Bus Times MATTER 28 Feb 2023
BUS TIMES MATTER: A good bus service plays an important role in cutting traffic on our roads
London TravelWatch released figures which showed that just before the pandemic average bus speeds in London were only 9.3 miles per hour. Journey times speeded up during Covid but are falling again. Journey times matter. The TravelWatch research showed there is a direct link between journey times and the number of people using buses. And that even a small increase in journey times would have a dramatic effect on decreasing the number of bus users.
If the average speed of a London bus rose by just 1mph:
- There would be a rise in passenger numbers.
- TfL’s annual revenue is likely to increase by as much as £80 to £85 million.
- Additional savings of between £100m and £200m each year would be made because TfL would need fewer buses to ensure services “ran to time”.
Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) have a negative impact on bus journey times because traffic is re-routed onto bus routes on our community roads. Congestion on these roads lengthens journey times and prompts buses to halt before the end of routes, forcing passengers to take two or three buses rather than one. This results in user dissatisfaction and falling passenger numbers.
Outside London, the bus service tends to be in an even worse shape. This means that most people have little choice but to drive to work, shop and socialise. Places like Brighton, Nottingham and Edinburgh have maintained a viable bus network, and things are improving in Manchester and Birmingham under their city mayors, but in large parts of the country travelling by bus is not realistic.
Transport & Equality
Not only do slower buses tempt more people back into their cars, according to London TravelWatch research, they have a particular negative impact on the lives of women, children, people of colour, those on lower incomes, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Despite slowing and declining journey times there were still 2.1bn journeys in London in 2019/20. More people use the bus to get to work in London than any other mode of transport. With one third of all bus journeys in London made by people earning less than £20,000 a year, this is clearly an issue of transport equity. Moreover, the research showed many of these people were almost entirely reliant on the bus to get about.
Accessibility
According to research from Transport for All, buses play an important role in disabled Londoners' transport lives. With only 25% of mainline rail stations and 33% of tube stations having step-free access, buses are often the most accessible mode for many disabled people and certainly the most step-free option. (picture TfA).
The recent introduction of floating bus stops where bus passengers must board and alight their bus by crossing a live cycle lane are strongly opposed by disability organisations. The argument that very few collisions with cyclists happen misses the point. They create uncertainty for disabled people. London’s bus network has seen transformational accessibility improvements over the last 30 years. Floating bus stops move it in the wrong direction.
Keep buses moving!
There are powerful environmental and equality reasons to ensure a fast and efficient bus service. Less traffic on the roads would help but that is not going to happen overnight. Good public transport needs to be in place first before it becomes realistic.
In the short term, bus travel would benefit from:
- More bus priority measures
- Lower fares
- The removal of the Covid low traffic neighbourhoods
- The removal of floating bus stops
For further reading:
https://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/blog/who-uses-the-busand-why/ https://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/blog/why-london-travelwatch-wants-to-freethebus/
