transport

Underground

The London Underground is the world's oldest underground system and colloquially named the Tube. Services began in central London in 1863 and have grown ever since. These days, the network consists of 12 lines of which every one has its own name. Some of the lines take their names from the stations they serve, like Bakerloo line. That is a combination of Baker Street and Waterloo.
The London Underground serves 268 stations and consists ov over 400 escalators, 100 lifts, 113 miles of tunnel and almost 4000 trains.

Buses

Buses in London are red, double-decked and recognised world-wide. They have been used on the streets of London since 1829. The Routemaster, a bus specifically designed for London, was built between 1956 and 1968. In 2006, the Routemaster has ended his journey in London and was replaced by low-floor double-deck buses.

The London bus network is one of the largest in the world. It carries over 1.5 billion passengers over the year on more than 700 different bus routes.

Taxis

Taxis in London are originally black. They were originally horse-drawn and called Hackney Cabs. Raise your hand in front of one, if the yellow light is on, and you can hail one. The black cabs are the only taxis that are allowed to pick up people from the street. Other taxis, called mini cabs, must have a prior arrangement by phone if they want to collect someone.

Most of the taxi drivers are men. They must pass a test, called "The Knowledge", a very difficult test, before they get the Cab License.
Since 2000, all Hackney cabs have to be wheelchair accessible, whereas they originally had to be able to accommodate men wearing a top hat.