WIREDGOV

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall yesterday paid a visit to the London Transport Museum to begin celebrations of TfL's 20th anniversary.

Arriving from Clarence House with TfL Commissioner Mike Brown MVO, on one of London's new environmentally-friendly electric buses, the couple were welcomed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and met a wide range of hard-working TfL staff responsible for keeping London moving every day.

Set-up in 2000 to bring London's transport network together under one integrated body, TfL has grown and improved transport in London to help support jobs, homes, opportunities and economic growth across the capital.

Keeping London moving every day

Throughout the past 20 years TfL has:

• modernised huge swathes of the London Underground network, transforming the world's first metro system with rebuilt stations and new trains and signalling systems;
• transformed some formerly under-utilised and shabby orbital rail lines into the popular and reliable London Overground network;
• improved the ease with which people pay to travel - first with the Oyster card and more recently with contactless payment;
• helped London become a 24-hour city and boosted its economy after introducing Night Tube and Night Overground services;
• improved air quality for Londoners by introducing the world's first 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone;
• established the largest, most accessible and greenest bus fleet in Europe;
• led London's cycling revolution, with London's cycle hire scheme and a network of safe cycle lanes and new safer junctions having been created across the city;
• boosted accessibility across the transport network, from increasing step-free access to the introduction of the now instantly recognisable Baby on Board and Please Offer Me A Seat badges

During the visit The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall met staff who have pioneered environmental and mental health schemes in the workplace and crisis response staff.

Their Royal Highnesses also spoke with the future generation of staff who will help shape London's next twenty years, including engineering apprentices working on signalling projects on the Tube to make services even quicker and more reliable, and interns from TfL's award-winning Stuart Ross Internship scheme designed to improve diversity in a number of areas of TfL's workforce.

His Royal Highness unveiled a TfL20 plaque to commemorate the visit, and London's Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown MVO, presented the royal couple with personalised 'Prince of Wales' and 'Duchess of Cornwall' roundels.

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