November weekend closures 'a precursor to Christmas misery'
Labour today called on Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson to get a grip on the tube, as heavy closures for November weekends and Christmas were revealed.
Londoners face a month full of disrupted travel plans, with a minimum of six lines affected by closures every weekend in November.
Between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, only three tube lines ( Bakerloo, Jubilee and Victoria lines) will be unaffected by closures, throwing plans for the festive season into disarray for thousands of Londoners.
Labour’s transport spokesperson and Deputy Mayoral running mate, Val Shawcross said:
“No corner of London has managed to escape disruption over the coming weeks, with residents from High Barnet to Epping, and Hammersmith to Brixton affected by planned closures which will cause misery for thousands of commuters.
“Many hard-working Londoners are facing a major headache this Christmas, with the closures making plans from visiting loved ones to hitting the sales seemingly impossible for many. The last thing retailers need when they are struggling is half of the tube network closed at one of the busiest times of year. It’s essential to the economy that London keeps moving both in the run up to and during the festive period.
With scheduled works such as those to the Jubilee line now well over target and weekend engineering works frequently over-running, the Mayor must urgently get a grip on these plans - ensuring that every single hour closed for works is being used to maximum effect.”
November 4, 2011
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