London Bus Tender Awards – Three Routes to Continue with Existing Diesel Single-Deck Buses

Transport for London (TfL) has announced yesterday (14th January) the first round of London Bus Tender awards for the New Year (2025), with three bus routes set to continue using single-deck buses until the end of 2028.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Route 318
Current Operator: Arriva London North
New Operator: Go-Ahead London General
PVR: 9
Vehicles: Existing diesel single deck
Contract Start Date: 8th November 2025
Contract End Date: 10th November 2028

Interesting FOI Requests to Transport for London – Bus Lane Enforcement on Christmas Day, Update on Central Line Improvement Programme, Piccadilly Line, and More

I will be reviewing various Freedom of Information (FOI) requests that have been responded to and published by Transport for London (TfL), particularly in relation to the current situation involving the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) and the new 2024 Tube Stock for the London Underground Piccadilly Line.

Actual off-peak Oyster times
Request ID: FOI-3161-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025

In Support of Matthew Somerville's Live London Underground Tube and Bus Maps

Update - 14th January 2025: The live Tube and London Bus maps has been reinstated.

Matthew Somerville has stated:

"TfL have apologised for the way that their “online brand protection agency” handled this and their approach to my hosting provider, and will be discussing matters with them. Given that, and the numerous emails I have been receiving from people missing the maps, I’m happy to reinstate them."

He also stated on BlueSky:

"I have removed the schematic map, which was the only actual issue. My issue was with their outsourced badly written threat. We got to the point where we agreed their outsourced agency was either lying or wrong, and their templates are not clear. So I can hope something might come out of that, but 🤷"

Original article continues below:

Recently, during this week, the live London Underground Tube and Bus maps were removed from the website run by Matthew Somerville. It was popular, having received press coverage from the BBC, The Guardian, etc. Bear in mind, I don't wish to get involved in any internet dramas or disputes; the purpose is to raise awareness of this issue.

Unfortunately, he replaced it with a webpage explaining why the removal occurred. He said:

Greater Manchester Launches Final Phase of Bus Franchising, West Midlands Launch Consultation on Bus Franchising, and Silvertown Tunnel to Open on 7 April 2025

Volvo BZL Double-Deck For The Bee Network - Photo by TfGM

Firstly, Happy New Year 2025 to my readers! I hope we will progress positively in this new chapter.

On 5th January, Greater Manchester finally launched the final phase of bus franchising, which means that control of bus services has been fully regained by the transport authority, Transport for Greater Manchester, as part of the Bee Network brand.

TfL Releases Update on Potential Bakerloo Line Extension to Hayes (Bromley)

Map of the proposed Bakerloo line extension to Hayes (Bromley)
© TfL

I discovered on the Transport for London (TfL) website a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that caught my attention. It relates to the Bakerloo Line extension to Hayes (Bromley), a proposal from 2014.

Request ID: FOI-2774-2425
Date published: 24 December 2024

Why Does London Have No Transport Services on Christmas Day?

Map of bus services in London and South East England during Christmas Day 2024.
Source: BusTimes.org

I’d like to start by wishing my readers and followers a Merry Christmas and sending my best wishes for the winter season.

In this article, I will review the Mayor's Question Time from previous years to explore why there are no transport services in London on Christmas Day.

While certain coach services and various bus services are running across the UK on Christmas Day, London does not have public transport available.

Examining Transport for London’s Customer Complaints: Key Insights from 2023 and 2024

Transport for London (TfL) plays a crucial role in the daily commuting of millions of passengers across the capital, handling over 3.56 billion passenger journeys in 2023/24. With such a high volume of services, customer complaints are inevitable. However, TfL remains committed to listening to passenger concerns, addressing issues promptly, and implementing improvements to enhance the quality of service.

In line with its transparency commitments, TfL has published detailed data on customer complaints through a Freedom of Information request (FOI-2798-2425). This data not only outlines the total complaints received each month but also highlights the key areas of dissatisfaction, providing valuable insights into recurring issues across various categories. Below is a more detailed look at the most complained-about issues from January 2023 to December 2024.

Challenges of Double-Deck Buses with Two Staircases and Two Doors (Front and Rear)

Some readers may recall from my previous article on the proposed successor to the AEC Routemaster that I mentioned several buses, including the Experimental Routemaster (XRM), which was never built, the Daimler CRC6-36 (Walsall Corporation 56), and the Volvo Ailsa (London Buses V3). These buses are double-deck designs with two staircases and two doors: one at the front and the other at the rear, behind the axle.

My Standards for Providing Bus Services: Tailoring Vehicle Types and Door Configurations to Meet Route Needs

NRMs with route branding
Drawings © TfL

I will be explaining and suggesting my standards for the type of vehicles used for particular bus services in London and elsewhere.

Important UK Transport-Related Consultations and Surveys to Take Part In - Deadlines January 2025

We would like to raise awareness that, during the Christmas period, there are ongoing consultations that are worth taking part in.

Integrated National Transport Strategy: a call for ideas