21.02.05
Getting home after an evening out in London could be easier if plans to run Tubes an hour later on Friday and Saturday nights get the go ahead. But if the tubes run later at night-time it would mean that they open an hour later on Saturday and Sunday mornings, which could hit weekend workers.
A public consultation on the plan begins on tomorrow. Although most people want the tubes to run later at night, they don't want them to open later in the morning too. Many argue that it should be possible to run tubes later without opening later, and use examples where this happens overseas to back up their case.
Transport for London (TfL) insists that this later start time is needed because the same amount of time will be required for overnight maintenance work. They say that if the tube runs until 02:00 (2 am) after Friday and Saturday nights, it will not start until 07:00 on Saturday and 08:30 am on Sunday.
If the idea gets the go-ahead the new times could come into force as early as December next year.
Brian Cooke, of London Transport Users Committee, said: 'There definitely are upsides and downsides that will benefit a lot of people late at night. But people will be inconvenienced in the early morning, and we are concerned that some of those people are essential workers and people on low incomes who have to get to work.'
As the idea has Mayor Ken's backing, it is likely to get the go ahead. The congestion charge caused faced more opposition, but was pushed though by London's forceful Mayor.
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