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Nicholas Hellen
Transport Editor at The Sunday Times
Nicholas Hellen is the Transport Editor at The Sunday Times, a position he has held since 2020.13 With a background in journalism, Hellen covers a wide range of transportation-related topics, including:
Areas of Expertise
- Electric vehicles (EVs)
- Active travel
- High-Speed 2 (HS2) rail project
- Airport expansion (third runway)
- Commuting
- Air pollution
- Consumer rights
Hellen's coverage extends to various aspects of modern transportation, focusing on both technological advancements and environmental concerns.3
Professional Background
Before his current role, Hellen served as the Social Affairs Editor at The Sunday Times from 2011 to 2020.1 This transition demonstrates his versatility in journalism and his ability to adapt to different areas of reporting.
Education and Interests
Hellen holds an MA in Modern History1, which likely contributes to his analytical approach to current transportation issues. Beyond his professional pursuits, he has diverse interests that include:
- Himalayan mountaineering (he describes himself as a "Himalayan first ascensionist")
- Cycling
- History2
Contact and Social Media
For those interested in reaching out to Nicholas Hellen for story tips or professional inquiries, he can be contacted via email at [email protected].uk.24 He is also active on social media platforms, where he shares insights and updates related to his work in transportation journalism.
Highlights
With the help of a phone App called STAN which uses artificial intelligence, a volunteer task force of 10,000 members of the public are acting as amateur surveyors, attempting to map every pothole on Britain's road network.
Since the start of the year they have covered a seventh of all roads. They have been most active in Worthing (40% coverage) Horsham (30%) and Eastbourne (27%) with Yorkshire lagging at 3%
The shoddy state of the roads is costing the economy £14.4 billion a year, according to the Cebr but far from welcoming their reports, councils have acted defensively. They fear more accurate and up to date reports will expose them to more compensation claims.
According to Mark Morrell, aka Mr Pothole a system created to protect councils from unreasonable compensation claims is having perverse consequences.
Under section 58 of the Highways Act 1980, councils are not liable if they demonstrate they have a reasonable inspection and repair regime. He says they are gaming it by playing around with definitions ( "sorry, that's not big enough to count as a pothole") and in some cases by delaying repairs by up to 26 weeks from the moment they are notified, leaving motorists and cyclists at risk.
Labour says it's going to fix an extra 1 million potholes a year but acts coy when asked if it will honour the Tory pledge to spend an extra £8.3 billion in the years to 2035, using funds saved by the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2. So for now, people power may be our best hope
Metricell Tom Staniland Mike Mockford Simon Williams RAC Rod Dennis Dave Gaster Gemma Aellah (nee Jones) Asphalt Industry Alliance ADEPT Paula Claytonsmith https://lnkd.in/eY_5qH_d
What do Tesla owners think about Elon Musk's claim that "civil war is inevitable" in the UK- made at a critical point in the riots sweeping the country?
Are they concerned that under his ownership of X, the far-right activist Tommy Robinson (aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) was reinstated to the site, where his provocations have been receiving 54 m daily views?
Earlier this week, Dirk Rossmann GmbH, a German drug store chain, announced that it would no longer buy Tesla cars for its fleet. It cited the clash between the values hitherto represented by the EVs and Elon Musk's provocative statements. It said: "Musk makes no secret of his support for Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly described climate changes as a hoax. "
At this stage this scarcely registers as a significant boycott- Rossmann only has 34 Teslas in its fleet of 800 vehicles - but what if other Tesla drivers, now have a change in heart? I'd be interested to hear from fleet operators and private buyers - in confidence.
Tesla Owners UK EVA England BVRLA Tusker Octopus Electric Vehicles
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