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Transport for London (TfL) is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London
Greater London

Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The administrative area was officially created in 1965 and covers the City of London , the City of Westminster and the other 31 London boroughs....
 in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London.

is controlled by a board
Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed persons who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. The body sometimes has a different name, such as board of trustees, board of governors, board of managers, or executive board....
 whose members are appointed by the Mayor of London, a position currently held by Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is an England politician and journalist. The current Mayor of London, he previously served as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament#United Kingdom for Henley and as editor of The Spectator magazine....
, who also chairs the Board. The Commissioner of Transport for London
Commissioner of Transport for London

The Commissioner of Transport for London has management responsibility for Transport for London and hence for the transport system throughout the City of London and Greater London in the United Kingdom....
 (Peter Hendy
Peter Hendy

Peter Hendy, CBE started his career in the public transport industry in 1975 as a London Regional Transport graduate trainee. He moved up the career ladder, and eventually took on the role of Managing Director of CentreWest London Buses Ltd, managing it under London Transport ownership....
 since 17 January 2006) reports to the Board and leads a management team with individual functional responsibilities.

was created in 2000 as part of the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority

The Greater London Authority is the region-wide governing body for London, England. It consists of a directly-elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers....
 by the Greater London Authority Act 1999
Greater London Authority Act 1999

The Greater London Authority Act 1999 is the Act of Parliament that established the Greater London Authority, the London Assembly and the Mayor of London....
.






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Transport for London (TfL) is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London
Greater London

Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The administrative area was officially created in 1965 and covers the City of London , the City of Westminster and the other 31 London boroughs....
 in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London.

Management

TfL is controlled by a board
Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed persons who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. The body sometimes has a different name, such as board of trustees, board of governors, board of managers, or executive board....
 whose members are appointed by the Mayor of London, a position currently held by Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is an England politician and journalist. The current Mayor of London, he previously served as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament#United Kingdom for Henley and as editor of The Spectator magazine....
, who also chairs the Board. The Commissioner of Transport for London
Commissioner of Transport for London

The Commissioner of Transport for London has management responsibility for Transport for London and hence for the transport system throughout the City of London and Greater London in the United Kingdom....
 (Peter Hendy
Peter Hendy

Peter Hendy, CBE started his career in the public transport industry in 1975 as a London Regional Transport graduate trainee. He moved up the career ladder, and eventually took on the role of Managing Director of CentreWest London Buses Ltd, managing it under London Transport ownership....
 since 17 January 2006) reports to the Board and leads a management team with individual functional responsibilities.

History

TfL was created in 2000 as part of the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority

The Greater London Authority is the region-wide governing body for London, England. It consists of a directly-elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers....
 by the Greater London Authority Act 1999
Greater London Authority Act 1999

The Greater London Authority Act 1999 is the Act of Parliament that established the Greater London Authority, the London Assembly and the Mayor of London....
. It gained most of its functions from its predecessor London Regional Transport
London Regional Transport

London Regional Transport , commonly known as London Transport, was the organisation responsible for the public transport network in Greater London, United Kingdom from 1984-2000....
 in 2000. It did not take over responsibility for the London Underground until 2003, after the controversial Public-private partnership
Public-private partnership

Public-private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies....
 (PPP) contract for maintenance had been agreed. Management of the Public Carriage Office
Taxicabs of the United Kingdom

Taxicabs are regulated throughout the United Kingdom, but the regulation of taxicabs in London is especially rigorous both with regard to mechanical integrity and driver Taxicabs of the United Kingdom#The Knowledge....
 had previously been a function of the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service

The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within Greater London, excluding the City of London which is the responsibility of a City of London Police....
.

Transport for London Group Archives
Transport for London Group Archives

Transport for London Group Archives is the official historical business archive for Transport for London and its predecessor bodies. It preserves and makes available to the public documents, photographs, plans and drawings relating to the company and its predecessor bodies, such as London Regional Transport....
 holds business records for TfL and its predecessor bodies and transport companies. Some early records are also held on behalf of TfL Group Archives at the London Metropolitan Archives
London Metropolitan Archives

The London Metropolitan Archives are the main archives for the Greater London area. Established in 1997, having previously been known as the Greater London Record Office, they are financed by the City of London Corporation....
.

