Tired of London, Tired of Life - A website about things to do in London

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5 January 2009

See the only street in Britain where cars drive on the right

I was under the impression that cars driving on the left was a universal rule in the United Kingdom. Not so, of course, for our great nation is defined by its quirks and differences.

So to the Savoy, or more precisely, to Savoy Court, the only street in the UK where vehicles are required to drive on the right. Apparently, this is a hangover from the original horse-drawn hackney carriages, where drivers would reach out of the driver's door window to open the passenger's door, without having to get out of their seat. I'm not quite sure why this would particularly make a difference but it seems to have stuck.

The hotel itself is currently closed for refurbishment so you'll probably have to wait a while to observe this faintly interesting phenomenon.

Wikiresearch on this also told me that the hotel entrance's small roundabout meant that vehicles needed a turning circle of 25 ft (8 m) in order to navigate it. This, we learn, is still the legally required turning circle for all London cabs.

^Picture from wikipedia under Wikimedia Commons^

2 comments:

  1. There's a chapter about Savoy Court in my book 50 Quirky Bike Rides in England and Wales... see photos at http://www.bike99.com/18.html

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  2. jaja all over uk roads they driving on the right instead of left!!cattles...............

    ReplyDelete