Mayor orders Thames back on map

The revised Tube map [307KB] Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here Mark Easton blog: London without the Thames

A "furious" London Mayor Boris Johnson has ordered Transport for London (TfL) to restore the River Thames on revised Tube maps.

TfL distributed the maps last weekend without the River Thames or the fare zones marked on it.

The mayor reacted angrily when he was told of the missing river on his return from New York, BBC London has learned.

TfL said the Thames would return on future maps following an "overwhelming public reaction".

On Wednesday TfL said it had removed the fare zones and the river from the revised map as the previous map had become "cluttered" and lost its "simplicity".

TfL added it was responding to the feedback from passengers.

'Thames reunited'

Mr Johnson said: "I hope Londoners will imagine the Thames in place until it reappears on the maps, and will not forget their beautiful river."

A TfL spokesman said: "The overwhelming public reaction is that the Tube and Thames should be reunited, so that's exactly what we will do.

"New maps showing the Thames will be reintroduced from December, the date of the next scheduled revision of the map.

"We are also looking again at the provision of zonal information to ensure that it is widely available to customers and aim to reach a conclusion on that, also by December, when the new Circle Line service needs to be reflected."

TfL added that it will look at other ways to prevent the map from "becoming too cluttered to be useful".

'Insulting to London'

Passenger watchdog London TravelWatch and Visit London criticised TfL's move saying the revision made the map "confusing".

An employee of London Underground wrote to BBC London anonymously claiming they have "already received complaints from the public about the missing zones".

Writing to BBC London other people called the revision "terrible", "incredibly stupid" and "insulting to London".

Jonathan Howard wrote: "It is so much clearer, and if people want a map with zones, they only have to look at the London Connections map which is displayed alongside."

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