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Thousands of Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee drivers will log off on Valentine’s Day, urging customers to boycott ride-hailing apps as unions accuse firms and TfL of failing to address falling pay, safety risks and unfair working conditions.

Private hire drivers across the UK are urging customers to boycott major ride-hailing apps on Valentine’s Day as part of a protest over pay, working conditions and what they describe as regulatory failures.

Members of the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) Private Hire Drivers branch are asking consumers not to use Uber, Bolt or Addison Lee on Saturday 14 February, while drivers log off the platforms and join a motorcade in central London from 5pm to demand legislative reform.

Nader Awaad, chairman of the IWGB Private Hire Drivers branch, described drivers’ experiences as “systemic exploitation” caused by fare structures, rising operating costs and what he calls insufficient oversight from Transport for London (TfL).

Awaad, 59, from Walthamstow, began driving in 2019 after being made redundant from a senior management role. He told The Mirror: “The UK’s private hire industry is a wild west. With no protection from unfair dismissal, drivers see their livelihoods disappear in the blink of an eye.

“With no real safety measures, we are left unprotected from passenger violence, frequently resulting in serious injuries or, in the tragic case of our member Gabriel Bringye, death. And that’s before we even start talking about pay,” he said.

Gabriel Bringye, 37, was a much loved private hire driver from Tottemham, north London. In February 2021, he was fatally stabbed during a robbery by a group of teenagers who had booked his cab by chance. He died from blood loss despite attempting to defend himself.

The attack left a deep mark on the driving community, and following the trial, Bringye’s family established Gabriel’s Campaign for Driver Safety, calling for stronger protections for private hire drivers and measures to prevent future tragedies.

According to the IWGB, drivers can work 12 to 18-hour days just to break even, covering fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance, traffic fines and platform commission. Awaad highlighted a case where a Heathrow-to-central London ride cost £111 for the passenger, but the driver was paid only £29. “After expenses, many drivers are earning less than the minimum wage,” he told us.

He also criticised “upfront” or “dynamic pricing,” which sets fares for passengers and pays drivers via algorithms. Research from Oxford University found that Uber driver pay has declined since the model’s introduction. Under this system, drivers have no say over fares and can bear the cost of delays or route changes.

The protest follows the Supreme Court ruling that Uber drivers are workers, entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay. Awaad argues operators responded by adjusting pay structures in ways that reduced earnings. Uber has said it complies with the ruling and provides worker protections, including holiday pay, pensions and minimum earnings guarantees.

Beyond pay, safety remains a concern. Drivers report risks of assault and abuse, along with sudden account deactivation by operators. Awaad insists TfL, as the licensing authority, should oversee any suspension decisions. The union also wants stricter passenger identity checks after incidents involving stolen or fraudulent accounts.

Awaad’s attempts to raise these concerns directly with TfL Commissioner Andy Lord, including offering detailed evidence, were reportedly declined.

When The Mirror reached out to TfL, a spokesperson said: “We take our responsibilities as the licensing authority seriously to ensure that everyone can travel safely and reliably. Operators must meet high standards in order to be licensed in London and we continually keep licensing requirements under review to ensure safe services for Londoners.”

The IWGB is lobbying Parliament for legislative changes addressing pay transparency, commission levels, safety protections, and due process in account suspensions.

Alex Marshall, IWGB president, urged public support: “If drivers and riders unite, we can push TfL and the government to implement protections similar to New York, France, Mexico and Barcelona. Drivers deserve fair pay, capped hours, holidays and safety measures. The time for change is now.”

Responding to concerns around pay and transparency, an Uber spokesperson said: “We regularly engage with drivers, especially through our industry-leading agreement with GMB Union, who are not taking part in this action. More and more people choose to earn with Uber because we offer flexibility over where and when they work, as well as offering the best benefits in the sector.

“Drivers have transparency over every trip they take – including the destination and their earnings – before they decide whether to accept it. All drivers receive a weekly summary of their earnings, which includes a clear breakdown of what Uber and the driver received from trips,” the statement concluded.

