|
Getting to visit all the tourist
attractions in London is made easy by the capital's
famous red buses, black taxis and the London Underground
- also known as 'the tube'. The first 'tube' railway in
the world opened in 1870 and was a cable-operated car
which ran through a subway between Tower Hill and
Bermondsey. From this small beginning the nine lines and
275 stations of the present system now make up one of
the largest electric underground railways in the world.
The Underground is the quickest and most efficient way
to get around the capital and there is almost always an
Underground station close at hand throughout London.
Following on from the Parisian
precedent, a regular omnibus service was first seen in
London in 1829. The first horse drawn omnibuses seated
22 passengers and they were finally withdrawn in 1916
after the first gas-driven bus was introduced in 1910.
The large tram network of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries was succeeded by trolley-buses, then
eventually gas-driven buses gave way to today's diesel
engine vehicles. The indomitable London red bus is not
only one of the most famous in the world but also one of
the safest, having to undergo very rigorous safety
tests.
Like the New York yellow cabs, the
black London taxi with its distinctive shape is
instantly recognizable. Taxis are a salvation for those
who get lost and are a godsend in the early hours when
the main transport systems have shut down. London
cabbies are very experienced and know their way about -
they have to undergo 'The Knowledge', a test to make
sure they know London inside out before they can obtain
their licence. Taxis can be called by telephone but they
can also be hailed in the street if they are displaying
their illuminated 'For Hire' sign.
Another way to travel in London is by
water transport. Thames riverboat services are becoming
ever more popular with visitors and commuters alike. The
Thames perhaps isn't exploited in this way as much as it
should be, but a very pleasant stretch of water is the
Regent's Canal, which was opened in 1820. Starting from
Little Venice, which forms the junction of the
Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal and the Regent's
Canal, it runs into Limehouse Basin. Passing through
Regent's Park, the stretch between Little Venice and
Camden Town follows the Outer Circle round the park's
northern and western perimeters and is always busy with
leisure traffic in the summer. Pleasure boat trips are
available from the Zoological Gardens to Little Venice. |
