London commuters turn to bikes and boats as Tube strike enters second day

LONDON: Commuters in London turned to bikes, buses and boats on Tuesday as a staff strike shut down the capital’s underground “Tube” network for a second day.

With almost no underground trains running until Friday, demand for shared bike services and river transport surged as Londoners looked for alternative ways to get to work, causing longer journeys and crowding on other parts of the transport network.

The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates the strike will have a direct impact on the London economy of 230 million pounds ($310 million), and cost millions more indirectly.

Lime, which operates electric bikes across the city, said it saw a 58% increase in trips during Monday’s morning peak compared with the same period a week earlier.

“Journeys were longer in both distance and duration, indicating that many riders relied on Lime for their entire commute rather than just the first or last mile,” a Lime spokesperson said.

Forest, another bike-sharing firm which operates 15,000 e-bikes in London, reported a 300% increase in rides during Tuesday’s morning rush hour between 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and 8 a.m.

On Monday, Forest reported a 100% increase in rides during the same period. But Mondays have typically been quieter commuting days since the COVID-19 pandemic, with many workers continuing to work remotely at the start of the week.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, a river bus service operating on the Thames, said its services were “busier than usual,” with extra sailings added, including a shuttle between Canary Wharf and London Bridge.

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The strike, called by the RMT union, centres on pay, working hours and shift patterns. Transport for London has offered a 3.4% pay rise, but the union is pushing for a reduction in working hours.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government, which vowed to tackle widespread strike action across the economy before it was elected last July, has called for a resolution.