History of public transport authorities in London facts for kids
The history of public transport authorities in London tells us about the different groups that managed London's buses, coaches, trams, and the London Underground (the Tube) from 1933 until 2000. These groups all used the well-known London Transport name.
This story began with the London Passenger Transport Board, which looked after transport in London and areas up to 30 miles (48 km) away. Later, the London Transport Executive and then the London Transport Board took over. In 1970, the area they managed became smaller, focusing only on Greater London. The Greater London Council and then London Regional Transport were in charge. Since 2000, Transport for London has been the main transport group, ending 67 years of the London Transport name.
Why London Needed a Transport Authority
Before 1933, many different companies and local councils ran London's transport. For example, the Tube was owned by two main companies. Trams and trolleybuses were run by various local councils and private businesses. Buses also had many different owners.
This meant that many services competed with each other, which sometimes led to wasted effort. The London County Council managed trams in its area, but it didn't control buses or railways, especially those that went outside its boundaries. To make things better, a special group called the London Traffic Area was set up in the 1920s to manage road traffic. In the 1930s, people decided that a single group was needed to control and improve all public transport in London.
Who Managed London's Transport?
1933-1948: The London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was the first group to bring all of London's transport services together. It was in charge from July 1, 1933, to December 31, 1947.
This new group took over tram routes from the London County Council and other local councils. It also brought the Tube lines under one control and took over bus management. The LPTB's area was much bigger than today's Greater London. During this time, the Tube network grew a lot, helping London's suburbs expand. The famous 'roundel symbol' (the red circle with a blue bar) was adopted by London Transport, and the iconic tube map was published in 1933.
1948-1963: The London Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive (LTE) managed transport from January 1, 1948, to December 31, 1962. During this time, London Transport became owned by the government and was part of the British Transport Commission. This meant London Transport and British Railways were managed together for a while.
This period saw the start of recruiting staff from the Caribbean. It also involved repairing and replacing stations and vehicles damaged during World War II. The famous AEC Routemaster bus was introduced in 1956. Trams were stopped in 1952, and trolleybuses in 1962.
1963-1970: The London Transport Board
The London Transport Board was in charge from January 1, 1963, to December 31, 1969. This group reported directly to the government's Minister of Transport. This meant it was no longer directly linked to managing British Railways.
During this time, many railway lines across Britain that didn't make money were closed. However, most routes in London were very busy, so these closures didn't affect London much. There wasn't a lot of money invested in public transport during this period, and more people started using cars. The Victoria line on the Tube was opened, and a new type of single-deck bus, the AEC Merlin, was introduced.
1970-1984: The London Transport Executive (under the GLC)
From January 1, 1970, to June 28, 1984, the Greater London Council (GLC) was the transport authority, and the executive group was still called the London Transport Executive. The GLC mainly controlled services within the borders of Greater London. Buses that went outside London (often painted green) were given to a new company.
This time was quite challenging for London's transport, with not enough money from the government and staff shortages. However, an important change happened during this period: the idea of zonal ticketing. This is the system where you pay based on zones, which is still used today.
In 1981, the GLC introduced a new system called Fares Fair. They made bus fares simpler with four zones and two central Tube zones. Fares were cut by about a third. However, after a legal challenge, bus fares were doubled, and Tube fares increased by 91% in 1982. In 1983, fares were changed again, and the new Travelcard season ticket was launched, covering five numbered zones and cutting prices by about 25%. The One Day Travelcard was introduced in 1984.
1984-2000: London Regional Transport
London Regional Transport (LRT) was the transport authority from June 29, 1984, to July 2, 2000. The GLC was removed in 1986, and control of public transport went back to the government in 1984.
LRT set up separate companies to run the Tube and bus services. In 1985, London Underground Limited (LUL) was created to manage the Tube network. London Buses Limited was set up to prepare for private companies to run London's bus services. From 1984, London Transport started offering contracts to private bus companies, and by 1994-1995, all the former London Transport bus services were sold off to private operators.
More changes were made to the fare system, including British Rail services. In 1985, the Capitalcard season ticket was launched, which could be used on British Rail, the Tube, and London Buses. In 1989, the Travelcard took over from the Capitalcard and also became valid on British Rail. The Docklands Light Railway opened in 1987 and was included in the Travelcard system.
2000 Onwards: Transport for London
The Greater London Authority was set up in 2000 to replace the GLC. Its transport group is called Transport for London (TfL), and it took control from July 3, 2000. This is the first London transport authority since 1933 not to be commonly known as London Transport. The London Underground officially joined TfL in 2003 after a special agreement for its maintenance was finished.
Images for kids
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Double-decker buses and black cabs on Oxford Street, 1987
