London Tube strike causes 'difficult' day for passengers

Difficult' day for passengers due to Tube strike

Transport bosses apologised to passengers for a "difficult" day as London's Tube services were hit by another strike.

Services have been disrupted throughout Tuesday, with no trains running on some lines and delays or part suspensions on others, after members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union walked out in a dispute over plans for a 35-hour, four-day week for drivers.

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan called the strike "a sign of failure" and urged RMT and Transport for London (TfL) to "get round the table" before a planned 24-hour walkout on Thursday.

TfL apologised to customers but added that by 06:00 BST, 60% of drivers had turned up to work - more than in previous strikes.

It also said around half its services ran during the morning peak, but Tube usage was down 43% in the hours up to 10:00.

Across the capital, people faced delays and queuing in the rain for taxis and buses as they made their way into work and school.

Unsuspecting tourists said they had been unaware of the strike action.

The Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Central lines were part suspended, while the Circle and Waterloo & City lines were suspended entirely.

And there were severe delays on the District, Hammersmith & City, and Victoria lines, as well as the Bakerloo line.

The public response to the strike action appeared to be mixed across London.

Rick contacted the BBC after he was stuck in traffic with his two sons on the way to sit their A-levels and GCSEs.

"My sons made it by the skin of their teeth but anxiety levels were sky high while they were sitting in grid-locked traffic," he said.

He called the strike "totally disgraceful", adding: "I will never forgive the unions if this jeopardises their futures."

Tom in Islington disagreed. He told the BBC that Tube drivers had "been clear" about the "immense impact" of their current working conditions.

"I have to allow extra time for my journeys today but that's a reasonable trade-off in my opinion," he said.

Australian tourists Chris and Anna Sellings did not know there was a Tube strike until they were told by a BBC reporter.

"It's not ideal for tourists is it?" Chris said. "It's not ideal for anyone."

At the taxi rank at King's Cross, London's black cabs were doing brisk business in the morning rush.

One of the drivers, Adrian, described it as a "good day to be a taxi driver", while another, Paul, said it was a "pain in the backside".

He added: "The traffic's a nightmare, people get in the cabs who don't really want to get a cab.

"If they are striking over feeling it's dangerous to work extra time, I'm in support of it. There are more important things in life than money."

The RMT launched its strike action after accusing TfL of failing to "provide assurances" over concerns about longer working hours and driver safety.

The mayor of London said that the Tube strikes had a "serious impact on Londoners, businesses and commuters" and called for talks between TfL and RMT to resume.

"The workers on strike lose a day's salary, TfL loses revenues, businesses are losing their customers, people have hospital appointments they can't get to. This is a massive inconvenience," Sir Sadiq said.

A spokesperson for TfL said they were sorry that Tuesday had been "difficult for customers and for London's business".

They added: "We continue to urge the RMT to work with us to resolve their questions on the proposed four-day week and to suspend any future action while that work is completed."