Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleLondoners turn to bikes and boats as Tube strike halts trains, impacting the economy and increasing demand for alternative transport.
By Sam Tabahriti
LONDON (Reuters) -Commuters in London turned to bikes, buses and boats on Tuesday as a staff strike shut down the capital's underground "Tube" network for a second day.
With almost no underground trains running until Friday, demand for shared bike services and river transport surged as Londoners looked for alternative ways to get to work, causing longer journeys and crowding on other parts of the transport network.
The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates the strike will have a direct impact on the London economy of 230 million pounds ($310 million), and cost millions more indirectly.
Lime, which operates electric bikes across the city, said it saw a 58% increase in trips during Monday's morning peak compared with the same period a week earlier.
"Journeys were longer in both distance and duration, indicating that many riders relied on Lime for their entire commute rather than just the first or last mile," a Lime spokesperson said.
Forest, another bike-sharing firm which operates 15,000 e-bikes in London, reported a 100% increase in rides between 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and 8 a.m. on Monday. It said it expected 60,000 active users throughout the day - more than double its usual Monday volume of about 27,000.
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, a river bus service operating on the Thames, said its services were "busier than usual," with extra sailings added, including a shuttle between Canary Wharf and London Bridge.
The strike, called by the RMT union, centres on pay, fatigue management and shift patterns. Transport for London has offered a 3.4% pay rise, but the union is pushing for a reduction in working hours.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government, which vowed to tackle widespread strike action across the economy before it was elected last July, has called for a resolution.
($1 = 0.7362 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam TabahritiEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
The Tube strike was called by the RMT union, focusing on issues related to pay, fatigue management, and shift patterns.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates the strike will have a direct impact of 230 million pounds ($310 million) on the London economy.
Commuters are turning to bikes, buses, and river transport as alternatives to the Tube, leading to increased demand for bike-sharing services and river buses.
Lime reported a 58% increase in bike trips during Monday's morning peak compared to the previous week, while Forest saw a 100% increase in rides during the same time.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government has called for a resolution to the strike, emphasizing the need to address widespread strike action across the economy.
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