Please accept this as a FOI request to provide the reasons for each route being in the category that the following routes are in and for the permanent end date for these changes The full list for your information is below Please also advise the approx cost of the scheme in documents in which the scheme was proposed • High-frequency routes that will have School Services in the mornings will include: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 18, 21, 25, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 44, 46, 47, 51, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 70, 71, 80, 81, 83, 85, 86, 87, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99, 102, 103, 108, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 118, 120, 121, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136, 137, 140, 143, 144, 145, 147, 150, 151, 154, 155, 157, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 170, 172, 174, 176, 177, 180, 184, 185, 188, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 197, 198, 199, 200, 202, 204, 207, 212, 213, 217, 219, 220, 221, 222, 226, 227, 229, 231, 235, 236, 237, 244, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 256, 257, 258, 262, 263, 267, 270, 271, 276, 279, 283, 284, 285, 288, 296, 299, 301, 307, 312, 316, 319, 320, 321, 326, 329, 330, 332, 333, 337, 343, 344, 357, 358, 363, 364, 366, 371, 379, 380, 381, 391, 393, 410, 417, 419, 422, 425, 427, 428, 430, 432, 433, 440, 450, 452, 453, 466, 468, 469, 472, 473, 483, 484, 486, 490, 607, B12, C10, C11, D6, E1, E2, E6, E8, E9, EL2, EL3, H10, H19, H22, H37, H91, H98, K2, K3, P4, R11, R70, S1, U1, U2, U4, U5, W11, W13, W15, W19, W3, W4, W6, W7, W8 • High-frequency routes that will have School Services in the afternoons will include: 25, 33, 39, 46, 51, 54, 58, 61, 65, 80, 81, 92, 93, 95, 96, 110, 111, 112, 114, 120, 123, 124, 125, 126, 131, 132, 140, 143, 144, 147, 152, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165, 170, 184, 190, 192, 193, 200, 208, 213, 217, 221, 227, 229, 234, 235, 237, 238, 244, 248, 256, 261, 267, 270, 276, 279, 281, 284, 296, 316, 320, 326, 358, 364, 366, 371, 410, 419, 427, 433, 440, 444, 450, 469, 490, 607, C11, D6, E6, H10, H19, H22, H37, H98, K2, K3, P4, R11, R70, S1, U1, U2, W13, W16, W19, W3, W4, W6, W8 • Lower-frequency routes that will have additional buses in the morning will include: 20, 50, 89, 110, 116, 117, 119, 122, 130, 138, 142, 152, 153, 167, 181, 186, 187, 201, 203, 206, 215, 216, 223, 225, 228, 232, 233, 234, 246, 255, 265, 269, 272, 273, 275, 282, 287, 289, 290, 294, 298, 300, 309, 313, 315, 317, 322, 323, 324, 325, 331, 339, 346, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 359, 360, 362, 367, 370, 372, 376, 377, 382, 383, 394, 395, 396, 397, 401, 406, 407, 411, 412, 413, 418, 434, 444, 455, 462, 463, 465, 470, 481, 487, 491, 492, 493, 496, 498, 499, 533, A10, B11, B14, B15, B16, E10, E11, E5, E7, G1, H17, H18, H2, H20, H25, H26, H28, K1, K4, K5, P12, P13, P5, R2, R3, R4, R68, R7, R8, S3, S4, U3, U7, W16, W5, W9 • Lower-frequency routes that will have additional buses in the afternoon will include: 117, 130, 142, 167, 181, 187, 201, 203, 206, 216, 223, 226, 232, 233, 251, 255, 265, 269, 272, 273, 289, 290, 300, 309, 313, 317, 324, 325, 331, 339, 352, 353, 354, 355, 360, 362, 367, 370, 376, 377, 380, 382, 393, 394, 396, 397, 398, 405, 411, 413, 428, 434, 455, 462, 463, 465, 470, 481, 484, 487, 491, 492, 493, 499, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, E10, E11, E5, E7, G1, H17, H18, H20, H25, K1, K4, K5, P13, P5, R1, R2, R4, R6, R68, R7, S3, S4, U3, U7, W9, X26 • The following school services will also have extra buses in the morning: 601, 602, 603, 608, 612, 613, 617, 626, 631, 632, 635, 638, 640, 643, 646, 652, 653, 655, 656, 657, 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 667, 669, 671, 674, 677, 678, 679, 681, 683, 684, 688, 689, 696, 697, 698, 699 • The following school services will also have extra buses in the afternoon: 601, 602, 612, 613, 617, 624, 626, 627, 628, 629, 631, 632, 635, 642, 643, 646, 652, 653, 655, 656, 657, 662, 663, 664, 665, 667, 669, 671, 675, 677, 678, 679, 683, 684, 685, 686, 687, 688, 689, 690, 692, 697, 698, 699

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Our Ref: FOI-0924-2021

Thank you for your request received on 27 August 2020 asking for information about bus changes from 1 September.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require.

Information on the reasoning for each route change is explained on our website:

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/schools-and-young-people/travel-guidance-for-schools?cid=reopeningeducation
https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2020/august/tfl-reminds-londoners-of-important-changes-to-buses-when-schools-start-to-return-next-week

In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply you with a copy of the requested information as it is already accessible to you elsewhere.

The reasons for the categorisation of routes is also explained in the Press Release.

As explained in the release, we have designate some existing regular buses as School Services on high frequency routes, which are prioritised for school travel and can operate at full seated capacity consistent with Government guidelines. We have also added more than 230 extra buses as School Services to bolster some of the busiest lower frequency routes that are highly used by schoolchildren, including adding more vehicles to its existing school bus services.

Routes were prioritised for every other bus (high frequency) or additional buses (low frequency) where they were close to schools; had high numbers of school pupils relative to capacity and where average journey lengths were longer meaning less opportunity for active travel to school. We will continue to keep the routes under review now that schools have returned.

There is currently no permanent end date. Funding is coming as part of an additional £5.8m grant from the Department for Education will facilitate these changes up to October half term. Please see the following document for more details:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/909222/Additional_School_and_College_Transport_Capacity_Funding_Allocations_up_to_October_Half_Term.ods

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.

The impact of current circumstances on TfL’s resources means we are not able to answer FOI requests readily and we ask that you please do not make a request to us at present.

Answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. In any event, please note that our response time will be affected by the current situation.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]

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