No 20. Describe the system of transport in Minsk and in London. Compare the peculiarities of these transport systems. Prove their importance for the development of the cities.

Nowadays people more and more travel abroad. And every person should remember that there are some peculiarities of the traffic rules and transport system in each country. To avoid different problems travellers should know these peculiarities and if you were in London you would be surprised by the differences of the transport system in this city and in Minsk.

The main difference is that London's traffic keeps to the left. While in our city it keeps to the right, so tourists have to be very attentive while crossing the road. Then even don't try to look for trams and trolleybuses in London, because there are no such means of travelling there. The easiest and the quickest way of getting around London is by the Underground, or the Tube, as it is often called because it looks like a long, narrow and dimly lit tube. The tube is the oldest metro in the world (1863) that's why its stations are old and not attractive to the eyes and on the contrary our Metro stations are very beautifully decorated. Moreover trains haven't any fixed schedule in London and during rush hours big crowds gather, while in Minsk trains run every three minutes during rush hours, every five minutes off-peak and every 7-12 minutes late in the evening. However the most essential difference between the Tube and the Minsk metro is that fares as the London's Underground are not fixed, but are proportional to the distance travelled, unlike in Minsk, where people should pay a fixed fare despite the distance of their travel. Another interesting feature, not typical to the Minsk Metro is that there are no drivers on the trains in London, they are controlled by computer program. But every train has a train captain on a board, in case there are any problems; he checks tickets and can drive the train if necessary.

Although the Underground is the quickest way to get to the place you need. Travelling round the city by bus is considered to be the cheapest one. A wide choice of buses is available both in London and in Minsk. Meanwhile, there are some peculiarities concerning London's buses. First of all, you can't but agree that red double-deckers are a familiar sight in London. In Minsk we also have double-deckers buses, but they are few. When in London you'll certainly notice that there are two kinds of bus stops: a compulsory stop, where all buses stop (the same we have in Minsk) and a request stop where people can stop the bus by raising their hands. Also you should know that Londoners waiting at a bus stop always form a queue, as there is a limit to the number of people who are allowed to stand when the seats are full. And it's very important that you never "jump" a queue otherwise you'll be misunderstand. I believe that this queuing is somehow an advantage, because it helps to make any travel more comfortable and pleasant. Unfortunately in Minsk we are not used to queuing at all and there are no limits to the number of people who are allowed to stand – that's why all the means of travelling are often overcrowded.

What concerns fares there are available in newsstands in the streets, in the shops as well as from drivers or conductors and should be punched immediately upon entering a vehicle. While in London people pay the driver or the conductor if it's a "two-man" bus. Yet, Londoners pay more the further they travel, but we have a fixed fare. And in the same way as in London we must buy a new ticket when we get on another bus.

Buying weekly or monthly seasonal tickets (which called 'travel cards') in London you need a passport-sized photograph. Both in Minsk and in London travel cards save your money if you have to get around the city a lot.

Both London and Minsk have much in common if talking about taxis. Everywhere it is considered to be the most comfortable and safest as well as the most expensive means of travelling. If you are either in London or in Minsk you simply hail the taxi in the street or go to a taxi-rank where there are several taxis waiting. But the easiest way is to call a taxi company and ask them to send a cab to your door. Both in London and in Minsk taxis carry metres indicating the fare to be paid at the end of the journey. But only in London taxi drivers expect to be tipped for all journeys. The normal tip is about 10 per cent. Although 1 think they deserve it because London cabbies have the reputation of being the best trained taxi drivers in the world.

So you see that in spite of the obvious differences transport system in London and in Minsk have quite a lot in common. And when in London, keeping in mind all peculiarities you get into any trouble.

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