All super cities actually face a serious problem, that is, traffic congestion. What's more, in an era where horse-drawn carriages are popular, the transportation efficiency provided by livestock is undoubtedly low and chaotic.
Since London's population exceeded one million, severe traffic congestion has become an incurable disease.
Every day during the day, all the main streets in London are bustling with people, including mule carts pulling goods, exquisite carriages, fast-walking pedestrians, leisurely gentlemen and ladies... and of course more and more police officers to maintain order.
Traffic laws have long been established, but it seems difficult for pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages to strictly abide by the traffic rules. From time to time, accidents such as horse collisions or truck overturns occur. There are also frictions between horse-drawn carriages and horse-drawn carriages and between pedestrians. Very frequently.
Every emergency will cause a major blockage in the city's blood vessels. People often see half a street or even an entire street being jammed with people.
The core of the problem is still the protection of London's population. In the past two hundred years, London's population has been experiencing serious net inflow and net growth. It has climbed from hundreds of thousands to over one million, and now it is three million. The population has exploded. Not only has it put pressure on transportation, but medical care, education, housing and even food and drink supplies have also become problems.
Conflicts will never end, and the government's efforts to resolve them will never stop. With one year, two years, ten years and twenty years of hard work, the UK has accumulated countless management and organizational experience, as well as countless execution talents.
The pioneering underground railway system was invented by the helpless British. They knew that relying on livestock transportation would not bring about an improvement in order. Although the railway was good, it also had shortcomings.
First of all, railways must occupy a lot of space to build tracks and platforms, and safety cards must be set up at the intersections of railways and other roads. This is obviously unrealistic in London, where land is at a premium.
Since it didn't work on the ground, we could only turn our attention to the underground. After being besieged by numerous doubts and objections, the London government finally opened an underground railway of only six kilometers in 1863.
There is no doubt that this railway soon became the lifeline of London's transportation, with more than 40,000 Londoners riding on the first day of operation.
Up to now, the length of this subway has doubled. A train passes every ten minutes, transporting no less than 100,000 passengers every day.
On weekdays, every subway station here is an extremely busy transportation hub, but today's arrival of the Eastern Envoys has artificially created a rare traffic peak.
At six o'clock, the subway station was already paralyzed, with four times more passengers than usual. Even the London police, with their extremely powerful capabilities, were overwhelmed at this moment.
The police used their bodies to form a thin cordon, and the crowded crowd would bump into it from time to time, nearly breaking the cordon every time.
The hat also fell off, the leather boots were trampled, the shirt and tie were pushed open, the police uniform was full of wrinkles, the sound of police sirens calling for support was everywhere, and the air was filled with a strong smell of sweat.
Everyone knows that this won't work. More and more people are crowding in, and the one-meter-wide opening simply won't let out that much flow of people.
"Can we open the hole wider? Another group of citizens are coming to the street corner. We can't stand it anymore..." The young policeman on the front line can't hold it anymore.
However, the old policeman at the subway entrance resolutely rejected his request, "No! You must not enlarge the hole. Once you enlarge the hole and rush in, it will definitely be a trampling incident and people will die!"
Experience is always bloody, and these experienced veteran policemen have their hearts in their throats, "Ask for help, ask the director for help... and send us more manpower!"
"For the present, we are the only ones who can hold on, withstand the pressure of the citizens, and drag out the incident to let out these crowded knots little by little... If we suddenly let go, let alone trample them, there won't be enough underground space to accommodate them, and the carriages It’s not enough to carry them…”
The emergency telegram flew along the subway lines to Tower Bridge in an instant. The anxious Commissioner of Police had black circles under his eyes and the skin on his lips burst.
"Support? Where can I go to support him? The whole of London is in chaos, and people are rushing here. I don't have enough manpower..."
The Police Commissioner was right. The map of London on the wall in front of him was already covered with countless small flags. The closer to the street at the center of the ceremony, the more small flags were planted.
Not only is the subway overwhelmed, almost every street leading to the ceremony venue is overwhelmed. The carriages have been completely overwhelmed by the waves of people, and you can't move at all except walking on the street.
"Sir! Ask the army for help... Didn't the Prime Minister station tens of thousands of troops outside the city? Let the army come to help us..."
"Damn it, I still have to beg them in the end... Just ask the Prime Minister for help immediately and ask the army to come in to coordinate order, especially the cavalry. We need the cavalry to separate the flow of people..."
The subordinates put on their hats and ran out. If they want to mobilize more than 10,000 soldiers to assist, they can only ask the Prime Minister to go.
Benjamin was waiting for Emperor Tongzhi and the head of state under Tower Bridge on the pier on the north bank of the Thames River. He was surprised when he heard the police chief's request for help.
"Is it such a mess? How can there be so many people at half past six? Is this completely different from our previous speculation?"
"Your Majesty Prime Minister, this is the fact. Now there is no other way except to let the army's cavalry enter the city to maintain order. Please give the order!"
Tower Bridge is the first scene of the entire welcome ceremony. Government officials are present here. Prime Minister Benjamin, along with his cabinet colleagues and parliamentary representatives, are waiting for the envoys here, while the royal welcome venue is at the back.
Benjamin's old enemy Gladstone touched his beard and said with an extremely mocking smile, "Can't you judge this matter? Can't even hold a welcome ceremony?"
"Look at your plan, a welcome ceremony for 200,000 people? It's ridiculous, it's really ridiculous. I guess you've never analyzed reports on Chinese people in the East, right? You still use your past experience to analyze the problem... "
"Through nearly half a year of in-depth reporting, the Chinese have aroused the interest of all Europeans, and everyone is full of curiosity about the distant East..."
"Two hundred thousand? Haha, my staff judge that the number of people attending this welcome ceremony will definitely exceed 400,000!"
With a bang, the surrounding officials whispered to each other, and many people's eyes lit up. Graston's cannon fired at Benjamin again. It seemed that today's show must be very exciting.
