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The opening of the Elizabeth Line has been a ray of sunshine in the rollercoaster of London transport news, but for bus users, things are looking slightly more gloomy.
The capital’s bus network is facing the biggest proposed cuts in ten years after Transport for London agreed to four percent bus cuts in return for bailout cash from the government. If the cuts go ahead, 100 services per hour will be slashed.
What exactly is happening?
TfL has plans to axe up to 16 bus routes and amend 78 routes as part of a plan to meet savings targets imposed by the government.
The cuts would save TfL £35 million per year. It makes up part of a funding deal with the government for a cash bailout which would help the network to recover from the collapse in fares during the pandemic. Under the terms of the bailout, TfL will have to make savings of £730 million per year to achieve ‘financial sustainability’.
A public consultation is ongoing, and has been extended by four weeks until April 7 so that more Londoners can have their say. Get involved.
What services are being slashed?
Sixteen bus routes could potentially be axed – equivalent to a reduction of around 20 percent in overall London services. The changes will set out to try and remove the overlaps between routes on major roads in central London. Some roads will be left without a bus service entirely.
‘The reductions are primarily focused on central London in areas where we think it will be least impactful and the least worst option, and where there are mitigating options for us in terms of increasing routes elsewhere and ensuring financial sustainability,’ said TfL Chief Operating Officer Andy Lord at a meeting of London Assembly transport committee at City Hall.
Here’s the full list of bus routes under discussion as part of the consultation:
12 (Oxford Circus-Dulwich Library)
14 (Putney Heath-Russell Square)
24 (Grosvenor Rd-Royal Free Hospital)
45 (Elephant & Castle-Atkins Rd)
72 (Brunel Rd-Hammersmith Bridge Rd)
78 (Shoreditch High St Station-St Mary’s Rd)
242 (Homerton Hospital-Aldgate Station)
C3 (Clapham Junction-Warwick Rd)
When would services be scrapped?
The first routes could be axed by the end of the year, while all 16 might be removed by the end of 2023.
If you want to make your views known, it’s not too late to get involved with the consultation.
Make your voice heard by taking part in the Central London Bus Review here, closing on August 7.
Find out more about the changes to bus routes here.
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