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| Map of the proposed Bakerloo line extension to Hayes (Bromley) © TfL |
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| Map of bus services in London and South East England during Christmas Day 2024. Source: BusTimes.org |
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.
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| 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.
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
Another day of London Bus Tender Awards announcements by Transport for London (TfL) shows that Route 166 will be served using new single-deck electric buses.
LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:
As we approach Christmas and the end of the year, the recent London Bus Tender awards have announced that routes 95 and 491 will use new single-deck electric buses, while hybrid New Routemasters will continue to operate on route 67.
LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:
I will be reviewing various Freedom of Information (FOI) requests on the Transport for London (TfL) website, focusing particularly on information I found about London's buses.
Request for New London Bus Vehicle Specifications - Version 2.6 and Later Versions
Request ID: FOI-2818-2425
Date published: 11 December 2024
Mayor announces TfL fares package for 2025, with a freeze to bus and tram fares
It has been reported by @ediz1975 on X (formerly Twitter) that the bus operating company Arriva London has announced they will surrender routes 149 and 248 two years earlier than the original end date.
In the summer of 2024, independent bus company Sullivan Buses ceased operating all of Transport for London's (TfL) routes due to a financial dispute, and the routes were retendered to different bus operating companies.
I will be exploring through the Mayor’s Question Time, Transport for London (TfL) documents, etc. on how and why the New Routemaster (also known as the New Bus for London) was designed as a three-door, two-staircase hybrid bus instead of a half-cab and permanent open platform bus.
Let’s start off on how the concept of the New Routemaster all started.
This article explores the development of various proposed successors to the AEC Routemaster throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, before the Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson proposed the New Routemaster during his 2008 London Mayoral Election.
XRM (Experimental Routemaster)
The front-entrance AEC Routemaster’s (FRM1) launch in December 1966 was met with a sense of pessimism. It was quickly seen as outdated, even before it entered production, and there were growing arguments against London Transport (LT) continuing to design its own vehicles. The introduction of the New Bus Grant scheme, which provided generous subsidies for off-the-shelf vehicles, further weakened the case for bespoke bus designs. This shift towards ready-made models led to the failure of several new bus types, such as the Merlins, Swifts, and Fleetlines, which were plagued by high maintenance costs. Despite this, there remained a strong belief that only London Transport could design buses suited to the city's needs, which resulted in a bias against new models before they had been tested.
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| Drawing of the New Routemaster |
In this article, I will be going through a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests published on the Transport for London (TfL) website regarding modifications to the New Routemaster buses, including changes to doors and windows.
Request ID: FOI-1630-2425
Date published: 10 September 2024
Below are the key insights from Transport for London's (TfL) Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, which I found on their website.
I hope you find this information helpful.
Request ID: FOI-2649-2425
Date published: 02 December 2024
Electric Buses
Question: It has come to my attention that only a handful of Electric buses last on routes 24/7 without using Diesel or Hybrid vehicles to cover. What action will be taken to ensure that Electric buses are able to remain on routes throughout the day and night?
As we enter the final month of the year (December 2024), I’ve been reviewing the answers from the London Mayor's Question Time held on 21 November 2024. There’s a wealth of interesting information about upcoming improvements to London buses and the Underground, including plans for driverless trains.
Bus lanes and bus journey times
Reference: 2024/3971
Date: Tuesday 26 November 2024