Traffic congestion would be alleviated and decline in bus use reversed, says Assembly
The London Assembly Transport Committee is calling on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to take “difficult decisions” to solve London’s growing transport problems, including the reintroduction of articulated buses.
The Committee’s new report, London’s Bus Network, recommends:
- Moving to an efficient network based on the feeder/trunk model. Artics “might be the best option for these routes” as they provide higher capacity and faster loading/unloading
- Improving the bus experience to attract new passengers, including information online, at bus stops and on-board. TfL should also consider introducing wi-fi on buses
- Prioritising new orbital bus routes and express buses
- Redistributing bus capacity to outer London. Reforming the bus service tendering process
- Tackling congestion to halt the decline in passenger numbers.
The Assembly says that with 2bn passenger journeys a year, bus usage is double that of the London Underground. But numbers are in decline. Between 2014-15 and 2016-17, the number of bus passenger journeys fell by 6%.
It says the primary reason is increased congestion and there has been an increase in ‘excess wait time’ of 20% in the three years to 2015-16.
The Committee’s Deputy Chair Caroline Pidgeon says: “Bendy buses are controversial – but in outer London they may be the solution to more capacity on routes that feed stations. They also increase accessibility, with more space for wheelchairs.
“Reducing congestion is only going to be possible if we give drivers more viable public transport alternatives. The Mayor and TfL need to make jumping on a bus a more pleasant passenger experience.”
- Read the report at goo.gl/vZNgQ7
