[title]
In February and March, some bus routes across London will be bringing back an original safety measure from the capital’s old Routemaster buses.
To stop passengers from taking a tumble, a bell will ring twice to let them know that the bus will depart soon and remind them to ‘hold on tight’. The classic AEC Routemaster double-decker buses no longer operate on bus routes in London, but these bells will be a nostalgic nod to the iconic vehicles.
TfL’s safety research team found that passengers are injured on buses primarily by ‘slips, trips and falls’, so it’s coming up with ideas to combat this. While serious passenger injuries on London buses have fallen from 91 injuries in 2022 to 76 in 2024, TfL is trying to find ways to get this number down even more.
The Routemaster bus ‘dings’ will also be accompanied by a trial of seat counters to let passengers know whether it is worth heading upstairs on double-decker buses and help reduce overcrowding on the lower level. The upstairs seat counters will be trialled sometime later this year, though TfL has not confirmed which bus routes will be trialling either the bells or the counters.
The safety research team and the new measures are part of the Mayor of London's ‘Bus Action Plan’, which aims to provide ‘an attractive, zero-emission bus service for all Londoners’ intended to be completed by 2030. If you’re keen to find out more, you can read the safety report and action plan here and here, respectively.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.