FOI request detail

bus performance route 38

Request ID: FOI-3268-2425
Date published: 03 February 2025

You asked
F/O from 3068-2425 Dear Ms Thomas, Thank you for the information. I seem to have chosen to travel on the day in the first two weeks in December with the lowest observed percentage, at 88.4% (though this is not defined - please provide a definition). Unfortunately the information in the summary file is incomplete, and not particularly helpful. The heads of columns in the csv files are incomplete, so I can make no sense of the data. Four 'probability of' column headings is meaningless. The definition of the data in each column is required to be able to interpret the information; please provide this. The breakdown of the actual availability of buses on the evening of the 4th December makes grim reading, with no bus of any kind servicing Grosvenor Square from 17:01 to 17:21, then 1 bus, then 12 services 'lost due to traffic' then 1 bus at 18:22 (which I must have just missed), one bus at 19:01 (not the one I wanted), then a continual train of buses missing 'lost due to traffic'. This is appalling. What does 'lost due to traffic' actually mean? What caused this total loss of service for hours on end? Was no corrective action taken? Please answer these queries in the hope that lessons are learnt from this poor performance. I am sorry to have to create more work, but the performance on that day was totally unacceptable and I am interested in looking at trends, some of which you have provided.

We answered

 TfL Ref: 3268-2425

 

Thank you for your further request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 9 January 2025 as below.

 

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 the information you require. 

 

In our previous response, we provided route 38 data over the last finalised three months (14/09/2024 – 13/12/2024). If you click on the column headings the full title will show in the box at the top of the page for example the first column is the probability of waiting less than 10 minutes etc. We are required to send out data in this format due to the advice from the Information Commissioner on the use of spreadsheets to answer FOI requests. Please see the following link for more information: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2023/09/information-commissioner-calls-on-public-authorities-to-stop-using-spreadsheets-in-foi-responses/

 

The first two sheets show route 38 observed departure times form each stop by trips (down) and stops (across). Any gaps in service are marked with relevant comments (e.g. “Operated on diversion”, “Lost due to Traffic”, etc.). Curtailments due to 'Traffic' usually mean that the bus was running late due to traffic delays and was curtailed short of its journey to regulate the service or put the bus back where it is due on its schedule. On 4 December 2024, there was a number of buses which did not operate as scheduled due to traffic delays.

 

 The third sheet shows route 38 daily performance.

 

The data shows how much time customers on average waited for buses in excess of Scheduled Wait Time (SWT). This is measured by Excess Wait Time (EWT). The less the EWT the better (and more regular) the bus service is. The reliability figures may exclude any unrepresentative data outside bus operator control.

 

The overall Arriva performance is available on TfL website: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/buses-performance-data

 

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 

 

 

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

Attachments

foi ref 3268-2425.zip

ZIP
Back to top

Want to make a request?

We'll email you the response within 20 working days.


We'll publish the response online without disclosing any personal information.

Make a request

Something wrong with this request?


If you believe this request is not suitable, you can report it for attention, at foi@tfl.gov.uk