Despite the understandable obsession with the capital’s Tube and rail network, Londoners use the bus more than any other form of public transport. The reason is obvious - buses are affordable, accessible and go to all parts of the city. But a damning new report shows that the health of London’s bus network is waning.
Bus speeds have fallen below 7 mph in sections of the capital, according to London TravelWatch. But this is not just a central London phenomenon. Even in outer boroughs, speeds are little more than a proverbial snail's pace. For example, 12 mph in Bromley, 9.4 mph in Hounslow and 9 mph in Waltham Forest.
London sees an average of 4.6 million bus journeys a day. A cursory bit of mathematics reveals the millions of hours wasted by Londoners. Little surprise that research by TravelWatch finds that slow journey times were the most commonly cited barrier to Londoners using buses more regularly.
A key tenet of bus’s enduring popularity is its price and convenience. Around 95 per cent of Londoners live within 400 meters of a bus stop, according to Transport for London. Meanwhile, the Hopper fare allows for unlimited journeys within one hour of touching in for just £1.75. But this is only a convenience and a bargain if passengers can reliably get to where they need to be in decent time. TfL has claimed that more than 15 per cent of the 10 million car trips made daily in London could easily be made by bus. Londoners clearly still need convincing.
Moreover, the Mayor has an ambitious target for 80 per cent of all trip in London be made on foot, by bike or public transport by 2041. That will not be met if the public are put off by the thought of taking the bus unless absolutely necessary. And low traffic speeds risk the success of the new Superloop network.
Clearly, there is a finite amount of space on London’s roads. But additional bus lanes are vital. As is ensuring that companies who dig up the capital’s streets do so quickly, and if there is more than one issue that needs addressing, at the same time.
Sadiq Khan may wish to tear himself away from condemning the results of the US presidential election in order to address some local political concerns.
