MASS walkouts sparked travel chaos today as Tube and train strikes ground commuters to a halt.
Huge crowds were seen queuing for buses in London while traffic built on roads outside the capital first thing.
Around 10,000 members of the the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are staging a 24-hour walkout in an ongoing row over jobs and pensions.
Another 1,100 members of Unite union are striking on the Underground, Croydon Tramlink, and Victoria coach station.
Transport for London’s (TfL) website shows services on the vast majority of Tube lines are suspended, with a very limited operation elsewhere.
There is also disruption to bus services in west and south-west London and parts of Surrey due to a strike by London bus drivers who are members of Unite on Friday and Saturday in a separate dispute over pay.
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Sixty-three bus routes are being affected, according to TfL.
Yesterday, tens of thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite walked out, affecting Network Rail and train operators across the country.
Only around one in five trains ran, with some areas having no services all day.
Transport for London (TfL) yesterday urged people to avoid travelling on the Tube and only travel if essential on the rest of the network today until 8am on Saturday.
Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “I would like to apologise to our customers for the strike action being carried out by RMT and Unite, which will have a significant impact on the city’s transport network.
“I understand how frustrating these strikes are and I’d like to remind the RMT and Unite that it’s not too late to work with us, Arriva Rail London and RATP (which runs the London buses affected by the strike) to find a resolution and avoid the huge disruption this action will cause to people’s journeys and to the economy.
“Customers should check before they travel from 18-21 August, as strike action is impacting different modes of transport each day.
“For 19 August, we are urging our customers to avoid travelling on the Tube and only travel if essential on the rest of the network.
“We expect little to no service on the Tube until 8am on Saturday 20 August and alternative travel modes are likely to be busy. Please consider walking and cycling if you need to travel.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Discussions on TfL funding are ongoing with the Government, but TfL has been clear that nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals previously set out, and that all changes are always subject to full consultation with staff and trade unions.
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“Sadiq has also been clear that the Government should not use TfL employee terms and conditions as a bargaining tool in funding negotiations.
“The Mayor regularly meets and works with the RMT and other trade unions, and Sadiq welcomes their calls for the Government to bring forward a sustainable funding deal for TfL that is fair and supports London’s recovery and transport workers.”
