London Tube strike causes chaos as commuters scramble for buses, taxis and bicycles
London travellers in rush-hour scramble for buses, taxis and bicycles
Londoners struggled to get to work yesterday as a 48-hour Tube strike led to cancellations and delays that pushed commuters to compete for bus seats and rental bicycles.
The walkout called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' union (RMT) over job cuts and ticket office closures began at 9pm on Monday.
It will continue until this evening, with a further 72-hour walkout planned next week.
Commuters and businesses are the ones who are being forced to pay the price
London Underground kept most lines running with a reduced service and many stations flagged as likely to close were open for travel.
But roads were snarled with traffic and pavements were more crowded as regular Tube travellers made alternative plans.
"The action … is solidly supported," said Mick Cash, the RMT's acting general secretary, adding that the strike would have been suspended had London Underground "responded positively to our proposal to halt the ticket office closures and job cuts". The Tube handles more than three million journeys a day, with 57,000 people using Waterloo station alone in the three-hour morning peak.
The strike comes after the RMT halted the second of two February walkouts following an offer of talks that failed to produce an agreement.
Services were operating on nine of the 11 Underground lines but at a much reduced frequency, causing queues outside stations and overcrowded trains.