LONDON'S TRAFFIC.

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1906, Page 1

LONDON'S TRAFFIC.

HOW IT IS COiVfpOLLED. their appearance. They emphasise, il that were possible, tho extraordinary difli cully of transporting quickly, and with as little inconvenience as possible, a popnla tion that numbers within a radius of ten miles of Charing Cross close upon fivo millions. Tho railways alone bring into and take from the terminal stations in the central area of London ovoiy year between three and four hundred million passengers, of whom over olio hundred million are season-ticket holders. The tramways within Greater London carry probably 500 or 600 million passengers annually. And besides all theso there are tho brief and "twopenny tube" journeys that do not affect tho terminal stations, and the multitude of omnibus passengers. A generalion ago it was calculated that the internal passenger traffic in Greater London represented 23 journeys per annum by ovry individual in th community; to-day th numbtr of journeys is 140. There are few striking passages in these reports which indicate more plainly than anything elso the hugeness of London's traffic. Tho omnibuses of London carry in ono year tho whole population of the United Kingdom seven times over. A passenger in Oxford street has a choico of aJydiil'erent omnibus routes through that street to different parts of London. From the Strand one can get to 23 points of London. At the busy time of the day 642 omnibuses pass by tho Bank in one hour, a procession 2J miles long; 400 through Oxford street and Piccadilly, a procession of If miles in length, and an average of 200 per hour through other important thoroughfares. . The motor-bus Booms likely to relievo th cpressure to a certain extent. It holds 34 passengers as against tho 26 of the horso omnibus, and this means that if the motor-buses supersede, as no doubt they will, the oldor conveyance, tho streets will be relieved of ono fourth of their present bus traffic. -■