Pre-pandemic Night Tube and Night Overground services were a popular method of transport at weekends for both customers and staff to get home. TfL is working to restore these services, but they will not be returning straight away at Stage Four.
Operators are encouraged to start communicating to event ticket holders and their regular audiences as soon as possible that they need to consider their journey home and the options that are available to them.
Late Night Transport Options
While Night Tube services aren’t running, there are still alternative late night transport options available for customers and staff, which venues and operators should be highlighting.
London’s night time economy has, and continues to be, supported by an extensive Night bus network, Taxi and Private Hire services. Until the Night Tube returns, in customer and event ticketing communications, TFL encourages venues to ask customers to consider planning their journey in advance, making use of those services.
To direct people to journey planning apps, such as TfL Go App, which provides Tube status and live bus arrival information. TFL also asks that people are mindful of the first and last Tube services before starting their journey.
For venues and organisers, TFL are asking that when planning travel for events they make use of night bus spider maps, which provide a list of routes available at busy night time destinations. Spider maps show all day and night routes across London and you can search for additional maps here as well as on the TFL live map.
Many Night Tube stations are served by taxi ranks. You can find a map of these ranks here. Until Night Tube returns, TFL will seek to support areas that may require additional temporary ranks or marshalling.
You can find out more about how TFL are keeping the transport network clean and a low crime environment. As well as their priorities on tackling hate crime and unwanted sexual behaviour. Customers are encouraged to report any crime or incident they may experience or witness.
Vulnerability and Getting Home Safely
There is a huge pent up demand to return to venues. There are also around 850,000 young people who turned 18 during lockdown who have yet to experience London’s vibrant night time economy.
The responsibility of operators to respond to issues of the welfare of customers is key to making reopening a success. The Met Police’s Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training explains these responsibilities.
Operators are encouraged to remind all staff, including security and door staff, of the need to ensure vulnerable people are not put into a situation that could lead to harm. If operators are worried about how to support vulnerable people as they reopen, they should contact their local Met licensing team who will be able to offer advice on addressing issues.