0:00:02 > 0:00:09This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11London is full up...
0:00:11 > 0:00:12CAR HORNS
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Are you going to allow them to jump on the back of your bus?
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I'm afraid I won't be able to take any more passengers.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24..thanks to a million more people arriving in the last ten years.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Transport for London now has more than 30,000 workers battling
0:00:28 > 0:00:31day and night...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33WHISTLES Wake up!
0:00:33 > 0:00:36..to stop the city grinding to a halt.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39- Two people have been shot up there. - War. It's war!
0:00:39 > 0:00:42I'll get the police and ambulance straight down there.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45The first week I was here, I thought, what have I done?
0:00:45 > 0:00:49With unique access to the nerve centre of the capital's transport
0:00:49 > 0:00:53system, this is the inside story of the people who keep London moving.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57You're not only a bus driver. You become a psychotherapist and psychiatrist.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00The people that like to talk to you, some of them even flirt with you.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02I said, "Sit down quietly.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05"We're not going to Hell, we're going to Ilford!"
0:01:05 > 0:01:09It's the lifeblood of London. The buses are red, aren't they?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11LAUGHS
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Here's my certificate. Look, I'm a bus driver!
0:01:14 > 0:01:15LAUGHTER
0:01:15 > 0:01:19- Thank you very much. You are so nice.- Don't worry. No problem at all.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23London's changed a lot, but yeah, I love it. It's London.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41That's us. She wants to talk to me. Fleet Aurora.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48The time is now 7am, if you can open the ticket office, please?
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Hold on tight!
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Every working day in London,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59there are now six million bus journeys,
0:01:59 > 0:02:04half a million cycle trips, 8,500 boat rides,
0:02:04 > 0:02:1123,000 cabbies looking for fares, 250,000 lorry deliveries,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and above all, ten million car journeys.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22I'm quite an accepting person, but I didn't realise how bad it would be.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25No, there's not a lot of margin for error in the city.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It is the largest human migration in the country.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34And it's going to get bigger.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37This bus is racing me, look.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41We're in London. I'm going to hurry, am I?
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Get real, people!
0:02:44 > 0:02:48London's population is growing faster than anyone predicted,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50with one million more people expected to be
0:02:50 > 0:02:54living in the capital in the next ten years.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57But the roads are already at capacity.
0:02:57 > 0:03:03Yeah, Transport 8602, running from the A406, north west, over.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- 'Yeah, received. Thank you.' - Punch it, Chewie!
0:03:06 > 0:03:08LAUGHS
0:03:09 > 0:03:11It's on a knife edge.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15It takes one little thing and it all just breaks down.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Because of this surge in numbers, Transport for London now pays
0:03:19 > 0:03:25the Metropolitan Police, not to fight crime, but to fight traffic.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29There's another crash just down here.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I think we've become less obedient road users.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Everyone's got so much pressure on them and there is so much traffic.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40We can't cope with it. Look at animal behaviour in zoos.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44With our behaviour getting worse,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48the roads police unit now deal with collisions every day.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51They are the capital's largest cause of congestion,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54but they aren't usually high-speed pile-ups.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Most of London's collisions now happen in the slowest moving
0:03:57 > 0:03:59rush hour traffic.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03OK. Fantastic. All right. Bye.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10- London's street traffic control centre watches over the roads.- OK.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- What you got? - RTC, car versus HGV.- Lovely.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Sam Abbott despatches officers to the incidents affecting the network.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Joy(!) Oh, joy(!)
0:04:21 > 0:04:25You can never change how people handle themselves on the road.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27They're always going to do their own thing.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30And you get some people who are very obedient
0:04:30 > 0:04:32and some people...who are just not.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And...there it is.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Look, because everyone's in such a hurry,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43they're driving up the kerb to get round the obstruction.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45What's happened?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Just cut in on me. That's what they do. They come down here.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Rather than waiting in the queue to get off the A13, the driver of
0:04:52 > 0:04:56a hatchback has tried to cut in at the front, hitting a recovery truck.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02So this is what happens.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06You'll find that people will sneakily get into lane two
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and cut to try and get in. We all do it from time to time.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I'm not going to lie! You shouldn't. Absolutely not.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Sergeant Chas Harris is questioning the driver of the car.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21I wasn't there. I don't know precisely who moved where.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But he was in the right lane and you were trying to get in it.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26He was in the right lane.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- You can't stop them, can you? All day long.- In a hurry.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31All day long, mate.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- Why are they doing it?- Everyone's in a hurry. No-one wants to wait.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Everyone wants to get to the front of the queue and they have literally
0:05:38 > 0:05:41driven past a long queue straight to the front
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and tried to push their way in.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The point of it is that you shouldn't have been there.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I understand that. Yeah.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52- Are you in a rush?- I am! Yes!
0:05:52 > 0:05:54But no-one is going anywhere.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58In just a few minutes, the driver's actions have brought the rush hour
0:05:58 > 0:06:00traffic to a standstill.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Now, this is not good.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07They're taking out a lane. That is not normal for the time of day.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10And it's because of my accident that I've got.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And it's increasing, as you can see.
0:06:13 > 0:06:19Obviously, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It does have a big impact.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25We now have traffic that's tailing back all the way to the
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Blackwall Tunnel. The message is to all drivers to avoid the route.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Expect delays!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39All three lanes are now open, over.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43On the other side of the city,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47another accident in slow moving traffic is causing serious delays.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51I think you have got to be crackers to live and commute into London.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Good morning, lemmings!
0:06:55 > 0:06:59All Sergeant Jerry Hillman can do is keep an eye on the motorists
0:06:59 > 0:07:01stuck in the tailback.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I do pity them.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08The road's been clear about ten minutes now.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12No injuries, fortunately.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Sam Abbott is also watching Jerry's queues on the A40.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27This is the A40 incident. Oh, no! It's not good.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32Currently, the tailback's probably about three miles...bordering
0:07:32 > 0:07:34four miles.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- Hello there.- Do you happen to know how far this goes?
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Up to the Polish war memorial.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44CAR HORN Pack it in!
