Tube journeys down 70pc as UK grapples with virus fears

LONDON: Tube journeys are down almost three quarters according to Transport for London, as people reduce their travel during the coronavirus outbreak.

TfL said passenger journeys on the Underground have fallen by around 70 per cent, with trips on buses down by around 40 per cent on last year. The new figures come after the government encouraged people to only use public transport for essential journeys and socially distance themselves from others to slow down the spread of Covid-19.

But on Friday one passenger posted an image on Twitter showing a tube carriage full of customers. The picture shared during the morning rush hour showed people packed in close together as they travelled into the city.

New announcements on the Underground network are reinforcing the idea that only essential journeys should be made.

Deputy mayor for transport, Heidi Alexander, shared a video on Friday demonstrating the messages passengers are hearing at all tube stations. Londoners will hear: “All TfL services are now solely focused on ensuring critical workers can move around as needed. You should not be using public transport or travelling for anything other than essential journeys.”

Earlier this week, 40 tube stations were closed for the foreseeable future and the Waterloo and City line halted completely as the network attempted to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Central stations including Covent Garden and Hyde Park Corner did not open on Thursday, and there will be no 24 hour weekend night tube from this weekend.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also reinforced the government advice, saying: “People should not be travelling by any means, unless they absolutely must.” Speaking at Mayor’s Question Time on Thursday, he added: “The scientific advice on this is very clear — Londoners should be avoiding social interaction unless absolutely necessary.

“This includes avoiding using the transport network. I want to see more Londoners following the expert advice, which means it’s critical we see far fewer Londoners using our transport network than is currently the case.”