The Mayor of London has been told to intervene to save more bus routes from being slashed in the capital after refusing to commit to maintaining current services.
Last weekend Andy Edwards, the boss of Go Ahead, London’s largest bus firm, said the recent National Insurance hike had made some routes “unsustainable” and they would not be “maintained at a loss”, suggesting the company is hoping for a better deal from Transport for London (TfL) when they are re-tendered.
Operators have seen the number of bus passengers fall in recent years, reducing their revenue, while also missing out on bonus payments from TfL for the amount of mileage achieved.
Sir Sadiq Khan was asked on Monday (January 26) whether Londoners were likely to see a growing trend of routes being “shortened or made less frequent”.
“Accepting the full premise of the question, we always look at bus routes, frequency and so forth,” he told the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee.
“I’ve raised this on a number of occasions in the last few years. My focus has been to improve buses in outer London because of the lack of alternatives, but also bearing in mind the massive improvement in alternatives in Central London as well.
“Londoners can rest assured that unlike Conservatives, I freeze bus fares, unlike Conservatives, I make sure we have a budget that is fit for public service.”
But he would not give a definitive answer on whether all current bus routes would be maintained in the coming years, despite being pushed by committee chair Neil Garratt numerous times.
After the meeting, Mr Garratt told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Its a Labour one-two punch for London’s iconic buses.
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“They were already struggling at their slowest ever speed, even though there’s less traffic, thanks to the London Mayor clogging up our roads. Road closures, 20mph on main roads, traffic lights on red longer: bus drivers will tell you it’s like a giant car park out there.
“And now Labour’s jobs tax is coming for them too: pushing up costs, tipping them over the edge.
“By refusing to intervene, the Mayor confirmed today that people who rely on these buses will soon see them cut. I expect the routes will continue, but buses will be less frequent and more crowded. That’s Labour’s bus bombshell. Which routes will be next?”
Credit: London Assembly
The Mayor of London also suggested that a change in work patterns post-pandemic could be to blame for a dip in bus passenger numbers, despite all other modes of transport seeing an uptick.
“TfL say that there are about 20 or so different factors they’ve identified that can impact demand for buses,” he explained. “Two-thirds of those are things that are essentially outside TfL’s control – whether that’s economic activity, home working.
“Then there are obviously things that are in TfL’s control, such as fares and alternative services – we know that some people will have gone from bus onto, for instance, the Elizabeth Line. That’s the consequence of that.”
Sir Sadiq admitted that “there are also a range of factors that tie into bus speed and reliability”, but suggested TfL’s new ‘London on the Move’ strategy, which is aimed at cutting bus congestion, could help reverse the trend.