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It's about a mile and a half up the road.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49It's now clear, but it's going to take some time to alleviate.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Thank you.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Get some patience!
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Available in shops now!
0:08:00 > 0:08:03People do get very fractious. Understandably.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06But if something stops them, even by a few seconds,
0:08:06 > 0:08:11they will then take umbrage about it, out of all proportion.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Saving people from themselves.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16If this keeps tailing back,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19it's going to start clogging Hanger Lane up.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And then of course, the North Circular goes.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26And that could take some considerable time to clear.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28So I'll go and have a look.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32If it gets back to Hanger Lane, it will be severe.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34And severe is our highest priority.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37That's when you get a big old red blob.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40SIREN
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I liken it to a stroke, basically.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47You get one incident on one road and it will block up really,
0:08:47 > 0:08:48really quickly.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52But then, it will block up to a junction with another road,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55which will then block up, and the whole thing will spread.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It's going up to severe anyway. Guys, I've put it up to severe.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Bonkers is normal. Welcome to London!
0:09:02 > 0:09:05LAUGHS
0:09:06 > 0:09:11But this is not how it was supposed to be.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15'London, the greatest city the world has ever known.'
0:09:15 > 0:09:19This is a great opportunity to improve traffic conditions.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22And we must give them all the help we can.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28After the war, Professor Patrick Abercrombie set forth a grand
0:09:28 > 0:09:33vision of how London's roads would be rebuilt for the benefit of all.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Our plan is an idea, a plan for something that is living,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41something that is growing.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45The dream was that in the future, everyone would own a car
0:09:45 > 0:09:50and that grand highways would transport us from place to place.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51It's a pretty gigantic scheme,
0:09:51 > 0:09:56affecting the future of the whole of London.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59And I tell you what, there mustn't be any overcrowding.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06London's arterial roads were built and the city streets were
0:10:06 > 0:10:09transformed into the modern road network that millions attempt
0:10:09 > 0:10:11to use today.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15But Abercrombie's dream has become a nightmare.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Faced with this growing demand for our roads,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22the city needs a radical solution.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It's up to one woman to come up with an answer.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35We've got a plan.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41Michele Dix is managing director of planning at Transport for London.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44The level of growth that we're going to see in London over
0:10:44 > 0:10:46the next 20 years is phenomenal.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50It's the equivalent of two Birminghams coming into London.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54That many more people, two million more people plonked down,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56all these people competing for space.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Something's got to give.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Mega. It's a huge challenge.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05If Michele is to keep London moving for the coming years, she needs
0:11:05 > 0:11:10to convince us that changing how we use the roads is urgently required.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13First on the agenda is the car.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Car isn't king any more.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18We want to encourage those that don't need to use the car to use
0:11:18 > 0:11:20public transport, walk or cycle.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24That's what we want to do and the more of that we can do, the better.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28If we all owned a car, the whole place would be stuffed up, so we can't all own a car and use a car.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31You can own a car, but not use it at the same time
0:11:31 > 0:11:35and you certainly can't all use it just to go to work at the same time.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38But getting us out of our cars won't be easy.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42How to get people out of cars? I don't know whether you can.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45People are addicted to their car.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48People put so much faith into their car.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50You're master of your own destiny.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Yes, it's like anything, it's a challenge.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57It's problem solving, isn't it?
0:11:57 > 0:12:01They're not going to change just because you want them to.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04With millions of people arriving soon and the future of London
0:12:04 > 0:12:09at stake, Michele has a radical approach to solving the problem.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13You do need to work out what buttons you have to push in people's heads.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17So if you wanted to go from A to B by car and we want them to use public
0:12:17 > 0:12:20transport, one way of making it more difficult is making it harder
0:12:20 > 0:12:23to park at the other end.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28You have to understand people's behaviour, people's psychology.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31It's a case of looking at carrots and sticks.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Not necessarily big sticks, but you can't just have carrots.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Transport for London's biggest stick of all is CCTV enforcement.
0:12:51 > 0:12:575,000 cameras are manned by over 50 CCTV operators 24 hours a day
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and issue fines to motorists directly.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Well, why not?
0:13:05 > 0:13:10I'd be very surprised if there's another city in the world that
0:13:10 > 0:13:12gives out as many penalty charge notices as we do.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I don't think there is. It's like Spock said,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24It's the evening rush hour and thousands of motorists
0:13:24 > 0:13:27are trying to get home along East India Dock Road.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30To ensure the roads don't become blocked,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34each driver caught stopping in the middle of the junction
0:13:34 > 0:13:38for more than five seconds is fined £130.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40During the rush hour, it is
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Transport for London's busiest yellow box junction.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Oh, no! No! I didn't! Oh, my God! You're joking!
0:13:48 > 0:13:52It's ridiculous. They've got to do something about it.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Just hoping and praying the camera's not working.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58So I don't get a fine!
0:14:00 > 0:14:02They know they're blocking it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Give them five seconds, zoom in, you take their plate, zoom out, you
0:14:05 > 0:14:09get more evidence, and then you put the details through and process it.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11It's like Space Invaders.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15You're trying to catch these things that are moving away from you and
0:14:15 > 0:14:18panning and tilting and moving the camera, chasing them down the road.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26This camera alone issues penalties worth £20,000 every week.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31Is he going to get out of the way? He's thinking about it. Not sure.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I think he's from France. Let's have a look. Is he from France?
0:14:34 > 0:14:38- What do you think of the traffic? - Uh...difficult!
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Difficult!
0:14:39 > 0:14:41'Yeah, France.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43'Bloody French, yeah.'
0:14:43 > 0:14:47So you see a little bit of space and you go for it.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52OK, so it's getting busy now. You're far more likely to take a risk if you've been in traffic,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55slowish moving traffic, all day and you want to get somewhere.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00You're going to take that risk, going to chance it. Desperation.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10The A4 has gone down to moderate.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12All right.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17In the fastest growing part of London,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20the drivers aren't just blocking junctions,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23they're finding even more extreme ways to escape the traffic.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30There's nothing to it.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34It's quite easy for them to take the option of cutting onto that
0:15:34 > 0:15:39little bit of dirt and you understand why they do it.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Sergeant Chas Harris has been despatched to lie in wait
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and catch the rule breakers.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Can't see the blue light over the hedge, can they?
