Britons Improvise in Mass Transit Strike

Britons walked, cycled, hitchhiked, shared cars or simply stayed home Wednesday as a one-day strike idled the national railroads and London’s buses and subways.

It was believed to be the first triple-barreled transport action since a general strike in 1926, according to British Rail and London Underground.

Careful planning and bright skies made it less nightmarish than commuters expected, however.

London hotels were full of employees spending the night in the city to beat the strike. Many companies hired fleets of buses, and Thames River passenger ferries reported business was booming.

Some judges at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court spent the night in their offices, and hundreds of judges, lawyers and jurors walked or cycled, enabling 17 of the 19 courtrooms to function normally. An early shortage of stenographers forced some judges to take their own notes as hearings got under way.

Senior prosecutor John Bevan cycled for several miles through slow-moving traffic, carrying his gown in a bag on his back, and he said he wouldn’t like to repeat the experience.

“My nerves are shattered,” he said. “It really is a most dangerous occupation.”

“I saw a car with three bikes on the roof, two in the back, and five people in the car. I guess they just drive as far as they can and get on their bikes,” said Patrick Gilligan of London Bicycle Co.

Forewarned by police to drive only if necessary, motorists set out two or three hours early. “Traffic was in fact quieter than normal on most of the motorway routes around London,” said the Automobile Assn.

Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Glasgow also reported earlier rush hours, with traffic little worse than normal.

“It looks as if motorists have been sensible, going in earlier and car-sharing,” said the auto association in Glasgow.

Travelers using London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports were urged to use buses rather than taxis. Gatwick’s express train to central London was idled, as was the subway line to Heathrow.

On strike were 75,000 rail workers, 18,500 operators of London’s red double-decker buses and 10,500 subway workers, all seeking higher pay. Some private suburban bus routes were operating.