Looking at the latest incident numbers for London tube accidents, it has been noted that there has been an increase of 432% since 2003. That was up from 56 per year. The accidents in question are called PTI. (Passenger Train Interface) They include doors closing on passengers, falling into the gap, and being dragged along the platform.
Some of these incidents could be readily avoided, but with the crowding and an increased number of tube riders, these types of accidents are bound to be on the rise.
Since 2003 the tube has seen an increase of daily ridership from 3.4 million to 4.8 million. That’s massive, but, despite this, London Transport has recorded less than one incident every 4 million journeys.
It should also be noted, the numbers for 2013 have dropped considerably as well. The number of incidents reported was 232,down from the previous year’s numbers at 298. This is a small decrease but a clear indication of London Transport’s commitment to safety.
London’s population is set to increase from today’s 8.6 million to about 10 million by 2030, and it can be conceivably expected that the number of incidents will increase, simply by the sheer number of people that use the tube.
London’s tube is one of the oldest transit systems in the world, and considering how many people ride it on a daily basis; their numbers for safety and general timeliness is unparalleled.
London tube does continue to struggle with an ageing infrastructure and a constant need for financial assistance, but this seems to be an ongoing struggle for all transit systems. People depend on them but do not want to pay for it. It’s a service that continues to become more expensive, but it is still the safest and most efficient means to get around London within a reasonable time.