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The Effects of Terror on London`s Transport Revenues

Did the terrorist attacks of July 7, 2005 in London hurt the transportation industry in the United Kingdom, or help it? According to most people keeping track, people are using public transport today just as much as they did before four homegrown terrorists struck several Underground stations and a double-decker bus. Perhaps ?hurt? or ?help? are words that do not apply, because no matter how many people died or could have died in the attacks, people would still have used the essential services provided by the Tube and bus system.

At the very least, the London transport system was in a much better shape after 7/7 than New York City was after 9/11. During the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a major financial center was hit in New York, itself the financial capital of the United States of America. The transportation infrastructure suffered, for the subway system had terminals right underneath the World Trade Center. And tourism to the Big Apple also went down, which in turn affected the transportation authority in New York.

London, meanwhile, saw only Tube stations and a bus attacked. The Underground was able to continue offering services not long after the attacks occurred, and the millions of people who make use of the London subway system and bus system have not been deterred by last year?s atrocities in the British capital. Still, perhaps it is better to speculate less about the past economic effects of Islamic terror attacks in London and more about what might happen to the transport system should a future, more successful attack or series of attacks be carried out, with higher casualties and more infrastructure damage.