TfL halted its traditional free travel offering in 2020 and 2021 due to a global financial and customer slump. While some TfL services, including the majority of the Tube, will run all night, TfL says in a statement that “TfL is unable to offer free travel on New Year’s Eve.” They’ve also urged Londoners to “plan your journey, double-check your travel plans, and allow extra time for your journey” tonight (31 December). To support the New Year’s Eve fireworks display, central London roads will be closed beginning in the early afternoon, with buses diverted. “Given the impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances, customers will have to pay to travel on New Year’s Eve, as was the case last year,” a TfL spokesperson said. Some central London bridges will be closed to traffic at 2 p.m. “If you need to cross the river in central London while bridges are closed, use Tube services, which will run all night,” according to TfL. Timetables for bridge closures The bridge is closed to traffic as of: 11.30pm – Vauxhall Bridge 8 p.m. Lambeth Bridge 2 p.m., Westminster Bridge Waterloo Bridge: Closed to pedestrians at 4 p.m., and to road traffic at 7 p.m. 8 p.m., Blackfriars Bridge Other central London bridges may close unexpectedly for public safety reasons. On New Year’s Eve through 2023, there will be fireworks over the London Eye, but Londoners are urged not to attend without a ticket. The first in-person fireworks extravaganza since the pandemic sold out nearly a month ago. Last month, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that for the first time since 2019, over 100,000 ticket holders would be able to gather near the London Eye to ring in the new year.
