LMS_General

When Londoners talk about 'the City', or road signs point to 'City', they invariably mean the City of London, which is the area occupied by the ancient walled City. This is now London's principal business and financial district. The main shopping areas and most of the theatres are in the area to the West of the City, always described by Londoners as the 'West End'.

The City covers an area of just one square mile – and is often referred to as 'the Square Mile' in conversation. Apart from the financial institutions, St Paul's Cathedral, the Museum of London and the Barbican Arts Centre are all within this area, and the Tower of London is right on the edge of it. A few thousand people also live in the City, mostly in the flats in the Barbican.

The City has its own system of local government and, strangely, its own police force. The local authority for the City is officially called the 'Corporation of London', though it has no jurisdiction in the rest of London. To confuse matters, most of the West End falls within an area known as the City of Westminster, an area which extends North and West past Paddington Station. In everyday usage 'Westminster' is used to describe just a small area around the Houses of Parliament.

'Central London' is probably the best generic term for the City and the West End together. But it is a rather ill-defined concept, maybe reflecting the extent to which London has grown up as a series of connected villages. As you approach London the road signs normally point either to 'City' or to 'West End'.

'Greater London' refers to the whole of London, including most of the suburbs, and was a term introduced in 1965. From then until 1986 this was the area covered by the Greater London Council. Apart from the Cities of London and Westminster, it is divided into a number of 'boroughs'. Greater London is usually shown as a county on maps of Britain.

The area covered by the Travelcard scheme is Greater London. A few stations, such as Hampton Court and Elstree, which are outside Greater London, are actually in the Travelcard area because the districts that they serve are part of Greater London.

Some place names are not pronounced the way that you would expect. Greenwich, Holborn, Clerkenwell and Leicester Square are pronounced Grennitch, Hoe-bun, Clarkenwell and Lester Square respectively.

Read some interesting facts about London about UK in general here.

On the Road

You'll find it's a bit more difficult driving in London, and especially finding a parking space, than in Bitterfontein – but you will get used to the enormous number of pedestrians, buses, cars and the very narrow streets.

Driving Licence

You are allowed to drive with your South African driving licence (car, motorcycle or moped) for a period of 12 months, after which you will have to obtain either a British driving licence or an international driving licence. This 12-month period starts each time you enter the UK. You can now apply for your South African licence to be exchanged for a GB license up to 5 years after you come to live here, but if you wish to take a driving test within this time you will need to exchange your South African licence. You will have to get a D1 form (available at the Post Office) and send it off together with your foreign licence and a cheque or postal order (£29) to the address on the form.

You can find out more about driving licences from:

*DVLA, Swansea, SA6 7JL. Tel: 0870 240 240 009

Parking

As mentioned, parking in London is a problem and, to be honest, it is impossible in Zone 1 (unless you have a permit). If you are used to parking in restricted areas in South Africa and getting away with it – think again. The authorities will without warning either clamp your wheel, or just tow your car away. You need a permit to park in Zone 1, so don't attempt parking without it (and the chances you will get such a permit are slim).

Do not park

•at parking meters which indicate that they are out of order;

•in streets during restricted parking times; these are indicated on yellow plates on street posts and lamp posts. Yellow lines along the side of a street indicate that there are parking restrictions in operation, but you need to consult a yellow plate to see the details of the restriction. Most main roads have parking restrictions;

•on streets where there are red lines along the side of the street; do not even stop on these streets during the day in order to find the yellow plates;

•on pavements (sidewalks) except to load or unload or while passengers board or alight;

•on the white zig-zag lines near pedestrian crossings;

•in residents only parking spaces/zones. Only if you have a local authority parking permit can you park in these spaces/zones;

•or on/at any other location where doing so would cause an obstruction to traffic.

Parking Penalties

Should you park in any of the above locations, or somewhere else that indicates that you should not park there, you will be:

•given a parking fine; or

•clamped (this is a large metal device that is attached to one of the vehicle's wheels, immobilising the vehicle) in which case the fine is larger; or

•towed away, which again entails a large fine, which increases each day you leave the car in the pound.

Clamping and Vehicle Section, Tel: 020 7747 4747

The current clamp fee in London’s congestion zone is £45 and the removal fee is £125 (rates differ as you move outwards). They are quite strict in the congestion zone. Storage in the car pound also costs £15 a day. If a vehicle is clamped or removed, then all of the outstanding penalty charges and the appropriate clamp/removal and storage fees must be paid before the release of the vehicle is authorised. If the release fee is not paid, then the vehicle may be disposed at an auction or by scrapping. The registered keeper will remain liable for all outstanding charges, including a £60 disposal fee.