Organisation

Roundelfamily
TfL is organised in three main directorates and corporate services, each with responsibility for different aspects and modes of transport. The three main directorates are:

  • London Underground
    London Underground

    The London Underground is a metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the UK....
    , responsible for running London's underground rail network, commonly known as the tube, and managing the provision of maintenance services by the private sector. This network is sub-divided into three service delivery units:
    • BCV: Bakerloo
      Bakerloo Line

      The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from the Elephant and Castle in south-east to Wealdstone in north-west of London....
      , Central
      Central Line

      The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground....
       and Victoria
      Victoria Line

      The Victoria line is part of the London Underground system and is a deep-level line running from the south-west to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map and, in terms of the average number of journeys per mile, is the busiest line on the network....
       lines
    • JNP: Jubilee
      Jubilee Line

      The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections - initially to Charing Cross tube station in Central London, and Jubilee Line Extension in 1999 to Stratford station in East London, England....
      , Northern
      Northern Line

      The Northern line is a deep-level tube line on the London Underground, coloured black on the Tube map. It carries more passengers per year than any other Underground line; 206,734,000 passengers per annum....
       and Piccadilly
      Piccadilly Line

      The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the third busiest line on the Underground network judged by its passengers per annum....
       lines
    • SSR (Sub Surface Railway): Metropolitan
      Metropolitan Line

      The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in TfL's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first rapid transit in the world, opening on 10 January 1863 ....
      , District
      District Line

      The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels....
      , East London
      East London Line

      The East London Line was a line of the London Underground, coloured orange on the Tube map. It ran north to south through the East End of London and London Docklands areas of London, entirely in Travelcard Zone 2....
      , Circle, Hammersmith & City
      Hammersmith & City Line

      The Hammersmith and City line is a line of the London Underground, coloured salmon pink on the London Underground Map, running between Hammersmith tube station in West London and Barking station in East London, England....
       and Waterloo & City
      Waterloo & City Line

      The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, London Waterloo station and Bank and Monument stations ....
       lines
  • London Rail
    London Rail

    London Rail is a directorate of Transport for London , involved in the relationship with the National Rail "heavy rail" network within London, United Kingdom....
    , responsible for:
    • Co-ordination with the operators that provide National Rail
      National Rail

      National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies. ATOC is an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger Train Operating Company of Great Britain which now run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board ....
       service within London.
    • London Overground
      London Overground

      London Overground is a Commuter rail in the United Kingdom service in London, United Kingdom. The London Overground name is the brand applied by Transport for London to the services which it manages on four railway lines in the London area: the Watford DC Line, the North London Line, the West London Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking Line....
      .
    • Docklands Light Railway
      Docklands Light Railway

      The Docklands Light Railway is a light rail system serving the redeveloped London Docklands area of East London, England....
      : normally abbreviated DLR, this is the automatically driven light rail
      Light rail

      Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail transit public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than Passenger_rail_terminology#Heavy_rail and rapid transit systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than street-running tram systems....
       network in East London
      East London, England

      East London is the name commonly given to the north eastern part of London, England on the north side of the Thames.The London boroughs that make up this informal area are London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London Borough of Hackney, London Borough of Havering, London Borough of Newham, London Borough of Redbridge, London Borough of T...
      , although actual operation and maintenance is undertaken by a private sector
      Private sector

      In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy which is both run for private profit and is not controlled by the state. By contrast, enterprises that are part of the state are part of the public sector; private, non-profit organizations are regarded as part of the voluntary sector....
       franchisee.
    • London Trams
      London Trams

      London Trams is an arm of Transport for London, which manages the second generation of tram services within London, UK. Current and planned tram systems are:...
      , responsible for managing London's tram
      Tram

      A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railroad car, of lighter weight and construction than a train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets....
       network, by contracting to private sector operators. At present the only tram system is Tramlink
      Tramlink

      Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000. The service is operated by First London on behalf of Transport for London ....
       in south London, but others are proposed.
  • Surface transport, consisting of:
    • London Buses
      London Buses

      London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, United Kingdom. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme....
      , responsible for managing the red bus network throughout London, largely by contracting services to private sector bus operators.
    • London Dial-a-Ride
      London Dial-a-Ride

