New draft Business Plan for period until 2029/30 proposes a ‘reimagining London’s bus network’, including detailed plans for an in-house operator

 
Bus services will be expanded in outer London

 
Transport for London will develop detailed proposals for a new publicly-owned bus company for London. This is among the commitments contained in the transport co-ordinating body’s new draft business plan covering the period until 2029/30, which was published this week.

TfL’s 8,797-strong bus fleet is has been operated by privately-owned bus companies since the mid-1990s. A publicly-owned company – East Thames Buses – was established in 1999 following the failure of Harris Bus but in 2009 it was sold to privately-owned Go-Ahead London. TfL says that re-establishing a publicly-owned bus company “could further support innovation, efficiency and accountability, while supporting the needs of passengers and the workforce”.

TfL says that plans for a publicly-owned bus company are an important part of its “reimagining London’s bus network”. This will also see expansion of the Superloop network to improve connectivity across outer London, new bus priority measures and world-leading traffic signal technology to cut delays and improve reliability.

Bus services will be expanded in outer London, with changes made to some central and inner London services to align with changing levels of demand in those areas. TfL will also invest in the next generation of bus shelters and improved real-time information for customers. It will also continue electrifying the bus fleet, with around two-thirds due to be zero-emission by the end of the plan.

This plan sets out sustained investment to continue making it safer, greener and fairer for everyone

The draft business plan also includes the transformation of Oxford Street and the delivery of new affordable housing and jobs with the recently confirmed proposals for DLR extension to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside. It also continues to make the case for other schemes such as the Bakerloo line extension, making Great Northern services from Moorgate to Stevenage and Hertford North part of London Overground, and developing the West London Orbital – a new London Overground route between Hounslow and Hendon via Old Oak Common using existing under-used freight lines.

TfL will meanhile complete the transformation of Northolt and Leyton stations to provide step-free access. Further progress will be made to complete the upgrade of Elephant & Castle’s Underground station and transform South Kensington station.

Additionally, the plan includes the completion of new signalling to ensure better journeys on the District and Metropolitan lines, progressing plans for a new Bakerloo line fleet, new train fleets on the Piccadilly line and DLR, additional trains on the Elizabeth Line, the complete refurbishment of the Central line fleet and the replacement of TfL’s ageing tram fleet.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m hugely proud of what we have achieved improving transport across London over the last 10 years – but we must never be complacent, so this plan sets out sustained investment to continue making it safer, greener and fairer for everyone.”
 

This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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