8 (#14) Traffic_____________________________________________

♦ The British are enthusiastic about mobility. They regard the opportunity to travel far and frequently as a right. Some people spend up to two or three hours each day getting to work in London or some other big city and back home to their suburban or country homes in the evening. As elsewhere in Europe, transport in modern Britain is dominated by the motor car and there are the attendant problems of traffic congestion and pollution. The first one was solved by the not admitting private transport in the center of London, and the second one is being solved.

Nearly three-quarters of households in Britain have regular use of a car and about a quarter have more than one car. The widespread enthusiasm for cars is, as elsewhere, partly a result of people using them to project an image of themselves.

Mostly in public transport only immigrants and tourists can be seen. The second reason of usage own cars it is the passion for privacy. Being in your car means being in your castle.

The British are not very keen on scooters and motorcycles. Millions of bicycles are used, especially by younger people, but only at University cities.

The number of routes situated near historical center of London is huge.

The system of getting into the bus is the same as in Russia right now – through the driver’s door. If there’s no place for sitting in the bus you are not admitted (just a few people can stay in the bus). But in rush hour it doesn’t takes you long to wait another bus. On the each bus stop there’s a map that you can consult.

As for underground it is surely unique place. It does not work all day round but every station works according to it’s timetable. Metro stations are very plain and cant be compared to Moscow ones looking like palaces. As a rule they are very dirty also. The seats in the trains are very comfortable, but the ceilings are very low, and if your height above 1m85 you can bump against the ceiling. It can take you 15 min to wait for the next train if you miss the first one.

♦ The TFL Oyster card is London's travel smartcard. It can store your season ticket or Pre Pay (pay-as-you-go travel), or a combination of both. You simply touch it on the card readers at Tube and DLR stations, on buses and at tram stops. Paying for transport in London with cash is much more expensive than using an Oyster card so, since you are certain to use the Tube or buses while you are in London, we strongly recomend that you get an Oyster card. The Underground is divided into six Zones. Zone 1 being Central London and increasing the further out you travel from the centre. Most of the homestay we arrange is in Zone 2. Last trains run around midnight.

The last buses and tubes leave central London at around midnight but there is also a network of night buses. When travelling on a London bus, you must ring the bell once to indicate that you want to get off at the next bus stop. There are two sorts of taxis in London: black cabs and minicabs. Black cabs stop if their light is on and you wave at them. A good place to get a taxi is a railway station or a large hotel. You may wish to tip the driver about 10-12 per cent of the fare although this is not essential. Minicabs are private and are usually called by telephone. They are generally cheaper than black cabs, especially at night and weekends. However the drivers are not licenced in the same way as black cabs and may not know London so well.