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London Transport (uk.transport.london) Discussion of all forms of transport in London. |
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'0207 008 0000'
In article , Richard J.
writes It wasn't a simple change, as a digit which was part of the exchange code was moved into the subscriber's number. It was actually the 4th number change that London has endured. I think it was actually the fifth, as explained below. I think also that the current inability of people to format numbers correctly (i.e. in accordance with ITU recommendation E.123) arises partly from the fact that the last "change" was actually two transitions about six months apart. The first transition was the introduction of the "020" code running in parallel with the old codes, but with the local numbers staying at seven digits. During this short period you could call (e.g.) London Transport enquiries from a telephone in London by dialling any of the following: "222 1234" or "0171 222 1234" or "0207 222 1234" so that the new area codes were then genuinely "0207" and "0208". But then the second transition occurred, with three components: firstly 0171/0181 codes were withdrawn, secondly local numbers changed from seven digits to eight, and thirdly the "new" area codes changed from 0207 and 0208 to just 020. Thus the LT number became either "7222 1234" or "020 7222 1234" - the latter form is almost the same as in the interim period but the position of the space changed. Unfortunately nobody bothered to explain these three components properly to the public. In the confusion many people in London started quoting and dialling the entire national number as they found by trial and error that this always worked (I guess the increasing use of mobile phones tended to reinforce this habit). Hence the continued confusion, or at least lack of concern with putting the space in the right place when quoting a number. One notes with surprise that an extraordinary number of shop-fronts and commercial vehicles appear to have been re-painted in the brief period during which the area codes were 0207 and 0208, and not to have been re-painted afterwards. What a pity that nobody told them to wait for the second number change of the pair. :-) -- Clive Page |
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