Appeals against ticketing, clamping or removals: Tel: 020 7747 4700

If you get towed away

It is quite a shock to get to your car only to find it has disappeared! They will leave no number or anything to give you a clue as to where the car has gone. Call, Tel: 020 7747 4747 and have your car's registration number handy. When retrieving your car it’s important to take solid proof of identity and ownership with you, otherwise they will turn you away (remember they wear uniforms uhhh!!).

Congestion Charges

Congestion charging is a way of ensuring that those using valuable and congested road space make a financial contribution. It encourages the use of other modes of transport and is also intended to ensure that, for those who have to use the roads, journey times are quicker and more reliable.

The London scheme requires drivers to pay £5 per day, if they wish to continue driving in central London during the scheme‘s hours of operation.

If it is not necessary to make your journey by car, you might want to consider alternative forms of transport.

The TfL Journey Planner – www.journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/ – can help you discover the quickest, easiest routes for your journey using public transport.

Alternatively, if you prefer you can call TfL‘s Travel Information Centre: Tel: 020 7222 1234.

Congestion Operating Hours

7h00-18h30 Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays.

How to pay?

You can pay the congestion charge either in advance or on the day of travel before, during or after their journey. The charge is £5 if you pay by 10pm on the day of travel. An additional £5 surcharge will apply if you pay from 10pm until midnight on the day of travel. This is to encourage early payment. You can also pay at selected shops, petrol stations and car parks.

How and where to pay: www.cclondon.com/how to pay/shtml

You can pay your congestion charge for more than one day at a time by, for example, paying for a week, for a month or even for a whole year in one transaction. You can pay your congestion charge up to 90 days in advance, or on the day you need it.

Registering for a Fast Track Card will speed up paying your congestion charge. The card will contain your details and vehicle registration number, all protected by a PIN number.

For complete information about the Congestion scheme:

www.cclondon.com

What happens if I forget to pay?

At midnight images of all of the vehicles that have been in the congestion charging zone are checked against the vehicle registration numbers of vehicles which have paid their congestion charge for that day. The computer keeps the registration numbers of vehicles that should have paid but not done so. A Penalty Charge Notice will be issued to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

Buying a Car

Second-hand cars are fairly cheap (starting at £300). The Exchange and Mart and Loot publications, which appear weekly, advertise good bargains in and around London. Before you buy a car, however, there are certain things to keep in mind:

You will have to pay road tax – £110 per annum, form obtainable at any Post Office.

www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/taxation.htm for tables of Vehicle Excise Duty;

Insurance is compulsory and will depend on factors like your age, occupation, your no-claim history and the type of car. Expect to pay up to £400 per annum for comprehensive insurance plus £400 for third party insurance, theft of belongings, etc. If you are younger than 21, insurance will cost more than £1 000 p.a.

MOT

A Ministry of Transport Certificate (MOT) is also compulsory and is only issued if the car passes a roadworthiness test. This certificate must be renewed every year and is only applicable to cars older than 3 years. MOT Centres that issue these certificates, which cost approximately £40-£60, can be found at most garages.

Insurance Companies

Shop around for the best deal in insurance. Apart from being compulsory, insurance is vital in a city where car theft and break-ins are rampant.

•Direct Line, Tel: 0113 2432468

•Endsleigh, Tel: 020 7436 4451

Breakdown Services

Make sure that your motoring organisation has a reciprocal agreement with a British organisation.

•AA, Tel: 0990 500600

•RAC, Tel: 0800 828282

24-Hour Car Parks

NCP, Tel: 020 7404 3777 has 24-hour car parks across London:

Other Car parks:

City of London; Covent Garden; Holborn; Islington; London Zoo, Regents Park; Kensington; Knightsbridge; London Bridge; Marylebone; Mayfair; Soho; Victoria; Westminster

Renting a Car

If you want to rent a car it is worth shopping around, because the well-known names are international companies and could be more expensive than some smaller companies. Generally rates start from around £80 per week. To be able to rent a car you will need to have had a valid driving licence for more than a year.

•Alamo Car Rental, Tel: 0800 272300

•Avis, Tel: 0990 900500 (must be over 23)

•Holiday Autos, Tel: 0990 300400, www.holidayautos.co.uk

•Online Car Hire, Tel: 0870 758 9942, www.onlinecar-hire.co.uk

•Apollo Drive Hire, Tel: 01142560560 (Motorhomes)

•Budget, Tel: 0800 181181

•Hertz, Tel: 0990 996699