The Mayor of London and TfL have today been reminded by the London Assembly Transport Committee not to ignore the issues identified by London Bus users in October 2013.
A survey of over 1,000 bus users told the committee they wanted overcrowding addressed, better engagement, more transparency and consultation, fairer fares and environmentally friendly vehicles.
Chair of the Transport Committee, Valerie Shawcross AM said; “We welcome the launch of the Year of the Bus but once the hype and photo opportunities are over – we hope it will serve as a reminder to address the Committee's findings about rising demand and overcrowding.
London has a brilliant bus service with 6.5 million journeys made every day, more than twice the number of tube journeys. But, with a projected 167 million more journeys by 2022, we need to ensure the service is prioritised and modernised to keep pace with the growing demand.”
The recommendations included in the report – Bus Services in London[1] – asked TfL and the Mayor to:
· Publish a long-term strategy for the development of the bus network to address rising demand
· Devise a measure for determining ‘bus busyness’, set annual performance targets and report on these twice a year
· Publish a schedule for the roll-out of more environmentally friendly bus vehicles including electric buses
· Devise a new approach to future bus service consultations, including more targeted interaction with passengers and allow local councils to have more say on bus services
The Transport Committee is holding a Bus Seminar on Wednesday February the 19th to continue its discussions and research.
Notes for Editors:
1. Bus Services in London Report 2013 (attached)
2. More information on the Committee’s investigation into bus services in London.
3. London Assembly Transport Committee
4. Valerie Shawcross AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, is available for interview. See contact details below.
5. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Alison Bell on 020 7983 4228. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.