Transport watchdog calls for TfL to scrap cuts to night buses

A London transport watchdog, London TravelWatch, is calling on TfL to scrap any proposed changes to the night bus, as it could lead to safety risks for night travellers.

The watchdog has said one in five night bus passengers could be forced to change buses in the middle of the night if the cuts go ahead.

Research by London TravelWatch has revealed that travelling at night is a personal security concern for most passengers, with three-quarters saying that travelling after 10pm is the least safe time to travel.

Chief Executive, Emma Gibson, said: ‘Some night buses only run every 30 minutes, so if you have to change buses, in some cases at a completely different bus stop, it raises huge concerns around personal safety. Many of the bus stops that we visited didn’t have a shelter or a countdown screen telling you when your next bus will be coming. Which only increases feelings of vulnerability in the middle of the night.’

According to the organisation, women, girls, elderly, disabled people and people of colour were most likely to feel vulnerable when travelling at night.

TfL is currently conducting a consultation on the matter, which ends on Sunday, and London TravelWatch is encouraging citizens to have their say before it closes.

The watchdog has submitted its own evidence to the consultation on bus cuts and is urging TfL to abandon its plans to axe or make changes to routes, including the 12, 205, 476, 45, 78 and D3.

Campaigners say the cuts would disproportionately affect disabled people by making buses more crowded, restricting wheelchair space and requiring disabled people to walk or wheel up to 500m to a different bus stop.

If the proposed cuts go ahead, London TravelWatch has warned 93,000 new daily journeys will involve a change of bus, or two or three in some cases.

Its calling for all changes of bus to be made from the same bus stop, to prevent passengers from walking to a different one to catch their next ride, and for the Hopper fare window of one hour to be banned to save money for Londoners on low incomes.

Photo by Jacob Shutler