Business news in brief: Ecebs | Lloyds | SSE | OfficeMan

Published on 08/09/2012 00:38

SMART card provider Ecebs has won a two-year contract from London Councils – the body that represents local authorities in the UK capital – to collect data on bus journeys.

London Councils runs Freedom Pass, a concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people, on behalf of all 33 local authorities in the city.

East Kilbride-based Ecebs has been contracted by London Councils to provide a single system to collect details of bus journeys made by all Freedom Pass holders outside the capital. About 1.3 million Freedom Passes have been issued.

Lloyds to sell off Uruguay operations

Lloyds has announced it is selling its retail, commercial and corporate banking operations in Uruguay.

The deal, with local banking group Banque Heritage, covers assets of about £261 million.

Lloyds’ representative office in Uruguay is not included in the transaction.

Lloyds said the sale was in line with the group’s strategy of reducing its international presence and added that the effect of the sale on the group is not expected to be material.

The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval and a number of other conditions, is expected to complete next year.

SSE says wind farm fully operational

SCOTTISH Hydro owner SSE has said all 140 turbines at its joint venture Greater Gabbard wind farm in the Thames Estuary are now generating electricity.

But the company said the joint venture, with RWE npower Renewables, remained in a dispute with the main contractor for the wind farm over the quality of the foundations for a number of the turbines.

SSE said measures had been taken to enable the turbines in question to operate safely. An arbitration process is under way between the parties involved in the dispute.

Moving experience is often unwelcome

Businesses tend to underestimate the costs of moving or refurbishing their offices and are often disappointed with the result, a survey has found.

The study by “move management” firm OfficeMan.co.uk found that 73 per cent of senior executives at UK firms which had changed or spruced-up their premises saw costs spiral despite their best efforts to maintain a budget and keep to schedule.

And despite the higher-than-expected price, almost half of managers – 48 per cent – were disappointed by the results.