UNITED KINGDOM: Millions of Britons return to work as transport systems stalled by snow return to operation

Record ID: 333033

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Millions of Britons return to work as transport systems stalled by snow return to operation
  • Date: 5th February 2009
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 3, 2009) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF LONDON EYE AND PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS BIG BEN BIG BEN/TRAFALGAR SQUARE PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS SQUARE/ MAN THROWING GRIT ON ICE ON GROUND MAN SPRINKLES GRIT FROM SHOVEL ONTO GROUND ST. MARTIN'S CHURCH AND NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM/ PAN ACROSS TO POLICE CARS PARKED NEXT TO TOW TRUCK TOW TRUCK LIFTING TRUCK OUT OF BASEMENT SPACE FROM CANADA HOUSE IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE MORE OF TRUCK DANGLING FROM TOW BAR ABOVE BASEMENT DROP TRUCK BUSES DRIVING PAST CHARING CROSS STATION SIGN READING: "CHARING CROSS STATION"/ PAN DOWN TO PEOPLE WALKING OUT OF EXIT. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UK RESIDENT, DES SAYING: "I presume it's because there is a lack of investment and lack of planning. It would have been quite easy to taken off the bendy buses and also to have prepare winter tyres for perhaps half their fleet. It is rather shameful I think." (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMUTER, LIS NORMAN SAYING: "Well, we will see how it goes later on. But it's nice to get in and I'm on time." BUS STOP SIGN NUMBER 9 BUS PULLING UP TO STATION/ PEOPLE GETTING ON BUS
  • Embargoed: 20th February 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Weather
  • Reuters ID: LVA76EYR2KMH15FZ3SX8W1MPPJDC
  • Story Text: Millions of Britons returned to work on Tuesday (February 3), in the south east of England as transport systems stalled by Monday's (February 2) blizzards slowly returned to operation, but tens of thousands of children were given a another day off because schools across the country remained closed.
    Businesses angry at the failing infrastructure were counting the cost of Monday's snow -- the heaviest in southern England since 1991.
    Experts estimated about 6.4 million people did not get to work on Monday and warned another day of disruption could mean a total cost to a recession-hit economy of 1.2 billion pounds (1.7 billion U.S. dollars).
    Stung by criticism after the capital's buses and underground trains came almost to a standstill on Monday, Transport for London issued early Tuesday reports of "good level of service across the vast majority of the Tube and bus network."
    Londoners woke to an icy morning on Tuesday (February 3), a day after the capital saw the heaviest snowfall in almost 20 years.
    In Trafalgar Square, emergency services lifted out a truck which skidded on the ice and tipped into the basement space next to Canada House, police said. They confirmed the driver had been taken to hospital with minor injuries.
    London's Charing cross station reopened on Tuesday with streams of people pouring out into the capital.
    One traveller, Des felt Monday's travel chaos was down to a lack of investment and planning.

    "I presume it's because there is a lack of investment and lack of planning. It would have been quite easy to taken off the bendy buses and also to have prepared winter tyres for perhaps half their fleet. It is rather shameful I think," Des said.

    "Well we will see how it goes later on. But it's nice to get in and I'm on time," Lis Norman added as she headed off to work.
    Heathrow and Britain's other airports were open but airport operator BAA said many flights would be delayed or cancelled.
    The Met Office issued an extreme weather warning to motorists to beware of icy roads and drifting or heavy snow and said there was a risk of snowfalls and severe weather affecting many parts of Scotland.
    The image of the British capital buckling under a few centimetres of snow prompted commentators to make comparisons with World War Two, when even daily air raids by German bombers failed to halt London buses.
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