A new report by London TravelWatch, the capital’s independent transport watchdog, is urging widespread improvements to the capital’s bus service.

The report, entitled ‘The next stop: Making London’s buses better’, found that slow journey times, poor provision of information and the onboard experience can discourage passengers from using the bus. London TravelWatch is now calling on TfL to set out, in detail, how it plans to address these issues by the time of the next update of the Mayor’s transport strategy in summer 2025.

“We want to see TfL working more closely with London boroughs to speed up the roll out of bus priority measures” – Michael Roberts, CEO of London TravelWatch

Michael Roberts, CEO of London TravelWatch, said: “Buses are a lifeline to many in the capital, particularly among those for whom affordability and accessibility are priorities. But with average speeds barely over 9mph, they are simply not getting passengers to where they need to be quickly enough and, while ridership is increasing post-Covid, it is still below that of a decade ago.

“If there is to be any chance of meeting the Mayor’s target for 80% of all trips in London to be made on foot, by bike or public transport by 2041, then bus services need urgent improvement. Just taking one extra bus trip each month would make a significant difference.

“We want to see TfL working more closely with London boroughs to speed up the roll out of bus priority measures, thus improving journey times and protecting this vital service.”

Key recommendations

The report outlines five key recommendations to help get London’s bus services back on track. These are:

• Improve bus operations – including measures to reduce bus journey times, such as more bus lanes, and increasing and better enforcing bus lane operating hours.
• Enhance passenger information and communications – This includes increasing the number of Countdown screens and improving their reliability.
• Improve the overall experience for bus passengers – This includes ensuring that waiting for and travelling on a bus is safer, more secure and more comfortable.
• Strengthen collaboration between boroughs and TfL – TfL should set out what a meaningful programme of engagement with London boroughs looks like.
• Continue to promote innovation – TfL should set out the full range of current initiatives for encouraging new ideas on how to improve bus services and identify further areas of innovation.