0:15:54 > 0:15:58No, I wouldn't have thought so. We'll be too low.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00There's a nice blind spot.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Catch them out while they're doing it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Let's give it a couple of minutes and see what happens.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16The council got the bollards put in, but obviously, the resourcefulness
0:16:16 > 0:16:19of the motoring public has managed to find a gap between them.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43The missus and I saw a shooting star last night.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46About 150-200m to the roundabout.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49They save about four minutes and four minutes, as we all know,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52in traffic time, is forever, isn't it?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55In normal time, it's nothing.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59But in traffic time, you know, you might as well read War And Peace.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Hello! Hello-hello-hello.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20You're the first today. But we've only just got here.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25I think they're sneaky.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27I think they know.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34- Hello, sir.- Officer.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38The reason I've just stopped you is you've just driven across a verge.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's not the road, is it?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43The fine for using the cut-through is £30.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48If you stay over there, you can stay half an hour here.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51You can check my record. I don't have a criminal record.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- I don't doubt that.- It's my mistake.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Life finds a way, doesn't it? It's like weeds.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02They'll find a way to grow anywhere.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Very sorry. Never going to happen again.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Traffic is traffic. You have to wait.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I would never ever go there again.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- You didn't wait.- You didn't wait, we pay for that.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Right.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21The law empowers me
0:18:21 > 0:18:25to take a picture of you as well for identification purposes.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29He's pleading his case. He's getting very animated.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32My wife is pregnant with a kid there.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36It's an absolute nightmare, this road. An absolute nightmare.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39But the thing is though, they come down here and...
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Look, there's another one, look.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49There's a man in a white van.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51If you don't do that...
0:18:55 > 0:18:58If you don't do that, you could be taken to court for the matter.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00All right?
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I'll pay 30 quid.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Unlucky!
0:19:06 > 0:19:11I think people are more inclined now to see if they can nick a bit,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13if there's a way round something
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and they don't always think of the consequences.
0:19:16 > 0:19:22Honest answer, everyone is frustrated, stressed out.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Added taxes, the boss, inflation. It all adds up.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29I'm not going to do that again in my life!
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43It's the pace of life, isn't it?
0:19:43 > 0:19:50The only way round it is forcing them not to use the roads in such numbers.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55I can't see any other stick and carrot will work, really.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00It's going to have to be a baseball bat approach, isn't it?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Drivers are not the only ones who are breaking the rules
0:20:07 > 0:20:09to speed up their journeys.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Cyclists? Oh, they're terrible.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13Well, not all of 'em.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Yeah, all of 'em!
0:20:17 > 0:20:19They just go through red lights.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26The number of cyclists in London has trebled in the last ten years.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28That one there, I saw him there.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31You're totally surrounded by them. They're everywhere.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Slows you down a bit, yeah.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Faced with increasing traffic using the roads,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Transport For London now wants cycle journeys to increase
0:20:41 > 0:20:43to two million every day.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44As many as use the Underground.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Watching over this new tribe on London's roads is a specialist
0:20:49 > 0:20:51cycle task force.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53Good morning! Morning!
0:20:56 > 0:20:57Good morning!
0:20:59 > 0:21:02One way to get around!
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Today PCs Tony Austen and John Harrison are targeting
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Elephant And Castle roundabout in South London.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11a notorious spot for red light jumpers.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17It's good to see more people around cycling and keeping fit.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I just wish that they adhered to the laws and stopped at red lights.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27But...as you can see...
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Oh, they have stopped.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I was going to say they're not but they have stopped for once.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Once one person does it at the front of the pack,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38others will be tempted to do it.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41You can punish people and hopefully change their behaviour.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Stop!
0:21:48 > 0:21:49What happened there?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I just find it easier to go through the lights when... It's just easier.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Well, it may be easier, but the lights are there for a reason.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Metro Lima receiving 607.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I think certain traffic lights are different, you know.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08If you're joining a busy road like that fairly quickly,
0:22:08 > 0:22:09then I think it's safe to do so.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13But if you wait for that light to go green,
0:22:13 > 0:22:14you've got an HGV behind you,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18you've got 20 other cyclists, it just gets a bit messy.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20So I find it... I think it's safer.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24I know it's wrong and I can't really disagree with him, so...
0:22:24 > 0:22:27And he's bigger than me, so...
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I'm just going to have to pay my 30 quid, I think.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38They're on a mission. They're on their way to work.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41They're trying to beat their personal best time
0:22:41 > 0:22:44getting to work and traffic lights are an inconvenience,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and they're the people we need to target.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Pull in, please.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02You versus a car or van - who do you reckon will win?
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Yeah?
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- It's not going to be pretty, is it? - No.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10She didn't even look at the lights. Couldn't tell you what they were.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14OK, it was my fault.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I know it was my fault, but, yeah, I'll be more careful.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I go on a red light very often, but I always have a look.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29- To be fully honest... - But the problem is, you shouldn't.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30You should stop at a red light.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32It's going to come quite expensive, isn't it?
0:23:35 > 0:23:36There you go.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41He's had fines already and he's still, in his own words,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43he still jumps red lights.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44So does enforcement work?
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Most of the time, yes, but for people like him, when he said,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56"I've had fines," probably not.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05With a cycling revolution happening on the capital's streets,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Transport For London's traffic controllers must now also
0:24:08 > 0:24:11contend with this new breed of road user.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16We are expecting a cycling demo called Critical Mass,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20and we don't really know much about it until it actually happens.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24So we have to have all the cameras up.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25When they do set off, they do
0:24:25 > 0:24:28cause quite a bit of disruption to the network.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31It's kind of like chasing a chicken round a...
0:24:31 > 0:24:32you know, a back yard or something.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34We never quite know where they're going to go.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37DEMONSTRATORS SHOUT
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Critical Masses! This is a special one today!
