Transport for London Unveils New Bus Stop Shelter Design

TfL Image - New Bus Shelter Design in Southwark

Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled a new bus shelter design, which features a modern aesthetic and enhanced accessibility. The updated structures include improved seating arrangements, specifically incorporating designated priority seats for elderly or pregnant passengers and those with disabilities.

The following press release provides further details regarding the official launch of these new bus shelters by TfL:

Transport for London (TfL) will begin trialling new bus shelter designs aimed at improving accessibility, safety and customer experience, with the new designs introduced at 27 locations across London over the coming weeks. TfL is committed to making bus travel more attractive as part of its Bus Action Plan, and the new design features will be installed at existing shelter locations by upgrading or replacing a variety of individual features.

More than five million journeys are made on TfL’s bus network each day and every passenger wants their waiting environment to be as safe, accessible and comfortable as possible – but some of TfL’s existing shelters vary in age and condition, creating an inconsistent customer experience. This trial introduces a modern, environmentally responsible and sustainable design identity that aligns with TfL’s iconic bus network.

The trial will span boroughs across London including Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Camden, Croydon, Hackney, Havering, Hillingdon, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and City of Westminster. It began at the end of January and will run for 12 months in locations selected based on the condition of existing shelters and the number of customers using each bus stop, as well as high crime locations.

Across the sites, two different designs and four different configurations of features will be used to test the new approach, ensuring a broad range of criteria can be assessed throughout. Customers at the trial locations will benefit from enhanced features including:

• Better lighting - a brighter waiting environment to help customers feel safer and provide better visibility of the bus shelter and stop for bus drivers
• Improved seating - an updated seating design to enhance comfort and ease of access, especially for customers with mobility impairments
• More robust materials - shelters less prone to the impact of vandalism, making them easier to maintain
• An improved roof design - a reflective red vinyl to strengthen the iconic red bus brand identity and stand out more, making it more recognisable in darkness and from further away
• Priority spaces - a priority seating moquette and dedicated waiting space with signs for priority customers
• CCTV - cameras installed at 10 locations to enhance public safety, with evaluation of how they support police investigations and influence crime levels in those areas

In developing the new design features, TfL has engaged with a number of campaign groups and charities who have provided valuable feedback, including disability focus groups, the RNIB, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and London TravelWatch. Incorporating their perspectives was essential to ensuring that the designs meets the needs of all customers and reflects the highest standards of accessibility and safety. Throughout the trial TfL will carefully consider any feedback and will incorporate this into the future design of London’s bus shelters.

Bus stops and shelters are the most used waiting points daily across all public transport modes and TfL maintains most of the 14,000 bus shelters across London. TfL maintenance teams work around the clock to make sure bus shelters are a clean, comfortable waiting environment – ensuring they are regularly maintained, graffiti is tackled, and customer information displayed is correct.

Alongside the trial of new shelter designs, additional bus shelters will be introduced at locations that previously had no provision. Approximately 20 new Landmark London shelters are being installed at some of the network’s highest demand stops, many of which have not had a shelter before. 11 refurbished shelters are being redeployed across the network to further improve waiting conditions for customers at unsheltered stops.

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There is a notable design feature to highlight: the 'Red Bus' moquette pattern applied to the windows of the new bus shelter. This iconic motif was originally launched on the Alexander Dennis Enviro400H City, a vehicle design inspired by both the New Routemaster and the classic AEC Routemaster.

Did anyone notice the Red Bus moquette design on the window of the bus stop shelter? It was originally used on the Alexander Dennis Enviro400H City, inspired by the three-door, two-staircase New Routemaster and the AEC Routemaster. Here’s a video by Camira Fabrics.

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— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 7:49 PM

I am pleased to see that TfL has finally raised the bar with these new bus shelters. The next stage should focus on improving onboard accessibility; I have long suggested that TfL should implement dual wheelchair spaces on double-deck buses, a configuration already utilised on various services across the UK and Ireland, as well as further afield in Singapore and Hong Kong.

'Landmark London' Bus Stop Shelter by Trueform Manufacturing & Technologies Group for #TfL's #London #Buses and East London #Transit #BRT. pic.twitter.com/R8kYr1gmoe

— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) May 26, 2022

Conclusion

It is great to see TfL finally giving our street furniture the attention it deserves. These new shelters don’t just look the part with that clever nod to the Routemaster’s heritage; they also tackle the practical issues around safety and comfort that many passengers face every day. It is a promising start, and it shows that the feedback from accessibility groups is starting to make a real difference to the design process.

That said, the work shouldn't stop at the pavement. While a better waiting environment is a huge win, the real goal has to be making the buses themselves just as inclusive. Hopefully, this trial is a sign that TfL is ready to keep pushing forward, perhaps by finally bringing in those dual wheelchair spaces to bring London’s fleet in line with the high standards we see in other global cities.

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