Commuters headed back into the office today on the first Monday morning since working from home guidance was lifted after Boris Johnson told government departments to prepare staff for a return to the workplace.
Photographs showed the Jubilee line on the London Underground looking busy as the morning rush hour got underway at 7am, with passengers also packing platforms waiting for Overground trains at Canada Water station.
Congestion data provided by TomTom showed it was the busiest Monday morning rush hour on London's roads since December 6, 2021 - which was one week before the current working from home guidance was brought in.
The congestion level between 7am and 8am in the capital was at 46 per cent today, which was up from 44 per cent at the same time last week and the highest in seven weeks for a Monday since 47 per cent on December 6.
It comes amid fresh attempts to end the working-from-home culture in Whitehall by ordering employees to get back to their desks after the Prime Minister ended the working from home guidance last Wednesday.
Union leaders have branded the proposals 'reckless', and senior officials vowed to keep a large number of their staff working from home permanently with only a tiny minority of civil servants at their desks.
The final Plan B restrictions of Covid passports for larger venues and face masks in indoor areas will both be lifted on Thursday – but the latter will remain in place on Transport for London trains as a 'condition of carriage'.
It means Tube passengers can no longer be fined for not wearing a mask, but can be denied entry. London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: 'Just a reminder to those travelling back into the office today—it's still mandatory to wear a mask on all TfL services unless you're exempt. If you're using public transport, respect the rules. Wear your mask.'
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters wait to board a London Overground at Canada Water station in South East London at about 7am today
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters walk down an escalator on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
The return to work comes after it emerged civil servants claimed hundreds of thousands of pounds for home office equipment after the remote working guidance was scrapped last year.
Taxpayers paid out almost £730,000 in expenses between July 19 and early December – when ministers were no longer asking staff to avoid the office.
Now figures released under freedom of information laws lay bare the extent of home working last year when curbs had been relaxed.
HMRC spent more than £540,000 on 7,566 home office equipment expenses claims, while the Cabinet Office paid out more than £100,000.
And the Department of Health spent £50,000 while the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs paid £23,000.
Others refused to reveal how much they had spent on office equipment expenses claims, citing cost grounds.
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters wait to board a London Overground at Canada Water station in South East London at about 7am today
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
Commuters wait to board a London Overground at Canada Water station in South East London at about 7am today
Commuters travel on the Jubilee line on the London Underground network at about 7am this morning