0:24:41 > 0:24:43ALL CHEER
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Hundreds of cycle activists are assembling on the South Bank
0:24:48 > 0:24:51of the Thames, keen to show their strength
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and bring the city to a standstill.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58It's like one day a month where we get priority on the roads,
0:24:58 > 0:24:59so it's a nice change.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Well, here we go then!
0:25:02 > 0:25:04It's like a flock of birds.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Sometimes we're going along one road and then suddenly we just turn
0:25:08 > 0:25:12and go up another road for no reason at all.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Oh, hang on. Oh!
0:25:16 > 0:25:17There were go.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21At 7pm, the cyclists enter the busy evening traffic.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Ali, they've started now.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25CYCLE HORN TOOTS
0:25:27 > 0:25:31We have two be on the ball at all times. Can't be blase about it.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34It's not going to be fun if you're driving around London.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36DEMONSTRATORS SHOUT
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Critical Mass cycle rides?
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Nah, they've got nothing else better to do!
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Knob!
0:25:43 > 0:25:45You can't please them all all of the time.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50To help keep the city from gridlock, Andy must take control
0:25:50 > 0:25:54of London's traffic lights and change them to ease the congestion.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56As we follow the cyclists around, we try
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and help the guys that have been stuck behind them.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02So we'll give them an increased amount of green time.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06It's one of the improvisational arts, I think.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08CYCLE HORN TOOTS
0:26:08 > 0:26:12It's not long before the cyclists start to antagonise the motorists.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Hurry up, come on!
0:26:14 > 0:26:17It's mellow. People realise we're just taking it easy.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19We're not trying to cause any harm.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Sometimes people get aggressive,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23but then they realise they're just wrong.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24WHISTLING AND SHOUTING
0:26:26 > 0:26:30As the demonstration grows, more cyclists join in.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Gradually, the West End is brought to a standstill.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35MUSIC POUNDS
0:26:38 > 0:26:40I'm not going to go, am I?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45They're taking a very roundabout route
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and then turning down Regent Street.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52It's just anarchy, innit, I suppose.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54DEMONSTRATORS SHOUT
0:26:54 > 0:26:58- It's like a revolution! - A revolution?- Yeah!
0:26:58 > 0:27:02You can do what you like in London. It's brilliant!
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- Where are you from? - From the Isle of Wight.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15But for Andy, keeping up with the cyclists on the cameras
0:27:15 > 0:27:16is a challenge in itself.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21This Critical Mass demo, your cab 7873,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23do you know where they are now?
0:27:23 > 0:27:29We've lost them again, basically. They might spring up somewhere.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I have to wait, innit? Nothing to do.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37This is a very big mass this evening.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This is much bigger than they would normally be.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41CAR HORN BLARES
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Oi! There's police coming! What are you doing?
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Calm down! Calm down!
0:27:46 > 0:27:47I'm late for a funeral!
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I'm so late for a funeral and I have to be there.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It finishes at ten and I'm trying to get there as soon as possible.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54MUSIC POUNDS
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Of course we're annoying people this evening,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59because what we're doing is in some way selfish,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02but then everyone is on the road being selfish.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10ANDY: Ultimately, no-one wants to be told what to do. It's freedom.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14After three hours causing havoc in the city,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17the cyclists have dispersed.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19Andy's shift is over.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Had I known that it would be like this, I'd have probably...
0:28:26 > 0:28:27..tried to get the day off.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Whilst Transport For London's cameras
0:28:36 > 0:28:40could only watch the cyclists, motorists aren't so lucky.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Last year in London almost five million penalty charges were issued
0:28:45 > 0:28:46to motorists.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Combined with the Congestion Charge, London's streets
0:28:51 > 0:28:53are now the most expensive to drive in the country.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Yeah, it's a Volkswagen Polo.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02And if you don't pay your way, Transport For London will fine you.
0:29:06 > 0:29:07This is the nerve centre.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09This is inside the ANPR van,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12the automatic numberplate recognition van.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14It's got cameras front and rear.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18If a registration flags up that is of interest to us,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21the chaps down the road will pull it in
0:29:21 > 0:29:23and investigate and see what we've got.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Yeah, we've got it stopped.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Right, who are the bailiffs?
0:29:31 > 0:29:35This morning a team of bailiffs is working with police to catch
0:29:35 > 0:29:39drivers who have unpaid Congestion Charges or parking fines.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43We've got Brian the bailiff in tow.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45The message is, if you're a bit naughty
0:29:45 > 0:29:47and manage to get a fine it can work out very expensive.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50It's a parking matter. No valid ticket.
0:29:50 > 0:29:55The amount outstanding, as we talk, is £557.24.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59This is for what, a parking ticket?
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Yes, and we do take debit, credit cards, cash.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06If you've got friends or relatives that can assist you,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08we'll try and make it as easy as possible.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09It's a hard way to learn,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12paying all this money for outstanding fines?
0:30:12 > 0:30:16But, yeah, eventually, people do, once they've been bitten,
0:30:16 > 0:30:17they're twice shy.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Hello, there.
0:30:21 > 0:30:22'£1,400.'
0:30:24 > 0:30:27£1,412.66 outstanding in Congestion Charge.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31The roads are still congested, it's just another tax.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34No, they want to take the car.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37It just seems to be another way of generating some more tax.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Have you got your card available?
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- Can you afford to pay anything today?- What, like 20 quid?
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- No, it's got to be... - I ain't got no money!
0:30:53 > 0:30:59- Life is not like that, bruv! It's hard!- So what would you propose to...
0:30:59 > 0:31:01to pay a week?
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- To get this out of the way. - I'll sort something out a week.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08- Right, so if I send the bailiff round to your new address?- Yeah?
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Yeah? OK?
0:31:13 > 0:31:18- What...?- Away you go. All right? The cars only with a small amount.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23- Yeah, well... When you say a small amount?- Well, not worth the fine.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25You're saying it's not even with a fine?
