Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London and chairman of TfL, has replied to a letter from a local school regarding local bus problems
The letters were sent via Caroline Russell, (Green Party) now chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee.
Dear Caroline,
Thank you for writing to me and sharing the letter from the Deputy Head Teacher of Woodbridge High School, Mr Clifton. I am sorry for the delay in responding.
I understand the concerns raised by Mr Clifton, and I am sorry to hear of the impact this has had on local school children. I want to assure you that safety is a priority that Transport for London (TfL) and I share.
TfL has been engaging with residents and local politicians on this for a number of months. I understand you also met with Lorna Murphy, TfL’s Director of Buses, in December to discuss the Wanstead bus route changes.
When making improvements to bus services, TfL must look across the whole network and ensure it is providing value for money. Occasionally, service changes are required on the bus network that may lead to changes to people’s previous journeys, but which will deliver an improved bus service overall.
This was the rationale behind making the changes to the W bus routes. The changes made to the W12, W13, W14 (and 549) have resulted in higher ridership overall. Improvements in the vicinity of Woodbridge High School include route 549 being replaced by the hourly route W14 (previously every 90 minutes) and new electric buses being introduced onto routes W12 and W14, helping to improve local air quality. The introduction of new electric vehicles will also reduce cancellations caused by mechanical problems on older buses.
Following the letter from Mr Clifton, TfL subsequently undertook surveys in the vicinity of the school to better understand the issue. The results of the surveys found buses to be busy but with no significant crowding problems on nearby bus routes.
At the time of your letter, routes W12 and W14 (and 275) were experiencing performance issues. These service issues were not confined to the W-routes, which suggests wider challenges such as the performance of the road network. Long gaps between buses and buses being curtailed short of their destination can create crowded conditions on a bus, which would not be the case if the full level of service was operated at even intervals.
TfL continues to work with operators and other stakeholders to achieve reliable, good levels of service. The latest data shows some improvement in service quality, and TfL expects this to continue as the school year progresses.
I understand that TfL does not currently plan to make any further changes to these routes.
Finally, I understand the impact that the indefinite closure of Broadmead Road Bridge is causing to local people. The bridge is the responsibility of the London Borough of Redbridge, which took the decision to close it to traffic in June 2023 due to safety concerns. TfL is unable to fund these borough works; however, it can and is willing to support boroughs in developing bids to the Government and by providing technical support and advice.
Yours sincerely,
Sir Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London
