Tube and London bus users down after working-from-home guidance resumes

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday night that the guidance to work from home where possible will return in England on Monday.

Demand for public transport in London has fallen this week, indicating that tens of thousands of people in the capital have already started working from home ahead of the introduction of new guidance (Martin Keene/PA) (PA Wire)

Demand for public transport in London has fallen this week, indicating that tens of thousands of people in the capital have already started working from home ahead of the introduction of new guidance.

Transport for London (TfL) said demand for Tube and bus services up to 10am each day this week has been lower than the same period a week earlier, apart from for buses on Monday.

Morning Tube use was down 5% on Thursday and 3% on Friday, while bus use decreased 2% on Thursday and 1% on Friday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday night that the guidance to work from home where possible will return in England on Monday.

A TfL spokesman said: “The Government’s decision to require people to work from home from Monday will naturally result in a drop in TfL’s ridership.

“We continue to assess what impact this announcement will have on overall ridership levels, and crucially our operating income which relies heavily on fares revenue.”

Demand for Tube and bus travel up to 10am is at around 52% and 73% of pre-pandemic levels respectively.