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It's not even worth the fine and the aggravation to seize it.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- All right?- Unreal!
0:31:33 > 0:31:36You got four police off-roaders parked up on the side there
0:31:36 > 0:31:38and about 20 police.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39For parking tickets.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Beats me. That's London these days, bruv, eh?
0:31:45 > 0:31:50We've got to live with it, haven't we, eh? Have a good day.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00I don't think we can actually see the restriction.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Hanger Lane gyratory.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08In the Street Traffic Control Centre, Michele Dix can
0:32:08 > 0:32:11find out precisely how behaviour on the road is changing.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15- Are we monitoring parallel routes? - Yes.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Oh, good, so they can extrapolate that...
0:32:18 > 0:32:21'You've got to influence people if you're going to manage the city.'
0:32:21 > 0:32:24It can't just be about being nice
0:32:24 > 0:32:27and saying "We're going to make lovely for everybody.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29"You can do what you like when you like."
0:32:29 > 0:32:33It's not possible. We did that many years ago and look where we got.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35We got traffic all over towns.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Everyone wanted to use their cars, drive everywhere. It was a mess.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41So we thought, well, we'll introduce parking charges.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I don't think we can actually see the restriction exactly,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46but we've got the nearest camera, in Lower Thames Street.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49People do what they think is best for them.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53You can nudge them positively, you can nudge them negatively.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56There might be a lot of nudging needed.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59In fact, there's a hell of a lot of nudging needed
0:32:59 > 0:33:00to move things forward.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04'Queues for the time being on all approaches to Victoria...'
0:33:04 > 0:33:08But the roads of London will not be so easily tamed.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10The traffic planners think, "Oh, this will work
0:33:10 > 0:33:13"because everyone will do this and everyone will do that
0:33:13 > 0:33:16"and that traffic will stop..." But it's not like that.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Life isn't like that.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23If we could sit down at the beginning of our life,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26at the beginning of our journey, and sit down and map it all out,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29in theory, everything works.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33In practice, it's not like that.
0:33:33 > 0:33:34SIREN WAILS
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Come on!
0:33:37 > 0:33:40If you were dealing with all sensible people,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43and everyone's acting sensibly and didn't block a junction
0:33:43 > 0:33:45and there was an old lady crossing the road
0:33:45 > 0:33:47and they'd slow down and let her cross the road
0:33:47 > 0:33:49and didn't race up to the next junction
0:33:49 > 0:33:51and slam their foot on the brakes,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53yes, it would be a lovely world to live in.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55INDISTINCT RADIO
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Right, what have we got?
0:33:58 > 0:34:01If people acted towards each other as we should be acting
0:34:01 > 0:34:02towards each other...
0:34:03 > 0:34:05But you'll never get that.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Of course we'll succeed.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12We've been investing in technology to manage it better
0:34:12 > 0:34:16and we're squeezing every last inch out of what we've got.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19We've transformed the bus network.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22We've got to help people make choices, other choices,
0:34:22 > 0:34:23do things differently.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30All right?
0:34:34 > 0:34:38With the population growing rapidly, Transport For London has
0:34:38 > 0:34:43invested over £100 million to encourage more bus passengers.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Yeah, receiving loud and clear. Thank you very much, sir.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49- 'No problem.' - Things have improved an awful lot.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52You've got dedicated bus lanes now.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55The average car driver probably finds it frustrating.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58He's sitting in standing traffic in one lane
0:34:58 > 0:35:02and a bus goes along the bus lane moving quite freely.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05You know, the journey time in his car is probably longer
0:35:05 > 0:35:06than it is on the bus,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09but he has got the choice of getting on the bus, hasn't he?
0:35:09 > 0:35:12But in the fastest-growing parts of the city
0:35:12 > 0:35:17the buses are becoming overcrowded and not everyone can fit on.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Although the city's bus routes are closely monitored,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22demand is now outstripping supply.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Move right down, please.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Every morning, along the 343 bus route in South London,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31passengers are getting left behind.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Move right down inside, please.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Two buses have gone by without stopping.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Two buses gone by! It's ridiculous.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Right, can you just hold it there, please? Hold it there.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44We are full up.
0:35:47 > 0:35:48No seats on the upper deck.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52We're full up.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59It's just a nightmare. It says there's a bus coming into minutes.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01It rolls past and doesn't stop.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03It's ridiculous. For the next four or five bus stops.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05It's an absolute joke.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Yes, I accept people got left behind.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11You know, we were up to capacity.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17- How do you feel about that?- How do- I - feel? Well, I've got no alternative.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19The bus is full up.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23One stop has become notorious for regularly
0:36:23 > 0:36:27leaving passengers behind because the buses are already full.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Are you going to allow this, all jump on the back and we've been here
0:36:32 > 0:36:34since quarter past seven?
0:36:34 > 0:36:41- Let us in!- He isn't going to let us in. Unbelievable.- We are late! Open!
0:36:43 > 0:36:44Thank you(!)
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Furious!
0:36:48 > 0:36:49Absolutely furious.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54And now we're going to have to wait another 15 minutes for a bus.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56We've been here now since quarter past seven.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59It's now ten to eight.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02You know, what you do? They need to improve the service.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05I've lived here for eight years
0:37:05 > 0:37:07and it wasn't like this in the beginning.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09They've developed a lot of new properties in the area,
0:37:09 > 0:37:11a lot of new people have moved in
0:37:11 > 0:37:13but nothing has happened with the bus route.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16It's an everyday occurrence.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21There's another one, a packed bus. There you go.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Look, all on the back! Fantastic!
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Shall we jump on the back, do you think?
0:37:27 > 0:37:29It's the survival of the fittest, I would say.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Absolutely shocking.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37We're actually taking a petition.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Three packed-solid buses.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Well, unless they do something about it now, it's going to get worse,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46because there's more babies being born every day.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50You can't have enough transport.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53"We, the undersigned petitioners, request that
0:37:53 > 0:37:56"Transport For London improves public transport
0:37:56 > 0:38:00"along the 343 bus route."
