All London Underground lines are suspended, according to the Transport for London website, amid strike action by thousands of workers.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are taking action in a dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions.
London Overground is running a reduced service, while TfL Rail, the Docklands Light Railway and tram services are operating normally.
Buses are running but commuters have been warned to expect setbacks to journey times. Photos on social media showed large queues forming at bus stops.
RMT workers staged a walkout at 00:01 on Tuesday and will return to work at 23:59. Another strike between the same hours will be held on Thursday. While the Tube is expected to run on Wednesday and Friday, commuters have been warned to expect severe delays.
Susan Hall, leader of the Conservatives in the Greater London Assembly, branded the strikes a “disgrace” and said they would affect businesses which are trying to return to normal after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.
Conservative MP Greg Hands said the strikes were an “insult to hard-working Londoners who have sacrificed so much the last two years”.
The strikes could cost TfL an estimated £20 million ($26.8m) in ticket sales.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of “raiding” workers’ pensions and employment conditions. “Which side is the mayor on? The side of our members who risked their lives as key workers in Covid and are now, as he predicted, striking to defend livelihoods and future? Or is the Labour London mayor on the side of a Tory government which wants to attack jobs, pensions, conditions and services?” Mr Lynch said.
“Our members are central to the future of passenger safety and confidence on the Tube and they’ll be at the heart of London’s recovery. For the good of his workers and London’s economic recovery, Sadiq Khan needs to stand firm against the government, stop the pensions raid and end the job massacre.”
Mr Lynch said the dispute would be solved if Mr Khan “meets the reasonable demands of his own workforce”.
A representative of Mr Khan said the strike would cause disruption to Londoners and businesses trying to recover from two years of Covid curbs.
“It will also damage TfL’s revenues at a time when TfL is already under huge financial strain due to the pandemic.
“TfL are working to mitigate the impact of the strikes but disruption is inevitable.
“The mayor urges Londoners who need to travel on 1 and 3 March to check before they make their journey, consider whether they are able to work from home, and use alternative modes of transport where possible.
“Sadiq doesn’t want to see strike action and is imploring the unions to come to the table and work with City Hall and TfL.”
The Conservative-led government agreed its latest bailout for TfL last Friday — a deal worth £200m. The package reaffirms ministers’ desire for the network to begin making changes to its pension scheme by the end of June.
The annual cost of TfL pensions currently runs to £375m.
Oliver Dowden, chairman of the Conservative party, pointed the blame for the strikes at Mr Khan.
“When Sadiq Khan first ran for Mayor of London he promised ‘zero days of strikes’ on the Tube. Now we are entering yet another period of damaging strikes that threaten to bring London to a standstill,” Mr Dowden tweeted.
“When you struggle to get to work today, remember: this is Sadiq Khan’s London.”
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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