      London Dial-a-Ride is an arm of Transport for London that provides multi-occupancy door to door transport service for people with a permanent or long term disability or health problem who are unable, or virtually unable to use conventional public transport....
      , which provides paratransit
      Paratransit

      Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically vans or mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
       services throughout London.
    • London River Services
      London River Services

      London River Services is a division of Transport for London , which manages passenger transport on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom. They do not own or operate any boats but license the services of other operators....
      , responsible for licensing and coordinating passenger services on the River Thames
      River Thames

      The Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Berkshire and Windsor, Berkshire....
       within London.
    • London Streets, responsible for the management of London's strategic road network.
    • London congestion charge
      London congestion charge

      The London congestion charge is a fee for some motorists travelling within those parts of London designated as the Congestion Charge Zone . The main objectives of this charge are to reduce congestion, and to raise funds for investment in London's transport system....
      .
    • Public Carriage Office
      Taxicabs of the United Kingdom

      Taxicabs are regulated throughout the United Kingdom, but the regulation of taxicabs in London is especially rigorous both with regard to mechanical integrity and driver Taxicabs of the United Kingdom#The Knowledge....
      , responsible for licensing the famous black cabs
      Hackney carriage

      ||-||-||}A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire. A livery carriage superior to the hackney was called a remise....
       and other private hire vehicles.
    • Victoria Coach Station
      Victoria Coach Station

      Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London, and is operated by Victoria Coach Station Ltd., an arm of Transport for London....
      , which owns and operates London's principal terminal for long distance bus and coach services.
    • Cycling Centre of Excellence, which promotes cycling in London
    • Walking, which promotes better pedestrian access.
    • London Road Safety Unit, which promotes safer roads through advertising and road safety measure.
    • Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing, responsible for tackling fare evasion on buses, delivering policing services that tackle crime and disorder on public transport in cooperation with the Metropolitan Police Service
      Metropolitan Police Service

      The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within Greater London, excluding the City of London which is the responsibility of a City of London Police....
      's Transport Operational Command Unit
      Transport Operational Command Unit

      The Transport Operational Command Unit is a unit of the London Metropolitan Police Service that polices Buses in London, bus routes, Taxicabs of the United Kingdom....
       (TOCU) and the British Transport Police
      British Transport Police

      The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services....
      .
    • Traffic Enforcement, responsible for enforcing traffic and parking regulations on the red route
      Red route

      In the United Kingdom, red routes are major roads in urban areas, on which stopping is prohibited or only allowed during very restricted periods at times displayed on nearby signs....
      s
    • Freight Unit, which is currently developing the "London Freight Plan" and is involved with setting up and supporting a number of Freight Quality Partnerships
      Freight Quality Partnerships

      Freight Quality Partnerships or FQPs are groups of transport operators and local authorities that come together to tackle the issues around freight access and deliveries in a particular location....
       covering key areas of London.


Each of the main units has its own corporate identity, formed by differently-coloured versions of the standard roundel
Roundel

A roundel in heraldry is any circular shape; in military use it is an emblem of nationality employed on military aircraft and air force flags, generally round and consisting of concentric rings of different colours....
 and adding appropriate lettering across the horizontal bar. The roundel rendered in blue without any lettering represents TfL as a whole (see Transport for London logo). The same range of colours is also used extensively in publicity and on the TfL website.

Fares

Most of the transport modes that come under the control of TfL have their own charging and ticketing regimes. Buses and trams share a common fare and ticketing regime, and the DLR and the Underground another.

Superimposed on these mode-specific regimes is the Travelcard
Travelcard

A Travelcard is an inter-modal ticket, valid for a period of time varying from one day to a year, for use on most public transport in London. The ticket is issued by Transport for London and National Rail outlets and can be used on the services of either....
 system, which provides zonal tickets with validities from one day to one year, and off-peak variants. These are accepted on the DLR, buses, railways, trams, the Underground and provides a discount on many river services fares.