0:38:00 > 0:38:04The passengers are now demanding answers from Transport For London.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06There were people arguing, families separated.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08There were children crying because it was so full.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12I've had drivers telling us, "It's not my problem."
0:38:12 > 0:38:15TFL are really just lagging behind on this.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17There's no bus that you'll be able to get on
0:38:17 > 0:38:19because it will just go sailing past you.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Please, please, can we have something that this area deserves?
0:38:23 > 0:38:27It always is very helpful when I hear things first-hand.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31I will commit to taking what I've heard back...
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Why haven't you done anything about it?
0:38:34 > 0:38:37You talk about tinkering with other routes to send them down here
0:38:37 > 0:38:38but, to be perfectly honest,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41why not create a new route to come down here?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44And you stand there and talk about your traffic light system
0:38:44 > 0:38:48and your code red and this and that, what about what the passengers want?
0:38:48 > 0:38:52There are certain areas and certain routes where perhaps the demand,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54for whatever reason, is growing.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57London is changing, London is developing all the time.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58And we've increased the service
0:38:58 > 0:39:00substantially over the last few years.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02But by running the service more frequently,
0:39:02 > 0:39:04that has attracted more people,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07which means we need to look at frequency being put up again.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13It is a culture of demanding things now.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18This is not a criticism, but what would satisfy some people,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20a bus every minute?
0:39:20 > 0:39:22On some stretches of road in London
0:39:22 > 0:39:26they've probably got one every two or three minutes.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31If something is just good, they want it better, you know.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38But it's not just bus passengers who want it better.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Please stay green, please stay green.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Every year, Transport For London receives
0:39:47 > 0:39:51over 3,000 letters from motorists complaining about traffic lights.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56It's frustration, really, that nobody does anything.
0:39:58 > 0:40:04Linda Staines drives 12 miles to work every day.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06It takes her over an hour.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09She wrote in to complain about one set of lights
0:40:09 > 0:40:13on the A13 that she believes cause her unnecessary misery.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20An average morning is the traffic stops about two and a half miles
0:40:20 > 0:40:22before this set of traffic lights.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27And we travel at 10mph, stop start,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31the whole way to the traffic lights, taking 20, 25 minutes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35When I'm near enough to the lights,
0:40:35 > 0:40:41I have counted and I think it's about 18 seconds that they are red.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46If they were only ten seconds, how much of our lives could we get back?
0:40:46 > 0:40:52It's human beings that are coordinating
0:40:52 > 0:40:56and setting the times on those machines.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59We can't blame machines.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10But what Linda doesn't know is that her traffic lights
0:41:10 > 0:41:12ARE controlled by a machine.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Far from the city, hidden away in a top-secret location,
0:41:17 > 0:41:18is a supercomputer.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23It is Transport For London's most sophisticated weapon
0:41:23 > 0:41:28in the battle to change how we are using the roads.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33Well, then, you're trying to keep that frustration down to a minimum.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Trying to make their journey as perfect as possible,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39or as optimal as possible, as smooth as possible.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43We've been looking at the volume of traffic that exists in London.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48John and Andy are responsible for maintaining the supercomputer,
0:41:48 > 0:41:49known as UTC,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52The Urban Traffic Control system.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58I don't actually know how much they cost,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00but I can't imagine they are cheap!
0:42:00 > 0:42:03You're unlikely to find one at your home desk, I'd imagine.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08The computer is the brain controlling London's traffic lights.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11It constantly receives data about the flow of vehicles
0:42:11 > 0:42:16across the city from sensors buried under the road, and changes
0:42:16 > 0:42:20the lights second by second to move traffic as efficiently as it can.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27The millions of movements across the city every second
0:42:27 > 0:42:30arrive at the computer via a single yellow wire.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34It holds back the tide of chaos.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38I don't want to touch in case I break it.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40If that got knocked or something, in theory,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43all London's traffic signals would stop talking to the computer,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45the brains here, and therefore
0:42:45 > 0:42:49the coordination between the signals that you see would disappear.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Anyone who's using the road network relies on that bit of cable.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57This equipment, it is ones and zeros,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01but the output of those ones and zeros
0:43:01 > 0:43:05is someone crossing a road on a green man,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09someone driving through three, four, five green lights in a row.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12It's fundamental to the entire way that London's traffic
0:43:12 > 0:43:16is controlled, and without it London's traffic would be a lot worse
0:43:16 > 0:43:17and a lot more congested.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21You should have faith in the system, definitely.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28But overall, it's looking at the whole rather than the individual
0:43:28 > 0:43:32route that that person is taking at that moment in time.
0:43:32 > 0:43:3375.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37And the machine is getting cleverer.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Last shelf, third modem, sixth position.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Fourth modem, second position.
0:43:44 > 0:43:45Fourth modem, third position?
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Every day, the supercomputer tracks over 20 million journeys over the city.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00But some journeys are more important to the supercomputer than others.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02You're hearing nothing there, are you?
0:44:02 > 0:44:03Yeah, it's truly exciting.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06We're trying to put more brains, more intelligence,
0:44:06 > 0:44:11more knowledge into it to improve as many journeys as possible.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16The sensors in the road are now able to distinguish between different
0:44:16 > 0:44:17types of road user.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Buses, bikes,
0:44:22 > 0:44:25cars and pedestrians.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28Andy is teaching the supercomputer how to prioritise one user
0:44:28 > 0:44:31over another at junctions.
0:44:32 > 0:44:37Giving buses and bicycles more green time than cars at traffic lights.
0:44:37 > 0:44:42At key junctions, the computer is recalibrating the city
0:44:42 > 0:44:46in favour of bikes and buses, changing how we choose to travel.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48We try and push the boundaries.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50It's a noble objective to try
0:44:50 > 0:44:54and make all the journeys as perfect as possible, certainly.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Morning!
0:45:03 > 0:45:06John and Tony from the Cycle Task Force are watching over
0:45:06 > 0:45:09London's newly prioritised cyclists.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Cycling is what we are trying to promote. That's...
