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The London Transport System |
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THE LONDON TRANSPORT SYSTEM The sheer size of it makes London one of the most intimidating and yet the most fascinating cities in the world. However, London is reputed to have the best transport system served by buses, tube (subway/underground trains), Docklands Light Rail (DLR), tram and taxi cabs. Limited river services are also available. Bus, tube and taxi are the most popular options. ‘The Transport for London’ (TfL) is responsible for the entire transport system in London. Its official website is very comprehensive and provides travel tips, downloadable maps for all modes of transport and information about where and how to get various kinds of travel tickets/passes. First time visitors better study all the possible modes of transport and plan the itinerary carefully before starting to explore the enchanting beauty of the city. BUSES Bus is the quickest and convenient way of seeing London. With over 17,000 stops, the London bus network is one of the largest urban bus services in the world, carrying more passengers than any other mode of transport in UK. To fight the traffic, many roads are reserved only for buses. ‘London Buses’ manages the bus transport in London whereas the actual bus services are operated by independent companies. All the buses are red in color and have the same fares. Buses have numbers, generally a two digit number, displayed conspicuously on the back and front. Most buses run from around 5 am till midnight. Night services are also run on many routes between 11 pm to 6 am. Their number has the pre-fix ‘n’ to indicate that it’s a night service. Mostly the buses are either double decked or single decked ‘bendy’ ones, which, at around 60 feet and with three entrances, are much longer than the regular bus of 35-40 feet. There was a time when the red double decker was considered synonymous with London. It still continues to be one of the major attractions of the city. Several companies provide special site-seeing tours on open-top double deckers. In central London you need to purchase the tickets beforehand. There’s no system of buying the ticket onboard. Ticket can be purchased anywhere in the city from tourist offices, bus stop ticket wending machines, tube stations and news agents. This pre-purchasing facilitates faster boarding and reduces the travel time. Outside Central London, it’s still possible to pay the fare to the driver. TUBES The London underground is the oldest and one of the three largest in the world, carrying over three million passengers per day. Despite the name ‘underground’, the electric train runs both above and under the ground. Many people prefer the tube as surface traffic is very heavy. Traveling by tube is one of the major attractions for the tourists. Underground stations in the centre of London are just a few 100 feet apart and are very simple and easy to use. Tubes are available in just minutes apart. They run everyday, except on Christmas, from 5.30 am till midnight. On Sunday, the services are limited and start two hours later. The ideal time to travel is between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm and again after 6.30 pm. Last trains during the weekends would be as crowded as the rush hour trains. You can buy the subway maps from the tube stations. Each underground line is shown in a different colour – the circle line in yellow, the district line in green. However, travel experts feel that the underground is showing its age, resulting in frequent delays, escalators going out of action and some stations being closed for repairs, especially during weekends. Though crime is not rampant, tourits are advised to avoid empty carriages, especially in the late hours. Smoking is prohibited both at the station and on the carriage. Tickets can be purchased at the station before entering the tube. DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY (DLR) DLR operation and maintenance is franchised to private operators. It’s a 31 km railway with 38 staions and 94 vehicles. These driverless trains run on an elevated track and operate from 5.30 am to 12.30 am from Monday to Friday; from 6 am to 12.30 am on Saturday; and 7.30 am to 11.30 on Sunday. DLR shares ticketing and station links with tube and appears on tube maps. It has wheelchair and pram access too. TRAMS ‘London Trams’ manages the second generation trams that came back into operation from 2000. Electrically-powered, trams are 30 meter long and can carry up to 240 passengers. Ticket should be bought at the station before getting inside and prices are the same as buses. Presently ‘Tramlink’ is operating a three-route service in South London. Two more systems are planned. RIVER SREVICES The London River Services’ manages public transport on the River Thames. It doesn’t exactly own any boats but gives license to private operators. Though some provide regular commute, most of them target the tourists. Ticket should be purchased from the ticket office at the pier before entering the boat. Travel Passes There are daily, weekly and monthly passes which allow unlimited travel on all modes of transport within the city. All-day pass for buses, Travelcard and Oystercard are the popular options. All-day ticket allows you to hop-in and hop-off as many buses as you want. The London Bus pass comes at just £3.50 per day. The London ‘Travelcard’ provides unlimited rides on buses, trains, underground services and a discount on some river services. It can be purchased for a week, a month or even a year. London is divided into various transport zones; the more zones you want to cover, the more price you need to pay for the card. Family ‘Travelcards’ are also available for families or groups of one or two adults accompanied by 1-4 kids. The London ‘Visitorcard’ can be purchased by tourists before arriving in London. There isn’t much difference between the ‘Travelcard’ and the ‘Visitorcard’ except that the latter does not require a photo of the purchaser. In addition to unlimited rides on buses and tubes it also provides discount vouchers for many tourist attractions. But it’s not valid on the Heathrow Express. Oyster card is a pre-paid card. The amount is automatically debited when you swipe it across a yellow circle before entering the transport. It can be used on bus, tube, DLR, tram and national rail within 1-6 travel zones. There’s an Oyster cap of £3, the maximum you’ll be charged between 4.30 am and 4.30 pm. All the pass details are available on TfL website. Since September 2005, all children below 16 years are allowed free travel on buses and trams. TAXIS Public Carriage Office of TfL regulates taxis. London taxis are of two types – the ‘Black Cabs’ and the ‘Mini Cabs’. Only the black cabs are allowed to hail business. To hire one, stand on the pavement and look for a cab with the flashing yellow ‘For Hire’ sign on top, look at the driver and raise your hand into the air. If the driver sees you, s/he will stop the cab beside you. Tell the driver your destination and get in. You are charged as per the meter. Black Cab drivers must pass the most rigorous ‘knowledge’ test in London's geography to get the license. They are so efficient that you seldom need to give directions. Once the journey is over, you should pay the driver through his/her side of the window, not from inside the cab. It’s customary to give a tip of 10-15% of the fare. If you are traveling on a shoestring budget, avoid the cabs as they are quite expensive. Mini cabs are much cheaper but, unlike the black cabs, they are not licensed, nor are the drivers required to go through any test in their knowledge of the city. Mini cabs don’t run on the meter and you will have to negotiate the price. Since the minicabs are not allowed to solicit business, you have to go their office or call or book the service through the Internet. Experts advise not to opt for minicabs unless you have no other option. CONCLUSION Travel experts feel that using a combination of buses and underground accompanied by a travel map and suitable pass is the best way of exploring London. Taxis should be used only for emergencies.
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