Transportation in the United Kingdom

Introduction:

When people think about transportation in the U.K., they often picture the big, red two-story buses of London. There are certainly plenty of two-story buses around, and they provide more space and great viewing for tourists. The buses can be any color. I've seen purple, orange and yellow. There are four major bus companies that I've come across, and several small, local bus companies, too. 

Did you know that drivers in the U.K. drive on the left side of the road? The U.K., former British colonies (Australia, India) and Japan all do this. When I first got here, I kept feeling like we were going to crash! It can be a very hard thing to get comfortable with, but eventually it gets easier to look the right direction when crossing the street and internalize a different set of road rules.

Another unique thing about transportation in the U.K. that I have observed is that many people here love taxis and really do not like Uber and Lyft. Uber and Lyft are widespread in the U.S., which I thought would be the same in the U.K. However, many local individuals here have told me that they think Uber and Lyft are untrustworthy.

The taxi vehicles are also very different-looking here. In the U.S., taxis are traditionally yellow or orange. In the U.K., the taxis are often black with a big taxi sign on top.

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