0:45:14 > 0:45:16That's the way that things have to be.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20They are on Cycle Superhighway 7,
0:45:20 > 0:45:24part of Transport For London's new £1 billion scheme
0:45:24 > 0:45:26to make cycling safer.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28But despite these new lanes,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31tempers still flare between drivers and cyclists.
0:45:31 > 0:45:32HORN BLARES
0:45:32 > 0:45:33ANGRY SHOUTING
0:45:35 > 0:45:37It's him!
0:45:39 > 0:45:42A blue van and a cyclist have nearly collided.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46- DRIVER:- How many lanes do you want?! - I want you to stay away from me!
0:45:46 > 0:45:49I want you to stop shouting. Further up ahead, my colleague...
0:45:49 > 0:45:51'Just to give you a heads up,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54'there's a cyclist coming up to speak to you and a van.'
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Shouting like this. Shouting, shouting, shouting.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59- What were you doing? - All I did was to beep him,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02to get into the cycle lane and stop weaving between lanes.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- No hand gestures?- Yeah, in the end, because you were shouting...
0:46:05 > 0:46:07- Calm down, calm down. - You were shouting and cussing me.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10He had an issue with me on a bike in front of him.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14Tooting me, passing way too close in heavy traffic.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17And waving his fist, making rude gestures...
0:46:17 > 0:46:19I did give him a couple of hand gestures
0:46:19 > 0:46:22because he was in front of me and weaving like this.
0:46:22 > 0:46:23- Right.- Sorry.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27We've got to share the road, haven't we? And it doesn't always work.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31But they don't share, they take over roads. That's what causes problems.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Cyclists are militant!
0:46:34 > 0:46:36And my last signal to him was, "You're nuts, mate!"
0:46:36 > 0:46:40I'm completely loopy, yeah. That's why I cycle in London.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42- I saw the...- Has he explained why...?
0:46:42 > 0:46:45..frustration with both of you when you stopped at the lights.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I don't know if you want to shake hands. He is prepared to.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50That's it, over and done with.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53I'm sorry, and I didn't know that you'd be knocked off before.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55Well, it shouldn't really make a difference.
0:46:55 > 0:46:56Motorists get angry
0:46:56 > 0:47:00because at the end of the day they get away with blue murder, we don't.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06Just both of us got het up and... watch out for each other, I think.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10See you soon, mate.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13There is an accident further down the road.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22A bus has collided with a female cyclist at a junction.
0:47:22 > 0:47:23She has been rushed to hospital.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30- Just a little sweep to get whatever there is out of the road.- All right.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36With the road closed, Transport For London have dispatched their team
0:47:36 > 0:47:38get the network back up and coming.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41It's a female cyclist. She's got significant injuries to her legs.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44That's as much as we know at this moment in time.
0:47:44 > 0:47:50I must have been knocked unconscious, because when I woke up
0:47:50 > 0:47:54there was a lady from the ambulance people that was sitting with me.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56And I said to her, "What's happening?"
0:47:56 > 0:48:01And then I looked down and I saw my legs...
0:48:01 > 0:48:07under the front left wheel of the bus.
0:48:07 > 0:48:12And I'm looking and I'm... She goes, "No, no, no, don't touch it.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14"Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here."
0:48:14 > 0:48:18The bus ran over Conchita Williams, crushing one of her legs
0:48:18 > 0:48:20and severely damaging the other.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24I'm very lucky to be alive. This is what the doctors told me.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27I'm very, very lucky to be alive.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32But I'll never be walking properly again. They've already told me that.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35These sort of things could be avoided.
0:48:35 > 0:48:40I know Boris Johnson encourages cycling and all that,
0:48:40 > 0:48:44and I agree with him because it's good to cycle.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48But it's very, very dangerous, as I found out for myself.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55Personally, I think that the roads can be approved a lot.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59They should change things, because there are accidents very often.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02If everybody behaved
0:49:02 > 0:49:06and uses the road sensibly between theirselves, in theory
0:49:06 > 0:49:10there should be no problems, but we don't live in an ideal world.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12I was driving buses in the '70s,
0:49:12 > 0:49:16and the traffic is phenomenal to what it was then.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19I wouldn't like to do what they do. I've never seen so many cyclists.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21People have just got to be mindful of each other, you know,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24just be a little bit more careful out there, I think.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29People have got to be less selfish
0:49:29 > 0:49:33and be able to recognise that we've got to share the roads.
0:49:34 > 0:49:40In 2011, 4,500 cyclists were injured on London's roads.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44So on a rain-drenched piece of tarmac in rural Berkshire,
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Transport For London has come up with a radical new idea -
0:49:47 > 0:49:51to transform the most dangerous junctions.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56OK, so what we've got is we've built ourselves a roundabout
0:49:56 > 0:50:00in the continental style here, where cyclists and drivers are separated.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05On this so-called Dutch roundabout, the cyclists have priority.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08Cars must stop for them, not the other way round.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11What we don't know, of course,
0:50:11 > 0:50:15is whether this will be a viable solution in the UK context,
0:50:15 > 0:50:18because the road layout is unfamiliar to UK drivers.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23Did you get lost? Do it up, darling. We need bikes, don't we?
0:50:23 > 0:50:26But will today's guinea pigs understand this revolutionary
0:50:26 > 0:50:27idea from Europe?
0:50:31 > 0:50:33I'd anticipate there may be some confusion.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37- They've never seen this before. - There is likely to be confusion.
0:50:37 > 0:50:38Yes, indeed.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40SHE LAUGHS
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Do you turn the handle when you change gears or do you not?
0:50:44 > 0:50:46Oh, saddle!
0:50:46 > 0:50:47If all goes well,
0:50:47 > 0:50:51the plan is to introduce the Dutch roundabouts as early as next year.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53Yeah, everyone is out there.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58OK, if you'd like to proceed with the first one.
0:51:01 > 0:51:08Cyclists will turn right. Starting three, two, one...go.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19The cyclists are sent towards the roundabout.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23The cars join them.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32When they both reach the roundabout, the cars must give way,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35allowing the cyclists to cross first.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41It does get quite pretty when you have four cars
0:51:41 > 0:51:43and four cyclists all circulating together.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53But not everyone is sure of where they are supposed to go.
