Tube Strike Will Again Push Commuters Onto The Roads
INRIX Warns Drivers of Peak Time Queues up to Four Times Longer Than Usual
Predictions:
“The previous tube strike in February pushed more commuters onto the roads, triggering extraordinary increases in traffic and the same is likely to happen again next week. Drivers should prepare to spend on average double the amount of time in congestion during rush hour, with a typical 60 minute journey at 8am into London being delayed by up to an hour. Even those looking to ‘beat the rush’ by setting off at 6am are likely to be delayed by around 25 minutes on their journey into work.
We are likely to see a repeat of the previous strike’s 12-mile queue in to the capital from Junction 4 of the London-bound M4 to Kensington from around 6.30am which didn’t clear until around the 11am extended rush hour. As a result of this, a distance that typically takes around 30 minutes for drivers to negotiate could take almost an hour. By the time traffic hits its peak at 8am, the short stretch of Camberwell New Road up to Vauxhall in London is likely to take 40 minutes – four times as long as on a typical day.”
Following the recent strikes already this year in quick succession, we would expect to see a “learning effect” this week as commuters adapt their behaviour and change methods of transport based on their experiences of last time. However, data gathered from the previous strike on the last day of industrial action saw an 11% increase in delays over the previous evening so clearly many drivers in the south east weren’t put off by the traffic volumes seen the previous day.
Advice for commuters in the south east:
“Last time there were 90-minute queues for taxis at Paddington Station, for example, but most offices in London are within walking distance of an overground rail station. For many commuters, overground rail services paired with comfortable shoes and an umbrella might be the best option.
“There is no question that another strike will cause more disruption so we would strongly advise drivers to leave early and leave extra time to complete their journeys, check the roads before they travel or better still work from home if that’s an option.”
Chris Lambert, traffic intelligence expert, INRIX
Below is a table that shows the predicted delay on both full days of the industrial action, that a road commuter will experience on a journey into or out of the capital that would usually take 60 minutes:
