COMMUTERS were reeling with frustration as they were forced to wait for overstretched buses during this week's tube closure.

Forced to find alternative modes of public transport after Saturday's tube derailment at Chancery Lane, travellers were jostling at bus stops in a bid to board one of the overcrowded bus services.

Speaking outside South Woodford tube station on Tuesday morning, West End surveyor Matthew O'Shaughnessy said: "My journey to Bond Street on the tube usually takes 40 minutes but yesterday it took me two hours to get to work. I had to get a bus to Startford and then get the Jubillee line."

The South Woodford resident added: "It's fair enough they have to close the Central line to investigate the problem, but they should have laid on a lot more buses - there are just not enough of them."

Clerical Adminstrator Jackie Smith, also from South Woodford said: "I'm fed up with it. Everybody is trying to get on the buses and there are not enough of them.

"I commute to Debden every day and the journey usually takes 10 minutesbut yesterday it took me over two hours - the number 20 bus was packed."

January 29, 2003 14:30