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Government ‘encouraging driverless trains in bid to stop strikes’
Driverless trains could be introduced more widely on the London transport network in a bid to prevent mass strikes, according to reports.
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has made driverless tech a condition of a long-term funding settlement for TfL, reports the Daily Mail.
A source told the paper: “They are already a reality – the London Docklands Light Railway has been automated since its birth 35 years ago – but there is a deep-seated cultural resistance to the concept at TfL.
“It cannot be right that commuters are held to ransom and the economy of London harmed, merely at the whim of union bosses.”
However, the Mayor’s office has described them as “not a priority” for TfL.
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Commuters cram onto buses at London Bridge
Commuters piled onto buses as London Bridge with some complaining about a lack of services, writes John Dunne.
Two out of service buses pulled up at the stop prompting frustration before a bus to Aldgate finally arrived. One passenger said: “This is totally unacceptable.”
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Stations around Oxford Street, one of the capital’s busiest shopping streets, are closed amid the Tube strike.
Ross Lydall / Evening StandardRoss Lydall / Evening Standard1646298649
RMT members tell Standard why they are on strike
Tube Strike: RMT members explain why they’re walking out today
Explaining why they are striking, Daniel Randall of the RMT’s Bakerloo branch told the Standard’s Ross Lydall that the action was being taken over job cuts, pension arrangements, and working conditions.
Speaking at the picket line at Oxford Circus, he said: “It’s about jobs, it’s about pensions, it’s about conditions, but also it’s about the future of public transport in London.
“Do we want a properly staffed, properly funded system with good working conditions for workers? Or do we want go toward something that Sadiq Khan has called ‘managed decline’”?
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Tube strike causes queues for hire bikes
Commuters also queued for bikes early Thursday morning as they sought an alternative to tubes to get to work. Pictured are commuters at Waterloo.
Bike queue at Waterloo
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Waterloo commuters: ‘We’re sick of this’
Also at Waterloo was IT worker Fotos Constantinou, 28, who said: “I’m sick of this,” reports John Dunne.
“I moved out of London during Covid thinking that when things got safer I could commute in no problem. But it’s a nightmare how can a union hold us to ransom like this,” he said.
“As for the idea of driverless trains I’m all for that. I don’t want drivers to lose their jobs but they are inflicting pain on commuters and businesses.”
Ben Hughes, 31, echoed the views of many of the commuters saying “oh no, not again!”. The construction worker added: “I’ve had enough of this. In my game I have to get to the building site, I can’t work from home. It’s just not on.”
Closed Waterloo station
/ John Dunne / Evening Standard1646296885
Commuters at Waterloo vent frustration
Frustrated commuters today expressed their anger at the second shutdown of the tube network in a week, writes John Dunne.
Huge taxi rank queues formed at Waterloo station formed from 7am with some waiting for up to an hour to get a car.
The station, which is used by tens of thousands commuters, was less busy than usual as some had opted to work from home but those who did brave the journey struggled to find alternative modes of transport for their onward journey.
Jenny Cox, 44, had travelled in from Guildford and needed to get to Covent Garden where she is a receptionist.
She said: “I can’t believe this strike has gone ahead for the second time this week. I thought after Tuesday it would be sorted. I did have some sympathy with the strikers but that’s gone now.
“The fares are high and the service is terrible. They have driverless trains on the DLR and that seems safe and works. Maybe we should go that way we can’t go on like this.”
Taxi queue at Waterloo
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Photos show lengthy queues at Overground
Photos of the Overground show streams of people gathering outside Overground stations in a bid to get to work during the strike.
One passenger at Gospel Oak station said: “There are security guards across the road keeping an eye. Crazy,” as she shared a picture of the lengthy queue at the station.
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District line operating partial service
The District line is operating a reduced service, as of 8am, alongside a shuttle service being operated on the western and eastern edges of the Central line.
The service is operating between High Street Kensington and Wimbledon and between Upminster and West Ham at a reduced frequency.
All other lines remain suspended, and there remains no service between Shadwell and Bank on the DLR.
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Heavy traffic on main roads amid Tube strike
Commuters are being warned to also expect heavier traffic on main roads as people seek alternative routes to work.
Footage this morning showed the A102, with heavy traffic as Londoners took to the road instead of the Tube.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tube-underground-strike-march-3rd-2022-today-tfl-latest-updates-news-sadiq-khan-b985730.html
