TfL is proposing a change on route 96 to reroute the section between Dartford and Bluewater to serve Darent Valley Hospital and to use the Fastrack busways to reduce journey times.
From TfL consultations
We’ve been working with Kent County Council to improve bus services to Darent Valley Hospital, whilst also improving the journey time and reliability of route 96. We are now proposing improvements to route 96 between Dartford and Bluewater shopping centre, and would welcome any comments you may have on the proposals.
Route 96 (Woolwich - Bluewater)
The route currently runs between Woolwich and Bluewater, serving Plumstead, Welling, Bexleyheath, Crayford and Dartford with buses running non-stop between Dartford and Bluewater.
We’re proposing that buses on route 96 are rerouted along sections of the Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit system. From Dartford town centre, buses would run along East Hill, Park Road and Princes Road to Gore Road. Here they would join the Fastrack system to Darent Valley Hospital and onto Bluewater using the dedicated busways. Buses would only serve stops in Dartford town centre, Darent Valley Hospital and Bluewater.
Rerouting along the Fastrack network will shorten journey times, improve access to Darent Valley Hospital and ensure buses can run reliably, unhindered by the ebb and flow of general traffic to Bluewater, as is the case now.
Serving the hospital creates many new opportunities for people in Welling, Bexleyheath and Crayford to travel directly there.
What is the Fastrack network?
The Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit network uses a combination of measures to provide fast, direct and reliable bus journeys. Buses on three special routes use a series of priority measures to avoid other traffic, with services on the network co-ordinated by Kent County Council.
Have your say
We would like to know what you think about our proposals. Subject to the comments received during this consultation and the written agreement from Kent County Council we intend that buses start using the new route from 28 October 2017.
You can take part in the survey here.
I’ve found out that the leader of London Borough of Bexley has lobbied Transport for London and Kent County Council to enable the proposal to happen.
This shows that TfL is increasing competition against the Kent County Council funded Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit scheme by rerouting route 96 to serve Darent Valley Hospital and using the Fastrack busways to Bluewater Shopping Centre to cut the journey time.
Currently London Buses route 428 serves Darent Valley Hospital between the routing of Dartford and Bluewater, the route does not use the Fastrack busway. If the proposed changes to route 96 goes ahead, this could encourage TfL to ask Kent County Council to use the Fastrack busways for the route 428 service.
This could also encourage the deregulated bus operators to ask Kent County Council to use the segregated busway in order to cut journey times.
I wrote an article about the Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit service which you read here.
I’ve also written a more detailed article about the bus corridor which routes from Dartford to Bluewater which other London Bus routes serve. The article also mentions Kent County Council’s concern about the proposed change back in 2011. The information may be out of date.
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