Recently, I met with a number of senior officials at Transport for London (TfL) to convey my constituents’ concerns about recent changes to the W12 and W14 bus routes.
In particularly, I was keen to stress the impact that the reduced frequency of service to the Nightingale Estate was having on residents; my concerns around access to the Whipps Cross Hospital estate, and the importance of stopping at Woodbine Place. I know as well that there has been concern over the accuracy of timetable information, both on apps and physically printed by bus stands, and I have raised that as well. Finally, I know there have been concerns in the community about the accessibility of the consultation process from TfL.
I want to clarify TfL’s position on each issue, as they explained it to me, and then set out what I am doing going forward.
TfL officials understand that the reduced service of the Nightingale Estate is causing issues for residents, and I have stressed that a number of my constituents feel stranded due to the change. Their defence of the decision rested on data showing relatively low usage from the estate, with an average of 80 passengers per day, many of which were return journeys. They take the view that where they have empty buses, they better serve passengers by reallocating them to busier routes and areas.
Similarly, TfL officials understand that there is an impact on a number of residents accessing Whipps Cross Hospital, as the new route does not enter the estate, but instead stops at the Whipps Cross Interchange. Their position was firstly, that there wasn’t enough time in the schedule to extend the route into the hospital, and attempting to do so would seriously hinder the reliability of the service. They added that due to ongoing redevelopment work at Whipps Cross, there currently is nowhere to stand the bus on the estate. They pointed out that passengers can change buses at the Whipps Cross Interchange and access the estate directly every 3 minutes, on average.
On Woodbine Place, officials understood that servicing that stop would be helpful for passengers, but as with Whipps Cross, they told me that the there is not enough time in the schedule to make that happen immediately. However, they have given some ground here. They will consider having the W14 stop at Woodbine Place, but this is subject to gathering enough data through the winter to show that the current schedule is running reliably. I do want to temper expectations here – if the W14 is to stop at Woodbine Place, we are looking into the new year – but it is a small victory and testament to the voices of the community, which have been powerful and clear.
Regarding the accuracy of timetable information, officials have conceded that this has not been good enough. I know that since September, bus times on apps and printed on bus stands haven’t been accurate. As covered in the media, TfL suffered a cyberattack in September and this hampered their ability to share accurate data. Some good news on this front. I am told that as of Saturday 16 November, data sharing was back up to speed, and apps and websites should now show accurate timings. With regards to the printed timetables on bus stands, I am told that this should be completed in December.
Finally, with regards to the consultation, I know that a number of residents have expressed concern over the openness and accessibility of it, and I have fed that back to TfL. They confirmed that their consultation process involved posting invitations to 22,000+ local addresses near the relevant stops, and engaging with local groups. They told me that they received 868 responses, including 17 from stakeholders (like Redbridge and Waltham Forest Councils), and remarked that this was broadly ‘par for the course’ for bus consultations in terms of numbers.
Whilst I am pleased that there is the prospect of a concession on Woodbine Place, and that data sharing is back up and running, I remain concerned about the other outstanding issues, and I am disappointed that TfL has not taken meaningful steps to address the worries in the community.
That is why I will be formally presenting a petition to Parliament to register my concerns officially. This petition does not require mass signatures and can be presented with just two members of the public. I do know that the Save Our Buses Campaign has garnered many signatures which they are kindly sharing with my office. I will present the weight of opinion from the community alongside the petition.
I will also continue to engage with TfL officials and continue to press them on the clear upset in the community over the bus route changes.
Going forward, it is important that I hear from constituents on this issue. I would sincerely encourage constituents to contact my office to register their feelings on this matter. The more voices I can speak to when I go back to TfL, the stronger the case will be.
Readers can email me on calvin.bailey.mp@parliament.uk, post letters to me at Calvin Bailey MBE MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA or call my office 0207 219 7417. Readers should include their full name, address including postcode and bus route number.
