Plans would affect around 78 bus routes in inner and central London and see 16 completely withdrawn in response to Covid-19 emergency funding

 
End of the road? Route 12 is one of 16 routes facing complete withdrawal

 
Transport for London has announced a substantial shake-up of the capital’s bus network in central and inner London that would affect around 78 bus routes. It could also lead to the complete withdrawal of 16 routes.

It claims the proposals to reshape the network follow the government’s requirement for significant savings from TfL and to “reduce service levels on London’s bus network” in exchange for emergency funding required due to the slump in patronage since early 2020 as a result of Covid-19.

TfL’s current short-term funding deal expires on June 24. It said that without a sustainable new agreement it would then be required to reduce bus services further, by nearly 20%.

The government set a number of conditions before providing emergency funding to enable TfL to keep operating, including requiring a plan setting out how to achieve significant financial savings and reduce service levels. This plan included reducing the extent of the bus network by four per cent by 2024/25

TfL continued: “The government set a number of conditions before providing emergency funding to enable TfL to keep operating, including requiring a plan setting out how to achieve significant financial savings and reduce service levels. This plan included reducing the extent of the bus network by four per cent by 2024/25.”

Proposals to achieve this reduction, by changing and withdrawing some bus routes have now been published. TfL will undertake a six-week consultation that will allow the public to comment on the proposals.

Analysis of TfL plans by Passenger Transport suggest that the planned cuts equate to the removal of 238 buses from the network (see table). Of the major players, Go-Ahead London, the capital’s largest operator, would lose contracts for six routes with a total peak vehicle requirement (PVR) of 98 buses.

Both Arriva London and ComfortDelGro subsidiary Metroline would lose three routes with a combined PVR of 46. Abellio London would lose two routes (PVR: 29) and RATP Dev Transit London, the joint venture between RATP Dev and Australian-owned Kelsian Group two routes (PVR: 19).

The cuts would also affect nightbus routes with six routes also withdrawn – the N11, N16, N31, N72, N74 and N242.

However, the plans would also see changes to some other routes in order to mitigate some of the planned withdrawals. For example, the ‘Red Arrow’ Route 507 service between Waterloo and Victoria stations would be extended to Fulham in order to mitigate the withdrawal of Route 11 between Victoria and Fulham.
TfL says it has also worked

to ensure that the bus kilometres removed from the network are in locations that already have a higher provision of buses. Passengers affected by the cuts can also make use of the ‘Hopper’ fare that allows unlimited changes between buses within a one hour period.

At present around 19% of bus journeys in central London involve a change of bus. Under its proposals, TfL expects the proportion of passengers who would need to change buses to increase to around 24%.

 
The full story appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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