Tube strike day four sees ‘war zone’ for cyclists and long queues for buses

Londoners gearing up for their fourth day of commuter hell – with queues for buses already forming at busy train stations.

Rain is forecast yet again for Londoners, meaning miserable cycling journeys and a rush to get on buses.

Private hire cars – including Uber and Bolt – are seeing price increases this morning as well while people rush to to work.

As Metro ventured towards London Victoria station this morning, the cycle lanes seemed much busier than usual, with more rental bikes like Lime cycles whizzing around.

East London was relatively calm earlier this morning until the Embankment, which looked more like a war zone.

Commuters have said they’ve seen riders of all kinds cutting corners, debris and glass on the cycle path and queueing traffic heading out of London.

Some people were seen jumping the red lights at Westminster, while a stretch of the cycle lanes seemed was blocked off, pushing riders onto the road.

With an atmosphere of stress, it seems Londoners’ patience is running out on the fourth full strike day.

Aida Ladera, who works as a nurse in central London, told Metro: ‘The strike week has been horrible. I’m a nurse so I have to travel in. I tried a car yesterday and the day before, but it took me 1.5 hours to go to Warren Street.’

She says today has been ‘the worst day’ for travel this week, with the first leg of her journey taking an hour from Tooting to Victoria on the bus.

‘I have no idea how long it’s going to take from here to the hospital,’ she says as her bus pulls in.

When asked how she feels about the strike she says she is frustrated the parties ‘are still making a deal.’

‘Just let the people go to work,’ she adds before making a dash for the bus.

Leonie Brugger and Matthias Brugger, from near the southern German city of Munich, had arrived in London for a holiday on Sunday just before the strike started.

They were on their way to Liverpool Street to catch a Stansted Express to the airport for their flight home, and ‘nervous’ about getting there on time.

‘The flight leaves at noon, but we don’t know at all how long it is going to take,’ Leonie told Metro.

The couple said they’ve ‘gotten our steps in.’ Leonie, who has lived in London in the past, said: ‘We’ve walked a lot. As a tourist you’re walking a lot anyway and you’re not under time pressure.

‘There was one occasion when were in a rush and tried to find Lime bikes, but none were available.’

Which lines have no service today?

Here are the Tube lines that are suspended today with no service:

• Bakerloo
• Circle
• District
• Hammersmith & City
• Jubilee
• Piccadilly
• Victoria
• Waterloo & City

What TfL services are running today?

Docklands Light Railway travel status today:

• DLR has no service between Bank and Shadwell due to the strike, while the rest of the line has severe delays

And here is the latest Overground status:

• Mildmay – Part closure with no southbound service from Willesden Junction to Shepherd’s Bush until 6.15 am
• Suffragette – Reduced service with 5.48 am and 6.24 am trains between Barking Riverside and Gospel Oak cancelled
• The rest of the Overground lines have good service

Is the Elizabeth line open during the strikes?

Most of the Elizabeth line is running today, along with the buses and Overground trains, but services are busy.

The Elizabeth line trains will not stop at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel stations between 7.30am and 10.30pm today, and before 8am tomorrow, Thursday.

One passenger said Paddington station this morning was ‘carnage.’

When will Tube strikes end and service is normal?

Although the strikes end officially on Thursday, there is no Tube service before 8am, the latest advice from TfL says.

Normal Tube service is expected on all lines by late Friday morning.

Why is the strike happening?

The strikes are going ahead after the talks between the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and TfL have stalled. RMT members are calling for a 32-hour working week after ‘long-term health effects from working extreme shifts and fatigue.’

RMT has said the shift patterns have become unsustainable for staff, with 4 am starts and 1 am finishes, coupled with 2,000 fewer Tube staff.

TfL has said the shorter working week is ‘neither practical and affordable,’ and it has offered a 3.4% pay increase instead.

Commuters and London leaders have urged RMT and TfL to reach an agreement soon.

One frustrated commuter told TfL to give the staff ‘whatever they want, man, I’m having a horrific morning.’

Eddie Dempsey, the general secretary of RMT, said his members are ‘absolutely furious’ over TfL’s handling of their demands.

He said that the union ‘took no pleasure’ in disrupting people’s lives but that there is a ‘crisis in industrial relations’.