London Mayor Boris Johnson this afternoon unveiled emergency measures to keep London moving as the 48-hour London Tube strike looks set to go ahead.
The strike is due to begin at 7pm on Tuesday 9th June and will bring the London Underground to a halt on Wednesday and Thursday, with normal service due to be restored on Friday 12th June.
The London Underground, affectionately known as the Tube, is used by around 3.5 million passengers a day and its closure will have a huge impact on the whole of public transport services across London.
The Mayor has unveiled plans to cope with the additional “surge” in passenger numbers for the rest of the network as follows:
Buses – London buses operate around 700 routes with services being boosted by up to 100 extra buses on key routes on strike days.
National Rail – Oyster Pay As You Go will be accepted on all National Rail journeys within Greater London on Wednesday and Thursday, just show your Oyster card at station gate lines.
Taxis – during the morning peak hours of 0800-1030, taxi drivers will be operating a marshalled, fixed-fare shared taxi service for central London destinations at six major London rail termini – Waterloo, Liverpool St, London Bridge, Marylebone, Paddington and Euston.
DLR and London Overground – services will be operating as normal.
Roads and the Congestion Charge – to help keep traffic flowing the Congestion Charge will remain in operation through-out the strike and TfL will be suspending road works on major London roads wherever possible. Where possible, Londoners and commuters are encouraged to consider alternatives to the car.
Cycling – additional options for cyclists will include morning commuter led cycle rides, temporary parking facilities and thousands of cycle maps will be distributed across London.
Led commuter rides – The London Cycle Campaign will be leading five escorted rides into Central London from Finsbury Park main gate, Mile End Green Bridge, Ravenscourt Park, Brixton Road (KFC) and Swiss Cottage. All rides will set off from 0745 and further details are available at www.biketube.org.uk.
Cycle Parking – In addition to the major cycle park at Finsbury Park and existing racks at major London stations across the city, another 1000 cycle parking spaces will be provided at London Bridge cycle park and temporary cycle parking facilities at the locations and times below. Many London businesses will also be opening up their foyers and parking facilities for their staff.
Walking – if you are considering making or completing your journeys by foot, check www.tfl.gov.uk for information or, in central London on strike days, pick up a free local vicinity walking map from staff at major rail stations, bus stations and key tube stations.
River – existing services will be boosted from a capacity of 1,500 to 8,000 an hour and including:
- London Bridge to Tower Bridge – an additional free shuttle service.
- Greenwich-Canary Wharf-Central London – normal Clippers service with enhancements.
- Putney-Central London – normal Thames Executive Charter (TEC) service with four boats instead of two.
- London Eye – Westminster – Tower Bridge – free peak shuttle every 10 minutes between 0700-1000 and 1500-2000 on both main strike days.
If you are visiting London on these days you may want to arm yourself with a London City Visitors Kit. Unfortunately on this occasion the iPod Touch London Tube Map will not be as useful as it could be – but what the heck! Your iPod will still work like a charm and you may need a little music whilst you’re on the move.
