London’s commuters have vented their frustration as they struggle to travel across the capital amid Tube strikes and miserable weather.
Around half of Tube services are still running, but delays have been widespread on the network as the RMT union walkout went ahead on Tuesday morning.
Despite 11th-hour discussions between TfL and RMT, the operator and union have failed to come to an agreement.
The 24-hour walkout has left Londoners furious, with one woman accusing the drivers of “holding working people to ransom.”
Speaking to the Standard, she said: “They earn a lot of money and are quick to strike over the slightest issue.
“They are holding the working people who rely on the Tube to get to and from work to ransom
“We suffer, either having to make longer journeys and pay extra money to get to work. I don’t even earn half of what these guys earn and I have to manage.”
A bout of terrible weather has added insult to injury as Londoners brave the rain to find alternative routes into the capital.
Tilly, 30, is a veterinary nurse travelling into Liverpool Street from the airport. She told the Standard that her journey had been “hugely impacted”, adding that the rain had made travelling conditions especially “dangerous".
“People are slipping, people are stressed,” she said.
She urged for action to stop future strikes: “Something needs to be done. It’s impacting our lives in a way that isn’t manageable.”
Tilly was one of many Londoners stood outside Liverpool Street station waiting for alternative transport as queues outside taxi ranks and bus stops grew.
Satmanyu, a commuter from east London, said that the strike action was “disrupting a lot of lives” as he struggled to get into work on Tuesday morning.
For Lucy, 47, her alternative route via e-bike was made impossible due to the rain.
She explained that she was forced to walk, take a bus, and the Overground as the thundery showers prevented her from commuting via e-bike.
However, she said she had been in London long enough “to be resilient and to know her way around without using the Tube.”
During strike periods, it is estimated that e-bike providers such as Lime, Forest and Voi see trip increases between 50 per cent and 70 per cent.
Commuters are more likely to use e-bike for the entire commute rather than just the start or end of their journeys.
The strikes are taking place during the GCSE and A-Level exam window, impacting how students in London attend school after the half-term break.
Poppy, 18, told the Standard that students at her college would be prevented from handing in final submissions.
“Today’s our final hand in day”, she explained. “But nobody can get in so nobody can hand in their work properly.”
Despite the chaos, Peter, 31, is in favour of the strikes.
“Everyone deserves to get paid for the work that they do”, he told the Standard.
An RMT spokesperson said: “Our strike has been strongly supported by RMT members with well attended picket lines at tube stations and depots. “We are available at any time for talks to try to find a negotiated settlement and expect to meet the employer next week."
The RMT has blamed TfL for failing to find a resolution prior to the strike action. The union is arguing that the new working conditions deal is a “fake” four-day week and is really five days of work compressed into four.
Without resolution, a second 24-hour walkout will take place on Thursday.
