Greenwich Council has called on TfL to extend a proposed new South London Superloop route to Woolwich.
Plans for the SL15, which will run between Clapham Junction and Eltham via Tulse Hill, West Dulwich and Catford, were unveiled in October.
TfL have been inviting residents to share their views on a proposed new Superloop bus service between Clapham Junction and Eltham stations, serving a limited number of stops in Streatham, West Dulwich, Forest Hill and Catford, primarily following the A205 South Circular Road.
At a Full Council meeting on December 3, Greenwich councillors unanimously supported a motion that called on the city’s transport authority to extend the SL15 to Woolwich as well as add a stop at Mottingham Station in both directions.
The motion was proposed by the leader of the opposition Councillor Matt Hartley. The Greenwich Conservative Leader said: “The Superloop SL15 route is so obviously extendable to Woolwich.
“It needs to go to Woolwich. There is actually, I would say, a limited utility from a Clapham Junction to Eltham route without the Woolwich link.
“Mottingham is so poorly served by public transport. We need north/south public transport links, including bus routes, and adding a Mottingham Station stop will only be a small detour and it could be our only chance realistically to get something in the near term to improve public transport for Mottingham.”
Cllr Hartley said the motion was “particularly important” because of a proposed Eltham to Beckton bus route that TfL revealed plans for before the Silvertown Tunnel opened, but which has not yet materialised.
In a rare showing of cross-party agreement, the council’s Acting Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Sustainability and Transport, Cllr Calum O’Byrne Mulligan, seconded the motion despite having “one or two quibbles” with some of its details.
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He said: “We think that this is such an important thing that we all need to get behind and we’re working on plenty of other ways as well to improve north/south connections, not just with the 129 extension, but amendments to other bus routes and also looking to improve active travel routes north/south of the borough.
“I’m incredibly glad that everyone is able to come here together today so we can get behind this ambition to close the loop and connect Eltham, Woolwich, and improve connections for Mottingham as well.”
In response, TfL said the SL15 consultation, which ran from October 20 to November 30, had now closed.
The authority said “feedback is hugely important to us” and it was now analysing the consultation responses with a view to publishing the results soon.
TfL’s Director of Public Transport Service Planning, Geoff Hobbs, said: “We know buses are an important lifeline for millions of Londoners each year, and the proposed SL15 express bus service between Clapham Junction and Eltham aims to encourage more Londoners to choose more sustainable and affordable public transport options.”
