Bus and train strikes continue to frustrate retailers looking to cash in on Bank Holiday
Holiday shopping may have to be put on hold once more as bus and train strikes continue to stall the London transport network.
The national Network Rail strike ended this morning at 6am with services set to be disrupted throughout the day, in part due to the ban on overtime working.
British businesses have urged unions and travel companies to sort out their dispute to allow shoppers to travel into London and spend their Christmas cash, in what is generally seen as the most lucrative time of the year.
Meanwhile, around 45 bus routes run by Abellio are not working today as workers walked out, causing disruption mainly for those from south London.
The rail strikes will also have an impact on the London transport network, with more-or-less the entire Overground network down on Tuesday due to strikes.
THE Elizabeth line, the Circle line and parts of the District and Bakerloo lines are also disrupted,
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “No one wants to see these strikes go ahead, and we can only apologise to passengers and to the many businesses who will be hit by this unnecessary and damaging disruption.
“We would advise passengers to only travel if it is absolutely necessary during this period, allow extra time and check when their first and last train will depart. Passengers with tickets for between 3-7 January can use their ticket the day before the ticket date, or up to and including Tuesday 10 January.
“This dispute will only be resolved by agreeing the long overdue reforms to working arrangements needed to put the industry on a sustainable footing, rather than unions condemning their members to losing more pay in the new year.”
Louise Cheeseman, Director of Buses at TfL, said: “We apologise for any disruption caused to Londoners. There still will be options for people to travel in west and south London, but other routes may be busier than normal.
“We’re encouraging everyone in these areas to plan ahead, check before they travel and leave more time for their journeys, especially over the Christmas and New Year period. Our free TfL Go app and website are really easy ways to check your travel. We urge Unite and Abellio to work together to find a solution to this dispute.”
Strikes are set to continue into the new year as bus and rail workers ask for in-line with-inflation pay increases, and improved working conditions.