Similarly, a Bolt spokesperson said the company operates a different model outside London. “Through Bolt Flex, the first model of its kind in the UK, drivers outside London can set their own fares, negotiate directly with passengers, and operate on a transparent, flat commission with no hidden fees. Drivers are already earning up to 7% more per trip on average, while receiving 24% more orders per hour.”

In response to safety concerns, Bolt added: “The safety of drivers is our top priority. We have committed €100 million globally to strengthen safety across our platform, contributing to a 14% reduction in safety-related incidents year over year.

“Drivers are provided with passenger ratings and ride history before pickup, can share live trip details with trusted contacts, and have access to 24/7 in-app and phone support. Our Emergency Assist button connects directly to emergency services and alerts Bolt’s 24/7 safety team, and our trip monitoring technology flags unexpected or prolonged stops. We also offer one of the sector’s most affordable CCTV schemes for drivers.

“Drivers on the Bolt platform operate as independent partners, and access is conditional on compliance with our safety and community standards. Accounts are only ever deactivated following a full investigation, with a clear review process. We will continue working with drivers to raise standards across the sector.”

The Mirror contacted Addison Lee for comment.

“Hi, I think we’re under attack.”

This movie begins with the relatable sense of astonishment the people in Caracas and La Guaira felt as US helicopters hit the ground to whisk away Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores to a Brooklyn jail. A proper opening to a situation that has not ceased to dazzle us and to overwhelm with more questions than answers: Venezuela at the wee hours of January 3. 

Frontline, a multiawarded PBS channel specialized in documentaries, came back to Venezuelan recent history to provide a hot take, a bit shorter than an hour, that covers all you need to know from the military incursion to the release and re-arrest of Juan Pablo Guanipa, and the painful wait for the Amnesty Law. Crisis in Venezuela: An Uncertain Future is perfect to gather the most relevant facts of the new context if you are Venezuelan and drowning in a sea of information, or if you are not and need a good synthesis of this mess.

This is the same team that made A Dangerous Assignment, the documentary about Alex Saab and the journalistic research that led to the arrest of Maduro’s moneyman in Cape Verde. Venezuelan filmmaker Juan Ravell directs again, and we get the AP’s Joshua Goodman as a traveling companion, narrating crazy developments like their scoop of the DEA’s investigation into Delcy Rodriguez. The documentary is packed with characters from the Maximum Pressure to Donroe including Biden’s negotiating table. A synthesized pill of Venezuelan contemporary history, with enough time to pack the events of Venezuela’s January in detail—like having professor Francisco Monaldi explain how the reform of the hydrocarbon law means the dismantlement of Hugo Chavez’s oil policy, despite the BS Delcy’s telling the chavista grassroots.

Some scenes about political prisoners and how all this is felt on the terrain will shock you, in a good way. With so many stories and interviews imposing predetermined readings on our country as if it was an empty canvas to project someone’s ideology or stance, this documentary shines with its accuracy and access to sources. Don’t miss it.

It turns out timing does matter, with a TikTok travel expert revealing that even a few minutes can make the difference between overpaying and bagging a bargain.

Ever wondered when the best time of day is to book a holiday? A TikTok travel expert has the answer — and his viral video is doing the rounds online.

Rob, known as @robonthebeach online, has built a reputation for clever holiday hacks that save travellers money, but on of his more recent tips is truly ground-breaking. In a clip posted last month, he revealed the best and worst times to book, and the results might just surprise you.

In the video, Rob — who says he “works in travel and looks through holiday data every single day” — explains that timing isn’t just important by the day or week, but down to the hour and even the minute. This is a big win for the night owls!

“According to the data, the most expensive time to book a holiday is between 9 and 10am in the morning,” he said. That’s the dreaded office-hour scroll, and it could be costing travellers dearly.

Rob claims bookings made in that hour were around 30% more expensive than those made at the cheapest time of day. His advice? “No more booking holidays as soon as you get to the office.”

