Request ID: FOI-1497-2223 Date published: 19 October 2022
You asked
Earlier this year, bus route 605 was withdrawn entirely between Edgware and Burnt Oak station, and between Marsh Hill/Marsh Lane and Mill Hill/The Rising Sun in the PM.
1) Please confirm the list of stakeholders consulted before this change, and please provide me with a copy of any consultation materials or emails sent to them, along with any responses.
2) The GLA Act 1999 Section 2(d) refers to TfL consulting parties, in addition to the police, local authority and LTUC, and whom they consider it appropriate to consult, about the matters specified in subsection (3) of the Act. In relation to the aforementioned route change, how did TfL come to the decision that members of the public should not be consulted? Please include the legal basis upon which this decision was made.
3) Please provide copies of letters to residents, posters, leaflets, bus stop notices, maps etc and any other physical or online customer information activity that was done to raise awareness of this change.
4) Please provide a copy of the new timetable, work order that was placed for posting the new timetables at bus stops, and the date on which this activity was completed.
5) Please provide the risk assessment and EQIA conducted for this change.
6) Lastly, please provide all minutes of meetings where this change was discussed and agreed (including a list of attendees of the final decision meeting).
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1497-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 22 September 2022, asking for information about route 605.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You specifically asked:
1) Please confirm the list of stakeholders consulted before this change, and please provide me with a copy of any consultation materials or emails sent to them, along with any responses.
2) The GLA Act 1999 Section 2(d) refers to TfL consulting parties, in addition to the police, local authority and LTUC, and whom they consider it appropriate to consult, about the matters specified in subsection (3) of the Act. In relation to the aforementioned route change, how did TfL come to the decision that members of the public should not be consulted? Please include the legal basis upon which this decision was made.
In response to questions 1 & 2 above, as the route still operates in the mornings, this was adjudged to be a frequency reduction. As such, no consultation was carried out as we are not required to do so under the terms of the GLA Act. Therefore we didn’t send any consultation information.
However, it’s possible that the bus operator have been in touch with the schools to confirm timings, otherwise there’s no requirement to consult.
Schoolchildren still have route 251 and the single journey on route 605 to make their journeys between Edgware, Burnt Oak, Mill Hill (Rising Sun at the top of Marsh Lane), Totteridge and Whetstone.
Route 204 also covers the now no longer served section of route 605 between Burnt Oak Station and Edgware.
3) Please provide copies of letters to residents, posters, leaflets, bus stop notices, maps etc and any other physical or online customer information activity that was done to raise awareness of this change.
4) Please provide a copy of the new timetable, work order that was placed for posting the new timetables at bus stops, and the date on which this activity was completed.
Please find attached timetables for route 605. A work order for posting was sent on 17 August, unfortunately it seems no work order was raised. We have just chased this up with the appropriate team and asked them replace the timetables.
5) Please provide the risk assessment and EQIA conducted for this change.
As the route is still operating we haven’t carried out an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA). We don’t carry out risk assessments for bus service changes, the EqIA would include relevant factors.
6) Lastly, please provide all minutes of meetings where this change was discussed and agreed (including a list of attendees of the final decision meeting).
Please find the meeting minutes attached. We’ve removed references to any other routes that are not relevant to your request.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
