As we enter
Sept we have new tender awards for the London Bus operators and we will see new
changes to bus services coming in 2017.
From LOTS:
The following TfL contracts have been
awarded:
Tranche 554
·
82
(becoming 24 hour, see note below) - awarded
to Tower Transit (currently Metroline) with new Euro VI hybrid double deck. PVR 31 (currently 25). Start date 1
April 2017
·
113 -
re-awarded to Metroline with new hybrid double deck, PVR 28 (currently 18) - 22 Euro V vehicles built 2013 plus 9
additional hybrids, details to be confirmed (includes 3 spares).
Routes
82 and 113/N113 are awarded as specified including the changes proposed as part
of the inner north west London network review - 113 to Oxford Circus and 82
renumbered 13, subject to the outcome of consultation.
Let’s
elaborate on the Inner North West London network proposals
From TFL consultations
Travel habits are changing though, and we
want to make sure that our bus services can match future demand in the best way
possible. We’ve carried out a review of routes to and from Abbey Road and
Finchley Road serving the Baker Street corridor (routes 13, 82, 113, 139, 189,
N13, and N113) and would like to hear your views on our proposals.
From September 2016 we will also welcome the
introduction of a one-hour ‘Hopper’
fare. The ‘Hopper’ fare will automatically be given to anyone who uses pay
as you go with Oyster cards or contactless payments, and will allow passengers
to make an additional bus journey for free within one hour of touching in on
the first bus.
Our review takes into account the number of
passengers using each bus route, journey times, and where people are traveling
to and from. It considers how improved services on the Tube and Overground,
including the introduction of the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail), and the new
one-hour ‘Hopper’ bus fares, will change the way our customers travel.
We have also considered the potential impact
of new developments in the area and the aspirations of our stakeholders, for
example the impact of bus traffic in the West End.
Reflecting this, we have reviewed bus
services along Abbey Road and Finchley Road, including their links to Oxford
Street and the wider West End area.
The full details of our proposals for routes
13, 82, 113, 139, 189, N13, and N113 are set out below and include changes to
both day and night bus services
·
Route 13
would continue to run between Golders Green and Oxford Street serving Finchley
Road. It would be extended to North Finchley and re-routed to Victoria. We
propose a more frequent service with buses running, every six minutes during
the day Monday to Saturdays, with additional journeys at peak times, and every
10 minutes Sundays and each evening. There would be a 24-hour service on this
route, with buses running every 30 minutes on all nights. Route N13 would no longer run
·
Route 82 would no longer run, being
replaced by route 13 between North Finchley and Victoria
·
Route 113
would be extended to Oxford Circus and offer a more frequent service with buses
every seven to eight minutes during the day Monday to Saturdays and every 12
minutes on Sundays and each evening. This would give direct links between
Finchley Road and Oxford Street
·
Night
route N113 would continue to run every 30 minutes every night between Edgware
and Trafalgar Square
·
Route 139
would be extended from West Hampstead to Golders Green and would continue to
serve Abbey Road. Buses would continue to run every eight minutes during the
day Monday to Saturdays, every 12 minutes on Sundays and each evening and every
30 minutes at night. This would give direct
links between Golders Green and stops between Oxford Circus and Waterloo via
Strand
·
Route 189
would be re-routed to start and finish at Marble Arch instead of Oxford Circus.
Buses would continue to run every eight minutes during the day Monday to
Saturdays, every 12 minutes on Sundays and each evening and every 30 minutes at
night
Routes 13, 139 and 189 would run 24 hours a
day
Proposed
bus frequencies
The map below sets out the current and
proposed combined weekday daytime frequencies for particular sections of roads.
It includes buses on route 328 between Golders Green and West Hampstead, Quex
Road.
Golders Green – Childs Hill - Finchley Road
(Fortune Green)
Bus frequencies during the day would
increase from 23 to 25 buses per hour – a bus every two to three minutes
Finchley Road (Fortune Green) – Swiss
Cottage – St John’s Wood – Park Road
To match current demand, peak hour
frequencies on the Finchley Road would be reduced
from 27 buses per hour to 22 buses per hour, which equates to a bus every
two to three minutes, instead of just over every two minutes. This would reduce
the number of buses in the Oxford Street and Baker Street areas and would
enable us to reallocate resources to enhance bus services in other areas of London. During the day Monday to Saturdays
buses would be reduced from every two to three minutes to every three to four
minutes.
West Hampstead (West End Green) – West
Hampstead, Quex Road
Bus frequencies would remain unchanged at 15
buses every hour
Abbey Road – Grove End Road – Lisson Grove –
Rossmore Road
Bus frequencies would remain unchanged at 15
buses every hour.
You can take
part in the survey here and it will close on 30th
September 2016.
Interestingly,
what will happen to the Wright SRM Volvo B5LH? a two door one staircase variant
of the New Routemaster bus which will be launching into service on route 13; it is
due to arrive sometime this September (2016.) There will be six of these two
door Volvo SRM’s on route 13 which have been purchased and are operated by RATP
Dev.
In other
news, London Vehicle Finder reports
that route 253 sees the first New Routemaster (3 door 2 staircase hybrid bus)
entering service on 1st September 2016, the first NRM is LT525.
A final
reminder that today (2nd September 2016) is the very last day for the
2nd crew members and open platforms for New Routemaster for routes
9, 10, 11, 24, 38 and 390. The purpose of this is for TFL to save £10 million
and divert the funds to other schemes such as the ‘one-hour hopper’ fare.
You can follow
me on Twitter and Google Plus which is @CLondoner92
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