The cheapest time, however, comes much much earlier: “[It’s] early morning, like really early morning, between 4 and 5 am”. He explains how airline pricing systems effectively reset overnight as demand from the previous day drops off, pushing prices closer to their base level before creeping back up as searches increase throughout the day.

And for those searching for the ultimate saving, Rob revealed the exact time where prices are at their lowest: “The single cheapest minute to book a holiday is 2.48am,” he noted. Booking at that precise moment was, on average, 60% cheaper, though he stressed this won’t magically slash the price of each and every trip.

If you’d rather not set a 4am alarm, Rob points out there are other cheaper times, including late evening between 8pm and 10pm, which is still noticeably cheaper than the morning rush.

The video sparked a wave of reactions online, with one user confirming: “On those insomnia nights, can confirm the early hours are cheap,” while a second joked: “Now everyone is going to book at this time and it won’t be cheap anymore.”

Others offered additional tips, including: “Remember to clear your cache,” as another summed it up with “cheap as chips, fair play”.

Brits are certainly keen holiday bookers. Research from YouGov shows that around 35% of UK travellers book their holidays one to three months in advance, while a further 23% book four to six months ahead.

While data from IPA suggests the average UK adult books a holiday roughly 17 weeks before travelling, with online bookings now dominating. ABTA claims that around 78% of adults take at least one holiday each year.

WASHINGTON — Ever since a racist video was posted on President Trump’s social media account, the White House has offered shifting responses.

First it dismissed “fake outrage” by those denouncing it as racist, then it deleted the post and blamed a staff member.

Trump later told reporters Friday that “I didn’t make a mistake.” The Republican president claimed that before the video was posted, he did not see the part that depicted former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.

The chair of the Congressional Black Caucus was unsparing in her criticism when she spoke to the Associated Press.

“It’s very clear that there was an intent to harm people, to hurt people, with this video,” Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said.

The AP interviewed Clarke, who leads the group of more than 60 Black House and Senate members, hours after the video was deleted Friday.

Here is an interview transcript, edited for length and clarity.

What was your reaction when you saw that the post?

We’re dealing with a bigoted and racist regime. … Every week we are, as the American people, put in a position where we have to respond to something very cruel or something extremely off-putting that this administration does. It’s a part of their MO at this point.

Do you buy the White House explanation that this was an aide’s mistake?

They don’t tell the truth. If there wasn’t a climate, a toxic and racist climate within the White House, we wouldn’t see this type of behavior regardless of who it’s coming from…. Here we are, in the year 2026, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the 100th anniversary of the commemoration of Black history, and this is what comes out of the White House on a Friday morning. It’s beneath all of us.

Has there been any contact between the White House and the Congressional Black Caucus on this? Could there be any good-faith exchange?

There has been no outreach from the White House. We certainly didn’t expect there to be. The outreach has to happen prior to these type of juvenile antics.

Republican criticism built more quickly Friday than it has during previous Trump controversies. What do you make of that?

It’s not lost on them, our communities that we represent, that elections are coming up. So it’s not lost on my colleagues, either. If they want to align themselves with this type of really profane imagery, this type of bigoted and racist attack on a former sitting president and his wife, they are throwing their lot in with an individual who has shown himself to be a disgrace.

It’s not common for President Trump to retract anything. What does that indicate to you that he did?

I think it’s more of a political expediency than it is any moral compass. … As my mother would say, “Too late. Mercy’s gone.”

What more do you hope to see from the White House about this?

My hope is that we can contain the harm that they’re doing. There are Black children who are listening to their president … seeing what he’s posting on Truth Social, [and] it will have an impact on how they view leadership of their own country. … I think that this administration has an opportunity to change course. They always do. We leave room for that. But, unfortunately, Donald Trump is hardwired this way.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

As a democracy, we have to stand up together against this type of racism, this type of bigotry, this kind of hatred that is coming from the president of the United States and those who surround him. … It’s very clear that there was an intent to harm people, to hurt people, with this video. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have stayed up for 12 hours.

Barrow and Zhang write for the Associated Press and reported from Atlanta and Washington, respectively.

When you read about Jason Mantzoukas’ ideal Sunday in Los Angeles, it’s important that you imagine him holding a cup of coffee in basically every location and situation. He knows all the places around the city where he can get caffeinated before he goes on to do anything else.

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

Fittingly, the actor, comedian and podcaster has brought an excitable, unpredictable and hilarious energy to his roles on shows including “The League,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Big Mouth.” Last year, he brought his gleeful sense of mischief to the U.K. competition series “Taskmaster.” And Disney+ recently finished airing the second season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” where Mantzoukas portrays Mr. D (a.k.a. Dionysus), and he’ll soon wrap up a stint on Broadway, where he stars in Simon Rich’s play “All Out: Comedy About Ambition.”

For the continuously busy Mantzoukas, sometimes the perfect Sunday means never leaving the house. “All I want to do is make a whole pot of coffee, get the paper and a big stack of unread comic books, and sit on the porch.” When he does explore the city, he favors the spots where he similarly can just hang out for a while. But before that, how about a refill?

10:30 a.m.: First cup(s) of the day

I’m a night owl, so on a Sunday especially, I’m going to let myself sleep in. Then I’m making coffee. My first three cups of coffee are all from home. I’m making a French press. L.A. beans though, either Counter Culture or Go Get Em Tiger would be my beans of choice. That and the newspaper are the beginning.

Almost immediately upon getting up, I’m going to start playing the radio. My mornings are either LAist or Howard Stern if it’s a weekday. But on Sundays, I’m trying really hard to not do any talk, just music. It’s KJazz, or something like that. I’m also obsessed with a radio station called WYAR that I can’t recommend enough. It’s music from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. It’s the teeniest, tiniest radio station out of Yarmouth, Maine.

Noon: Hike bros

I’ve hiked with the same guys for years now. It’s all guys that I’ve done comedy with for 20-plus years. We usually do one of the Griffith Park hikes because it’s convenient for everybody. The conversation topics are: What is wrong with us physically? What doctor recommendations do we need desperately? Then it is gossip — gossip from within our world, gossip from outside of our world. Then it is just earnest conversation, like checking in emotionally. And then quite a bit of dumb bits, like really dumb bits.

We do these hikes a couple of times a week, and it’s so fun and funny that we have started doing an improv show at the Elysian Theater that’s called Hike Bros. It is just us trying to approximate on stage what it is we do on hikes. It’s ridiculous.

1 p.m.: Comic book restock

After the hike, I’m in a good position to go to Secret Headquarters in Atwater Village, which is my home comic book shop. They keep a list of what comics I want them to set aside each week.

There’s a series of graphic novels called “Hobtown Mystery Stories” that are like, what if David Lynch wrote Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew-style teen detective books? I got super into them because I was in Secret Headquarters and one of the people there was like, “Oh, I bet you’d like that book.” On the internet, I miss having those trusted people.

2 p.m.: Recording digging

I want to kill time in a way that is about discovery, exploration, but also, like, “Oh, I want stuff.” That’s record shopping. L.A. has always been Amoeba for me, just in terms of I love wasting hours in a store that has a deep bench for every section of music that I’m interested in. And then if you want to do the extra work, DVDs as well. There’s a lot of great smaller record stores around town that I love, but there’s something about killing two hours at Amoeba.

6 p.m.: Dinner hang

What I want from an L.A. dinner is I just want to hang there. Little Dom’s is a great hang. You can spend hours there. You’re always going to run into people. My hope is that we can all just hang out and that we’re not going to be rushed out because they have another seating.

8 p.m.: Nighttime activities

I’m going to want to do one of three things at night:

I want to go to the movies, and I’m talking Vidiots and the Vista and the New Beverly. We can all go to all the regular theaters and see all the blockbusters, but L.A. has fantastic theaters that are doing incredible programming,

If I’m not going to the movies, I want to see live music as much as I can, but on a much smaller scale than I used to. I’m excited when an artist that I love like Mary Lattimore or Jeff Parker has a residency at Zebulon because I’m like, “Oh, great. That is not a big crowd. That is very easy, very manageable.”

Then I either want to be doing a comedy show or seeing a comedy show. There’s such a vibrant scene now. The Elysian in Frogtown is a great spot. We do Dinosaur Improv at Largo. I think Largo is pound for pound, maybe the best venue in town. Dynasty Typewriter, another great one. UCB, the OG. Over the course of a month, these are all places that I’m doing shows at, but these are also places that are showcasing some of the best comedy in L.A.

11 p.m.: The missing piece

At this point I’m done being social. I don’t want to talk to anybody anymore. My goal when I get home is a jigsaw puzzle — with either a podcast or jazz on in the background — until probably like 2 in the morning.

I do these puzzles from a company called Elms Puzzles and they’re hand cut, so they’re incredibly difficult to do. It’ll take me a month to do one. They are prohibitively expensive, so much so that I don’t buy them. They have a rental program. They send you a puzzle, you do it, you send it back to them, and they send you another puzzle. Which is perfect, I don’t need to do a puzzle more than once.

It is a great way to put myself into a frame of mind to go to bed, especially if I’ve done a show or watched a movie. If I’ve been stimulated, doing a puzzle for a couple of hours is a great way to decompress.

It’s never too late to book a last-minute escape during the upcoming February half-term, even more so as an expert has revealed the exact time to secure the best deal – and it’s this week

The February half-term is just around the corner, with mere weeks until schools across the country have the first break since Christmas. Ahead of the week off, many families will be looking to book an escape to catch some winter sun, and an expert has revealed it’s not too late to book, as one upcoming date will offer the best savings.

When it comes to booking a getaway, whether that’s a last-minute escape or planned in advance, many of us search for the most affordable flights available, and if any package holidays are on offer. A vast number of airlines and travel booking sites offer excellent deals, helping us save even more cash without sacrificing a holiday.

Yet another efficient way to save money is by booking a getaway on a specific date.

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Ahead of the half-term, from February 16 to 20, travel booking expert Chris Bradshaw at AttractionTickets.com has revealed the exact date and time to book a last-minute holiday that will maximise savings. The expert predicted that Sunday, 8 February, at around 6am will be the best day to book.

Chris Bradshaw, director and travel bookings expert at AttractionTickets.com, explained: “It’s a common misconception that earlier always equals cheaper. In reality, airlines continuously adjust fares based on demand, and savvy travellers can benefit from those fluctuations, even just one or two weeks ahead. There’s still time to save on last-minute half-term travel if you know when to book.

“Our analysis of historical pricing patterns, alongside industry travel reports, shows that Sunday is likely to be the most cost-effective day of the week to book. Airlines typically release discounted fares and adjust inventory over the weekend, and booking on a Sunday has been known to save travellers up to 23% versus Fridays.”

He continued: “Industry data also suggests that booking flights within a window of 8 to 23 days before departure can offer some of the most competitive prices for international travel, especially when it comes to places like Florida, so this timeline is essential to consider.

“Alongside this, we see a consistent trend that early morning is likely to be the best time for snagging low fares. Flights booked around 6:00 a.m. (your local time) tend to be more affordable, as it’s often when airlines drop fresh fares before the day’s search traffic spikes.

“Taking all these factors into consideration, Sunday, 8 February, falls perfectly in alignment, making this the optimal date to give you the best chance of securing those last-minute affordable family holiday bookings ahead of this half-term.”

The expert’s tips for booking a last-minute escape during the February half-term:

Best day to book: Sunday, 8 February

Best time to book: Around 6:00 am (local time)

Avoid: Booking on Fridays, when prices typically spike due to business travel and higher demand

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

An ambitious transatlantic tunnel connecting London and New York could see travellers make the journey in just 54 minutes, though the project carries an estimated £15.6 trillion price tag.