0:51:56 > 0:51:57Now where do I go?
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Oh, I go up this way, do I?
0:52:00 > 0:52:03I don't want to bloody die!
0:52:08 > 0:52:11And some cyclists still prefer to ignore the rules completely...
0:52:14 > 0:52:16..going the wrong way round the roundabout.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21That's confused everyone out there!
0:52:21 > 0:52:23It's like being in London, isn't it?
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Assisting some of the confused drivers.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30One of the cyclists decided to use the orbital in the anticlockwise
0:52:30 > 0:52:33direction, as opposed to the usual route.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Personally, that's the quickest route round.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37There were no cars there, so that's the way I go.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40What are cyclists like in London?
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Maniacs! Absolute maniacs.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45They come from everywhere. Couldn't describe it. They come out...
0:52:45 > 0:52:48They pop out of anywhere, they could, and you wouldn't know it.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51You can't account for maniacs. They're everywhere.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53They are everywhere.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55SIREN WAILS
0:52:57 > 0:53:01- There's people on the carriageway, 300 yards.- Oh, yeah, got it.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05I think everyone's noticed in the last ten years how busy
0:53:05 > 0:53:07the traffic has become.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10It's every driver for themselves.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Sgt Chas Harris has been called to yet another
0:53:12 > 0:53:15accident in slow-moving traffic.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Apparently, bad driving by another vehicle which failed to stop.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22It appears to be damage only, I don't think anyone's hurt.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24So we're going to see if we can get the vehicles moved to a safe
0:53:24 > 0:53:27place and get the road reopened as quick as we can.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30A car weaving in and out of the traffic has forced
0:53:30 > 0:53:34vehicles behind to brake hard, shunting into one another.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37They really, really slowed down. I slowed down as well.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41He slowed down as well, but I don't think...
0:53:45 > 0:53:48Two lanes have been blocked by the collision.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50The traffic control centre can only watch
0:53:50 > 0:53:53and wait for their police to clear the blockage.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56It all has repercussions on the whole network.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Unfortunately, when you get things like this,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01you can't really help a great deal.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06I'll tell you what to do... Right, I'll tell you what to do.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Come here a minute.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14There you go, all yours!
0:54:19 > 0:54:23But Chas's roadblock means traffic will now back up
0:54:23 > 0:54:25at the rate of a mile a minute.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28They are going to tow this vehicle away,
0:54:28 > 0:54:30so they're just holding traffic at the moment.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33With more cars joining the queue every second,
0:54:33 > 0:54:35the priority is to get the road clear.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39That's the carriageway that's affected at the moment
0:54:39 > 0:54:40because of this accident.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45Yeah, I'm guessing it's sort of a couple of miles on the 406 tailbacks.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47At least.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Come on, Dave! Come on, Dave!
0:54:52 > 0:54:54But there's a problem.
0:54:54 > 0:54:55HORN BLARES
0:54:55 > 0:54:59Hey! Hey! Now! Do it now!
0:55:01 > 0:55:06I think the problem here is that the driver's lost his car keys.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Sometimes when you've got an accident like this,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16because there's quite a few vehicles,
0:55:16 > 0:55:20as you can see, these vehicles here, despite being in the outside lane,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23they start braking so they can actually have a look as well.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I've seen it cause accidents in the opposite direction as well.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29It's just human nature.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37Well done! Key!
0:55:37 > 0:55:39He didn't have these.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45The system can barely cope with the circumstances.
0:55:45 > 0:55:52Some people would far rather sit in queues than use public transport.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59The idea of using public transport doesn't appeal, because public
0:55:59 > 0:56:03transport, you've got no control over it, whereas with this...
0:56:03 > 0:56:06generally if you find some congestion,
0:56:06 > 0:56:08you can choose an alternative route.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10Although you can't today.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20Congestion is getting longer and longer now.
0:56:20 > 0:56:26I'm exactly not sure what it is, but something is wrong with traffic.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28That's all I can say.
0:56:31 > 0:56:36All clear and the carriageways are all running now, over.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Clearly, something has to be done.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43The only solution is to force the traffic to reduce.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47No, there's no carrot, there's only a baseball bat, isn't there?
0:56:47 > 0:56:49All the carrots have gone.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Keep off our roads, there's not enough room.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54HUBBUB
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Shall we go in, because it's a 9.30 start?
0:56:58 > 0:57:01Some people object to some of the ideas that are being put
0:57:01 > 0:57:05forward "I don't want that, it's going to be dreadful."
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Well, OK, you might think that, but if we don't do this,
0:57:07 > 0:57:10actually the situation is going to be worse.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14Yes, it's like anything, it's a challenge.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19But it's problem-solving, isn't it?
0:57:19 > 0:57:23- SHE CHUCKLES - Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?
0:57:23 > 0:57:25SHE CHUCKLES
0:57:25 > 0:57:27TFL?
0:57:27 > 0:57:30They can't do anything now, they've got less chance in the future.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32I think you can't...
0:57:32 > 0:57:36You can't force people to act sensibly or rationally,
0:57:36 > 0:57:38so you won't get people out of their cars.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43It's not like the technology doesn't exist to do this.
0:57:43 > 0:57:49It's not like it's rocket science. It's not rocket science.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52People adjust to circumstances. They are rational.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54So if you change the circumstances, they'll adjust.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56It's chock-a-block round here.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58It won't work, because people will just get used to it
0:57:58 > 0:58:00as things are changing.
0:58:00 > 0:58:01Evolution.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04You...get used to it.
0:58:07 > 0:58:12Sometimes the plans don't work and sometimes people are just...people!
0:58:12 > 0:58:14What can I say?
0:58:15 > 0:58:17Are you going to succeed?
0:58:17 > 0:58:20Of course we'll succeed, because that's our job.
0:58:22 > 0:58:26And there's no point in having a plan that's not going to work, is there?
0:58:31 > 0:58:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd