and that has contributed to some of the delays encountered in their operations. 

They noted that it is through proper scheduling that Nigerian airlines can efficiently service the daylight airports, which in many occasions have forced airlines to cancel flights when they realised they cannot operate to these airports after 6:00 pm.

They also observed that flights are tightly stuck together because airlines in Nigeria generally operate 6:00 a to 6:00 pm. After that period it is only Abuja-Lagos, Kano-Lagos; Abuja-Kano that can continue to operate, as THISDAY observed on Monday that flight operations continues into the night in Abuja till after 11:00 pm, but almost all the flights were destined to Lagos and Kano.

(Bloomberg) -- South Africa’s government went on high alert as heavy rains battered parts of the eastern and coastal KwaZulu-Natal province that last month suffered the worst flooding in almost three decades during a severe storm. 

Some parts of the province were expected to receive more than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rainfall over the weekend, according to the South African Weather Service, which issued its highest warning for disruptive rain in the region.  

“The current rains are compounding an already dire situation due to the recent floods,” especially in parts of the province where the ground is still saturated and susceptible to flooding, the government said in a statement shared via WhatsApp. In some areas, water levels on roads and in rivers are “dangerously high” and will continue to rise as the rains are only seen abating on Monday, it said. 

The government is working with social agencies and disaster management teams in the province to monitor high-risk areas, evaluate damage and provide relief to affected communities, it said. 

In April, the heaviest rain in decades triggered floods and landslides in KwaZulu-Natal that killed 435 people, destroyed thousands of dwellings, cut power and water supplies and disrupted trade at the Port of Durban, sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest container hub. The province is the second-largest contributor to South Africa’s $429 billion economy.