Rush-hour traffic slumped to its lowest levels since the summer this morning as workers put on the kettle and stayed at home.
Congestion in major cities fell considerably compared with Monday mornings in recent months after new work from home guidance came into effect.
In London rush-hour Tube travel fell by 18 per cent week on week. Figures showed that one million “taps” — entrances and exits — were registered on the Tube between 7am and 10am. This was about 46 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Bus taps in the capital fell by 6 per cent week-on-week with passenger numbers at 71 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to Transport for London (TfL).
Pictures showed major railway stations largely deserted with some passengers likening the scenes to lockdown. Concourses at Waterloo, King’s Cross and Paddington, usually busy with commuters, were almost empty this morning.
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Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street and Bristol Temple Meads were also much quieter than in recent weeks.
The prime minister announced the move to plan B last Wednesday, although advice to work from home if you can came into force only this morning. He said: “We will reintroduce the guidance to work from home.
“Go to work if you must but work from home if you can. I know this will be hard for many people but by reducing your contacts in the workplace, you will help slow transmission.”
Congestion in the capital added 60 per cent to journey times at 8am today, down from a peak of 88 per cent in September. It represented the quietest term-time Monday on the roads since the summer.
The picture was consistent in other cities, according to data from TomTom, the traffic data company. In Bristol queues added 41 per cent to journey times, down from 64 per cent last Monday. Congestion in Manchester added 53 per cent to journeys — down from 82 and 89 per cent on the previous two Mondays.
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Stephanie Leonard, head of traffic innovation and policy at TomTom, said: “This morning’s data shows a significant decrease in traffic congestion on the UK’s roads, a sign that the latest work from home guidelines are taking effect. This could demonstrate that while many continue to head into work, there is genuine concern around the spread of Omicron with Christmas fast approaching.”
The figures represent the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions.
Mondays and Fridays are now consistently significantly quieter on the roads compared with before the pandemic, as workers switched to part-time office-based working.
Work from home guidance was dropped on July 19 — so-called Freedom Day — although most employers allowed a gradual return to the office over the summer.
Road traffic volumes, rail passenger numbers and Tube usage all soared at the start of September when schools in England and Wales returned. At the same time, many companies ordered staff back to their desks for a couple of days a week.
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TfL said it had no plans to reduce services or suspend the Night Tube because of the plan B rules.