The Oyster card
Oyster card

The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems including London Underground, London buses, the Docklands Light Railway , London Overground, Tramlink and some Nat...
 is a contactless smart card system introduced for the public in 2003, which can be used to pay individual fares (Pay as you go (PAYG), formerly "prepay") or to carry various Travelcards and other passes. It is used by holding the card close to the yellow card reader (though touching it flat is recommended). Card readers are found on ticket gates where otherwise a paper ticket could be fed through, allowing the gate to open and the passenger to walk through, and on stand-alone Oyster validators, which do not operate a barrier. Oyster PAYG can only be used on a limited selection of National Rail routes in London
Oyster card (pay as you go) on National Rail

The acceptance of Oyster Card on National Rail in London, England has been limited to a restricted number of National Rail services since the introduction of the stored-value card product on London Underground in January 2004....
. Oyster PAYG has a set of daily maximum charges that are cheaper than buying a Travelcard for those not using the parts of National Rail
National Rail

National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies. ATOC is an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger Train Operating Company of Great Britain which now run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board ....
 where Oyster PAYG is not valid.

Journey planning

TfL has developed an electronic "Journey Planner", which enables users to plan journeys by multiple modes in and around London. Accessible online, it is also available at kiosks and some payphone
Payphone

A pay phone or payphone is a public telephone, with payment by inserting money or a credit card or debit card before a call is made. Some telephone companies have termed them, and tried to get the public to identify them as "coin phones", because the term "pay phone" may imply that other phones are free....
s throughout London.

Alcohol ban

On 1 June 2008, alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage

An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and distilled beverage....
s were banned on train
Train

A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track to rail transport from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rail tracks, but might also be a monorail or magnetic levitation train guideway....
s, bus
Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus can generally seat a maximum of anywhere from 8 to 200 passengers; many more passengers than a minivan....
es, tram
Tram

A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railroad car, of lighter weight and construction than a train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets....
s, Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway

The Docklands Light Railway is a light rail system serving the redeveloped London Docklands area of East London, England....
 and all stations across London. Carrying open containers of alcohol was also banned on public transport. The Mayor of London and TfL announced the ban with the intention of providing a safer and more pleasant experience for passengers.

There were "Last Round on the Underground" parties on the night before the ban came into force. Until bye-laws
Bylaw

A bylaw most commonly refers to a city or municipal law or ordinance, passed under the authority of a charter or provincial/state law specifying what things may be regulated by the municipality....
 are altered to incorporate the ban the only enforcement action available is confiscation of the alcohol and/or ejection from the London Transport network.

Mentions in 2006 honours list

After the bombings on the underground and bus systems on 7 July 2005, many staff were recognised in the 2006 New Year honours list
New Year Honours 2006

The New Year Honours 2006 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 31 December, 2005, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2006....
 for the heroic work they did. They helped survivors out, removed bodies, and got the transport system up and running, to get the millions of commuters back out of London at the end of the work day. Those mentioned include Peter Hendy
Peter Hendy

Peter Hendy, CBE started his career in the public transport industry in 1975 as a London Regional Transport graduate trainee. He moved up the career ladder, and eventually took on the role of Managing Director of CentreWest London Buses Ltd, managing it under London Transport ownership....
, who was at the time Head of Surface Transport division, and Tim O'Toole, head of the Underground division, who were both awarded CBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
s.

Others include:
  • David Boyce, Station Supervisor, London Underground (MBE
    Order of the British Empire

    The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
    )
  • John Boyle
    John Boyle

    John Boyle may refer to:*John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork , Irish author and nobleman*John Boyle , judge and United States Representative from Kentucky...
    , Train Operator, London Underground (MBE)
  • Peter Sanders, Group Station Manager, London Underground (MBE)


London Transport Museum


TfL owns and operates the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden
Covent Garden

Covent Garden is a district in London, England, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest corner of the London Borough of Camden....
, a museum that conserves and explains London's transport heritage. The museum also has an extensive depot, situated at Acton
Acton, London

Acton is a place in west London, England situated west of Charing Cross. At the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people....
, that contains material impossible to display at the central London museum, including many additional road vehicles, trains, collections of signs and advertising materials. The depot has several open weekends each year.

See also

  • Articulated buses in London
  • Passenger Transport Executive
    Passenger Transport Executive

    In the United Kingdom, passenger transport executives are Local government in the United Kingdom bodies which are responsible for public transport within large urban areas....
  • Transport in London
    Transport in London

    London's transport forms the hub of the road, rail and air networks in the United Kingdom. It has its own dense and extensive internal private and public transport networks, as well as providing a focal point for the national road and railway networks....


External links

  • – official website