Travelling from London to New York in less than an hour might one day become reality. Bold proposals could materialise following suggestions for a tunnel linking the two cities across the Atlantic.

The concept isn’t fresh, as countless visionaries have imagined such an achievement, though it’s long been deemed unfeasible. Nevertheless, Elon Musk weighed in on the notion, claiming his firm, The Boring Company, could turn it into reality.

Technological advances have progressed significantly, thanks to vacuum tubes and pressurised vehicles.

Despite carrying an eye-watering price tag, the journey could potentially come to fruition. Estimates for excavating beneath the Atlantic Ocean have exceeded £15trillion.

However, Musk insisted he could deliver it for considerably less. In 2024, he posted on X: “The @boringcompany could do it for 1000X less money,” responding to the cost projections, reports the Express.

The proposals might appear outlandish, but vacuum technology could be edging it towards reality. Newsweek reported that a vacuum within the tunnel could enable trains to achieve speeds exceeding 3,000 mph.

This would slash the London to New York journey time to just under an hour. The train could prove more environmentally sound as it may reduce air pollution from aviation.

The technology behind a vacuum tunnel resembles superloop trains, which Swiss engineers believe will “change the future of travel”. Yet, numerous companies have attempted and struggled to perfect the hyperloop technology.

Plans for the tunnel have prompted some engineers to suggest it should be constructed below the seabed, whilst others argue that suspending it using cables or supports would prove superior.

The Channel Tunnel serves as the closest comparison to the Transatlantic proposals, linking Britain to France.

It spans merely 40 miles in contrast to the 3,000 miles separating Britain from New York.

Moreover, it required six years to build. Should the proposed tunnel connecting Britain and America proceed at an identical pace, it would demand an extraordinary 782 years to finish.

FROM playing music out loud to putting your feet on the seats – travelling by train in the UK can be an infuriating experience.

But I’ve found a new frustrating trend – reserved carriages for school groups.

As someone who regularly commutes to London by train, I already have the daily battle of finding a seat, especially one with a table.

But I’ve noticed a recent surge in entire carriages being booked by teachers ahead of taking entire classes into London for the day.

According to Southeastern: “If your group is at least 30 people, we can look into reserving a carriage for you, although it may not always be possible during busier periods.

“Reserved carriages will generally be at the rear of a train, and will be marked with labels in the windows and on the doors stating that the carriage is reserved for your group.

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“There isn’t a charge for reserving a carriage.”

While this may sound grumpy at first – after all, who wants to try and find 30 seats for school kids – my complaint comes with both the timing and space.

My train is regularly a four-carriage train until later in the journey.

Not only that, but as a commuter train, seats cannot be reserved until other train operators, so most seats are find-as-you-get-on.

So with a whole carriage taken up by a school, it ends up making these other busy carriages already a lot more chaotic.

A poor train conductor had the awkward task of kicking everyone already sitting in the carriage before the reserved time out onto the platform as they waited for an attachment

Not only that, but many of them are being booked for the morning commute, often around 9am.

In my opinion, there should be blocked out times to allow weary office-dwellers their last chance of respite before having to be stuck staring at a computer for nine hours.

At least there is one upside – I know which carriage to actively avoid unless I want to be subjected to streams of TikTok videos being played out loud next to me.

However, the Sun’s Head of Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire backs reserved carriages.

She said: “As a school mum who has been on a lot of class trips in recent years, I think this decision by the train company to reserve an entire carriage for the kids is genius. 

“Herding a group of children on and off transport through London – one of the world’s busiest cities – is a nightmare. 

“Will you get them all in one carriage? Will one get left behind? Will they all get seats?

“Will the ‘other’ members of the public get annoyed with the exceptionally loud noise that accompanies 30-plus kids on a day out? 

“This allows them to make sure all of the children travel safely, while causing minimal issues for other passengers. 

“It’s so smart, I’m considering suggesting it to my child’s school next time that I accompany them on a trip.”

A train company recently launched adult-only carriages.

And here’s a converted train carriage you can spend the night in.