Papa, E.

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WestminsterResearchhttp://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch London finally gets its night tube – but is there a dark side to 24/7 transport?Papa, E. The original article in The Conversation can be accessed here:https://theconversation.com/london-finally-gets-its-night-tube-but-i...The Conversation is made available under a Creative Commons License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners.Whilst further distribution of specific materials from within this archive is forbidden, you may freely distribute the URL of WestminsterResearch: ((http://westminsterresearch.wmin.ac.uk/).In case of abuse or copyright appearing without permission e-mail repository@westminster.ac.uk5/11/2016 London ﬁnally gets its night tube – but is there a dark side to 24/7 transport?https://theconversation.com/london-ﬁnally-gets-its-night-tube-but-is-there-a-dark-side-to-24-7-transport-64080 1/3AuthorEnrica PapaSenior Lecturer, University of WestminsterAcademic rigour, journalistic ﬂairAfter months of delays and industrial action, London’s long-awaited “night tube” is finally a reality. This will be music to the ears of punters who want to party onbeyond one o'clock in the morning, and night-time workers who want to get homequicker after their shifts.Successive London mayors have been trying to deliver a 24-hour tube service for acouple of reasons. For one thing, it will make the city even more attractive tointernational investors and visitors. Non-stop mass public transport will placeLondon in an exclusive group of cities with 24/7 metro services, including New York,Chicago, Melbourne and Copenhagen, and help it continue to compete in a post-Brexit environment.The second reason is that a 24-hour service would allow the city’s night-time economy to prosper. A recent study estimated that the night tube would give London a £360m boost over the next 30 years.In particular, clubs, bars, theatres and restaurants stand to make solid financial gains.The bright sideThose who already have to move around at night will experience immediate benefits. The tube isfaster than taking the bus, walking and cycling, and much cheaper than taxis and Ubers.Keeping the London Underground running around the clock is expected to cut anywhere between 20minutes and an hour off night-time commutes, as well as providing a cheap form of transport forBuchi Francesco//shutterstockAugust 19, 2016 6.01pm BSTLondon ﬁnally gets its night tube – but is there a dark side to24/7 transport?5/11/2016 London ﬁnally gets its night tube – but is there a dark side to 24/7 transport?https://theconversation.com/london-ﬁnally-gets-its-night-tube-but-is-there-a-dark-side-to-24-7-transport-64080 2/3people on low incomes who travel in the early hours of the morning.It also means that more drivers will be able to leave their cars at home: less emissions, less pollution,less noise and fewer traffic accidents are to be expected.Transport for London expects that nearly 180,000 trips will be made on the night tube between 00:30and 06:00. This is good news for night-time businesses: they will have more clients and earn moremoney.It is also going to benefit all sorts of companies that run night shifts. They will have a larger pool ofpotential employees to choose from, as the night tube enables more people to travel quickly to andfrom work during unsociable hours. This will smooth the way to help global businesses implementflexible working hours, which will help them to operate more effectively on a 24/7 basis.Not so brightUnfortunately not everything is bright in the cities that never rest. If the night time economy grows, itfollows that there will be more people working and commuting at night. This might be good forbusiness, but there is evidence to suggest that working night shifts can have significant negativeimpacts on the health and well-being of employees and their families.What’s more, the quality of life of people living nearby tube stations, clubs and bars is likely to fall –as is already being seen in some central areas of London, such as Soho. Many Londoners won’t enjoybeing exposed to London’s hectic streets during the day, only to come home to the noise of a bustlingnight life in their neighbourhood. And there are several other documented drawbacks to the night-time economy; from damages inflicted on town centres, to growing power centred in the hands oflarge chain pub companies.5/11/2016 London ﬁnally gets its night tube – but is there a dark side to 24/7 transport?https://theconversation.com/london-ﬁnally-gets-its-night-tube-but-is-there-a-dark-side-to-24-7-transport-64080 3/3Transport Cities Economy Nightlife ClubbingProperty prices in areas served by the night tube are likely to change. Some will see their valuesdecreasing because of exposure to noise and other nuisances. But the majority of houses will see theirvalues increase even more. The long-term consequences of this are increased gentrification and moredebt.Roughly 90,000 of the 180,000 night tube journeys are expected to come from people switching overfrom other night-time transport services – including the night bus, taxis, car sharing schemes, privatehire vehicles and night parking services – so these will inevitably lose some clients. But thesealternative services are also likely to benefit from the anticipated boost to the night economy.In the long term, a 24/7 tube service might prompt more people to move out to the edges of theGreater London area. As people realise that travelling to London is becoming easier and can be doneat any time of the day, the appeal of cheaper accommodation outside the inner city rings will increase.Striking a balanceWhether or not the night tube is a good thing depends on what you value. Investing in the nighteconomy and facilitating it by means of better transport services means greater revenues, a morecompetitive city and more night-time fun for those who want it, and can afford it. But it also meansthat many could see their quality of life diminishing.There are a few general principles, which could help London to make the most out of its night tube.The first is to co-ordinate the time and fares of different transport modes, including regional train,bus, cycle schemes, taxis and even airport services. This will improve the overall efficiency of alltransport systems, taking the strain off service providers and making logistics easier for travellers.Next, decisions about transport and urban land use must balance the need for movement with theimportance of sustainability and high-quality of urban spaces. This will ensure that the city staysfunctional and liveable for decades to come.It’s also important to keep thinking about transport on a human level. This goes beyond measuringthe impact of changes to the system in terms of time savings and efficiency. It also requires cityplanners to think about what possibilities different transport systems offer, to meet differentpassengers’ needs. It also means considering how various types of transport can affect local communities.So, is the night tube a good thing? It’s up to you, really.A bit grim. Stròlic Furlàn - Davide Gabino//ﬂickr, CC BY-ND

London finally gets its night tube – but is there a dark side to 24/7 transport?

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London finally gets its night tube – but is there a dark side to 24/7 transport?

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