Improvements to London bus services as part of ULEZ Greater London expansion
Request ID: FOI-2789-2223 Date published: 16 February 2023
You asked
Hello
I have questions about the improvements to your bus services in relation to ULEZ expansion to the whole of Greater London.
According to the Mayor of London's news release from last year, it says:
"New services and improvements, that will see over one million further kilometres added to the bus network, are also planned to support growth areas in a number of other outer London locations. This is part of the biggest ever expansion of the bus network in outer London. Examples include:
• Improved links between Harold Hill and Upminster in Havering
• New and improved services at Brent Cross in Barnet
• Improved services in Southall
• Bus improvements in the Harrow & Wealdstone area
• New routes to serve the Haringey Heartlands development at Wood Green
• Better bus links in Wanstead, including to and from Whipps Cross Hospital"
https://www.london.gov.uk/ultra-low-emission-zone-will-be-expanded-london-wide
Can you publish documents including reports, presentations, and maps of the improvements for the areas listed above?
Will the bus service improvements start on the same date as the ULEZ expansion?
Would you be able to provide more information about your bus service improvements, including new routes in different areas, new transit schemes, new zero-emission bus types, new bus interiors with new seats, new information screens, etc. as part of your Bus Action Plan, and the government's Bus Back Better and Bus Service Improvement plans?
We answered
Our ref: FOI-2789-2223/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 26 January 2023 asking for information about improvements to London bus services.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require.
Can you publish documents including reports, presentations, and maps of the improvements for the areas listed above? Will the bus service improvements start on the same date as the ULEZ expansion?
We will be consulting on the changes outlined in the press release in stages (by area) over the coming six months. Full details of the proposed route changes will be published, including maps and background documents. These particular improvements will start later than the ULEZ expansion, however there are likely to be increases to frequencies on some bus route before the ULEZ date, again full details and dates are still to be confirmed.
Would you be able to provide more information about your bus service improvements, including new routes in different areas, new transit schemes, new zero-emission bus types, new bus interiors with new seats, new information screens, etc. as part of your Bus Action Plan, and the government's Bus Back Better and Bus Service Improvement plans?
To improve the customer offering, including safety and overall experience, we are looking at how we can improve the interior of the buses. This includes reviewing and implementing new seat materials, flooring and lighting, which will shortly be trialled on the route 358 Irizar (also referred to as tram buses). The introduction of new electric buses will have leather seating and high back seats, in addition to digital screens displaying next stop information, along with wooden flooring and improved lighting. Some of these features are also being trialled on route 63, which were the electric buses introduced in 2022 which has on board bus screens to provide customers with more accurate and detailed information, in addition to USB charging devices for mobile phones and a panoramic roof on the top deck. We will be looking to adopt more of these features on new zero-emission buses in a cost effective way, by working with manufacturers and London bus operators.
London currently has over 900 zero-emission buses in the fleet including single and double deckers. Zero-emission bus technology types include hydrogen fuel cell buses, fully battery electric buses and more recently electric ‘opportunity’ charged buses, which are currently operating on route 132, and will soon be on route 358. Details can be found in a TfL press release. A range of zero-emission bus technology types are vital in helping TfL meet it’s 2034 goal for a zero-emission bus fleet.
