Transport for London (TfL) has opened a 12-month trial of a new bus shelter design that the organisation says will improve accessibility, safety, and customer experience.
The shelter will be deployed at 27 locations across the capital. It has improvements including better lighting and seating, priority spaces, a more sustainable modular approach to build, more robust anti-vandal materials, and CCTV in selected cases.
Start of the trial is part of TfL’s Bus Action Plan, which aims to encourage bus use and drive Mayor Sadiq Khan’s aim for 80% of journeys in London to be made via public transport or active travel means by 2030.
Although bus patronage in the capital is on a long-term downward trajectory, more than five million journeys are made via the mode there each day. TfL acknowledges that some of its existing shelters vary in age and condition, creating an inconsistent customer experience.
Locations for the trial have been chosen based on the condition of existing shelters and the number of passengers using each stop, as well as high crime locations. Two designs and four configurations will be used to test the approach and allow a broad set of criteria to be assessed.
Alongside practical improvements, the new shelter design includes a reflective red vinyl on the roof “to strengthen the iconic red bus brand identity and stand out more,” TfL says.
CCTV cameras will be installed at 10 locations. How they support police investigations and influence crime levels will be evaluated. Development of the new design features followed engagement with a number of campaign groups and charities to ensure that they meet the needs of all customers.
In 2024, TfL installed CCTV in 20 bus shelters as part of a trial with the Metropolitan Police with an aim of making journeys safer and giving women and girls more confidence when travelling.
80% of women surveyed said that the CCTV made them feel safer, and 73% that they would be more likely to travel by bus. That trial will continue so TfL can evaluate the effectiveness of CCTV in improving passenger confidence and safety.
Throughout the latest bus shelter evaluation, TfL will consider feedback and incorporate it into future design.
