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Flood safety tips

Posted on by Anthony Marriage

In the last few days downpours have caused serious flooding across the UK, especially in South West and Wales. The Met Office warned there would be more heavy rains coming up so make sure you are prepared for the weather and stay safe.


If you are or going to be affected by floods, the following tips might be helpful to you:

Preparing for a flood

  • Build barriers such as levies, flood walls around your house to stop flood water from entering.
  • If you have basements, seal walls and holes with waterproofing material to avoid seepage.
  • Get a battery powered portable radio to listen to the latest flood updates just in case you have to turn off electricity during the flood.
  • Prepare an evacuation bag with most important items just in case you need to evacuate from your home.
  • Move important and valuable belongings to the higher floors in your house.
  • Keep updated with latest weather forecast news.

During a flood

  • Turn off all utilities in the house at the main switches if you are instructed to do so. Disconnect all electrical appliances.
  • Do not walk through flood water as six inches of fast flowing water can knock you over.
  • If you have to walk through flood water  bring a stick to find hidden dangers and walk slowly with cautions.
  • Do not drive into flooded areas. Two feet of water can float your car easily. If flood water rises around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if possible.
  • Do not touch any electrical equipment unless you are dry and not standing in water.
  • Watch out for hazards such as fallen trees or power lines.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly after touching flood water as it might contain contamination.

After a flood

  • Listen to the news or ask your local government to make sure the water supply is safe to drink and use.
  • Drive carefully through areas where flood water has receded as the roads might have been weakened during the flood.
  • If you have evacuated from your home, only return home if your local authority says that it is safe to do so.
  • Stay away from buildings and construction sites which are still surrounded by flood water.
  • Clean thoroughly anything which got wet during the flood as they could contain contamination.

Electric helicopters – the future of luxury personal transportation?

Posted on by Anthony Marriage

Green, quiet, compact, futuristic and the ultimate James Bond moment! Hirobo have showcased their one-man electric helicopter at an expo in Nagoya, Japan.

 

With the prototype able to travel up to 100km/h for 30 minutes, it bets the daily commute. The one-seater is currently under development for personal transportation and emergency relief. For those that can afford it and like a little adventure before work, this could be the perfect way to get around and there is no need for a helipad.

The helicopter is equipped with an electric engine that doesn’t produce any noise or pollution an upgrade from GEN H-4 the previous development, which can on noisy gasoline but was much cheaper. The new model is expected to sell for £232 000 and £77 300 for the one manned model. A two seater is also in the plan.

Donky Bike – the ultimate bike for couriers?

Posted on by Anthony Marriage

The Donky Bike; as the name suggests is an innovative bicycle that can carry heavy items via its front and back platforms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Created by British industrial designer Ben Wilson; The Donky Bike was designed to provide Londoners with a different means of transportation, but covering the practical element of being able to carry heavy goods, maintaining low carbon footprint and suiting the urban lifestyle.

Whilst Wilson designed the bicycle to assist Londoners and their shopping, we see great potential for London bike couriers to use these as they can triple their loads using the front and back platforms as well as their normal courier bag.

Given the Donky Bike comes at a price of £499 which is not far off compared to a standard bicycle, it could be a good investment for London bike couriers we reckon.

Royal Mail Is Ready For Privatisation

Posted on by Anthony Marriage

Royal Mail has prepared itself for the most high profile privatisation since the railways about 20 years ago.

It was reported that the state-owned postal service will announce its half-year profits tomorrow; a key condition to the flotation which will take place in the third quarter 2013.

Wit an estimated value of £4billion, the Government has also expressed interest to start discussions with potential investors. The privatisation could allow Royal Mail to join the FTSE 100 index of the UK’s biggest companies on the stock market.

Royal Mail’s boss Moya Green wants the shares to be available to postmen, postwomen as well as the public.

Green Bus Receive an Additional Boost

Posted on by Anthony Marriage

Department for Transport MP Norman Baker announced this week an additional £20 million is being made available for the government’s Green Bus Fund. The fourth round for the fund, bringing the total support for this initiative to £95 million since its launch in 2009

 “Cutting carbon emissions from transport is not a choice, it is a necessity and that is why I am prioritising green buses and giving operators and local authorities an extra £20 million to deliver on this”, said MP Baker

The additional funds are from an under-spend within the Department for Transport and can be applied for this financial year.

As part of the fourth round initiative the department has also released a tool kit which will allow councils and operators to see at a glance how quickly they can expect a return on investment in low carbon buses using a variety of carbon saving technologies such as hybrid or electric buses. It also shows operators and local authorities the savings on offer through reduced running costs from low carbon buses compared with running a bus using conventional fuels.

Details on the bidding process and eligibility will be published soon on the department’s website.

While buses using low carbon technologies tend to be more expensive than conventional buses many are eligible for government support and running costs are usually lower so that, over time, they are actually the more economical choice.

The zero-emissions minicabs for Londoners are here

Posted on by Anthony Marriage

Londoners will soon be able to enjoy zero emissions rides as before June 2013  thanks to a partnership between greentomatocars; Londons second largest minicab company and first UK green minicab company and Chinese car manufacturer BYD.

The partnership means up to 50 of BYD’s e6 electric cars will added to the greentomatorcars’ fleet. BYD e6 is a five seat crossover car using a 75kW motor and has a maximum range of 186 miles per charge in urban driving conditions and a top speed of 87mph. The e6 is capable of providing quick acceleration thanks to having its peak torque right from the start.

The deal has been strongly welcomed by Boris John; Mayor of London, who’s always looking for ideas to make London cleaner. “It is my aim that London’s minicabs and taxis will be zero-emissions by 2020, which will have a major impact on air quality”, said Boris. “Every year the fleet is getting cleaner, making our city an even more attractive place to live, work and visit. Encouraging many more electric vehicles is a key part of this transformation, so it is great news that greentomatocars has committed to operating 50 of these super clean machines from next year.”