Centre for London response to London Underground strikes

In response to this week’s tube strikes, Nick Bowes, Chief Executive, Centre for London said:

“Most commuters won’t remember the last time strikes on train and tubes caused as much disruption as is predicted this week. For some, it’ll be a mild inconvenience as, unlike before the pandemic, they know that working from home can be made a success, and they won’t have to battle on through to get to the office. But there are many Londoners who don’t have the luxury of working from home because their jobs require being there in person, including key workers like doctors, nurses, cleaners and teachers. It promises to be a difficult and frustrating few days for them.

“Despite a recovery in public transport use in the city, levels are still below those seen pre-pandemic. The fear is that the strikes could undermine the fragile bounce back of the central London economy and contribute to another dip in use as people get back into the habit of working from home. Any fall in revenue for TfL also makes this week’s looming deadline for a new funding deal with government all the more crucial, as it could be jumped on by the Treasury as a further reason to demand cuts to services. For the sake of the city and for TfL, there needs to be an end to short-term stop gap funding deals, and a long-term sustainable package that allows proper forward planning for the recovery.”