You announced on 10th January that there would be changes to Routemaster buses to ensure front boarding only. You claim this will prevent some £10.6m in ticket fraud every year. Please explain a] how much introducing these modifications to Routmaster buses has already cost and how much it will in future cost every year. b] how much delay will be added to stop times by cutting out passenger entry at middle and rear doors. c] how opening middle and rear doors for passenger exit will safely prevent passenger entry.

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TfL Ref: FOI-3094-1920

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14 January 2020, asking for information about New Routemaster buses.

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. You asked:

a] how much introducing these modifications to Routemaster buses has already cost and how much it will in future cost every year.

The cost of carrying out the modifications to all 1,000 New Routemasters is expected to be up to £900k. We expect the modifications to pay for themselves in around a year from the reduced rates of fare evasion we have seen on the routes 8 and N8. There will be further savings from reduced maintenance of travel card validators as the vehicles will only need one of these by the driver’s cab. This will benefit customers by enabling more money to be reinvested back into the network as a whole and reduce complaints about people not validating their travel cards.

b] how much delay will be added to stop times by cutting out passenger entry at middle and rear doors.

We do not expect to see any net difference in end-to-end route travel time. Front-door boarding tends to be quicker at less busy stops with the driver only needing to focus on the front door when everyone has got off and this tends to offset the faster boarding and alighting times at much busier stops when all three doors are in operation. So, we expect any slower hopping on and off in a very busy location to be made up over the length of the route.

c] how opening middle and rear doors for passenger exit will safely prevent passenger entry.

Front door boarding isn’t new and is the predominant way passengers get on to buses in London. Around 85 per cent of our 9,000 bus fleet uses this system already, making it very familiar to passengers. There will be a short period when passengers get used to the change on New Routemasters, supported by additional signs advising customers to do this, but after that we will have a more consistent system for people getting on and off. It may assist safety as passengers won’t be moving in conflicting directions through three doors.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some 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 Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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