Buses

The bus network plays a vital role in the capital's transport system, providing access to centres of employment, town centres, and Underground and rail stations. Buses also play a key role in improving social inclusion by providing a lower-cost travel alternative and increasing accessibility through a wide-ranging network. Buses are now reliable, quick, convenient, accessible, comfortable, clean, easy and safe to use, and affordable.

With over 700 different routes, London’s buses are today carrying more passengers than at any time since the 1960s, and the number of buses on London’s roads has increased significantly since 2000. Along with improvements to the bus fleet, including the installation of CCTV and wheel chair access, this has resulted in a 45% increase in the number of passengers since 2000, and over six million journeys being made every weekday. This success has contributed to the five per cent modal shift from car to public transport that has been witnessed in London. A joint report from the Audit Commission and the National Audit Office published in 2005 stated that London’s bus network was ‘leading the way’ in the UK with significant growth in passenger numbers.

What has been achieved to date?

Services

The average waiting time for buses has fallen by 14% in the last ten years.
The number of operated kilometers rose to 458 million in 2007, a 32% increase since 2000.
In the year to March 2007 there were approximately 1.88 billion passenger trips on the network.
London’s bus network continued to set new performance records in 2006 as passenger numbers reached their highest levels since 1965.
More than 85% of bus journeys are now made using Oyster. The number of single journeys now paid for by cash is extremely low, just 2.5% on buses.
London Buses has introduced quality incentive contracts that reward operators for their good performance, with deductions for poor performance.
Cashless bus routes (where tickets must be purchased before boarding) have been introduced in central London to get buses moving faster.
The capital’s 100 night bus routes carry 34 million passengers every year, more than double the number in 2000.
Every vehicle on the mainstream bus network has now been fitted with CCTV.
Strict bus lane enforcement measures have been implemented using more than 300 cameras to ensure bus lanes are kept clear and delays are reduced.

Accessibility

All buses are low-floor vehicles (excluding Heritage buses on routes 9 and 15), which means that they are lowered to street level when the bus stops and the doors open.
Floor level buses enable all customers, including wheelchair users, people with buggies, people with assistance dogs and people with other mobility impairments to get on and off easily.
Wheelchair users are entitled to free travel on buses and do not need to show any ticket or pass.
Children and young people under the age of 18 in full-time education and those holding Freedom Passes are also entitled to free travel on buses.
From 2007, Londoners in receipt of income support are entitled to half price travel on London’s buses, on single tickets, the daily Oyster price cap and weekly bus passes.

What is planned for the future?

iBus

iBus is a Ł117 million, state of the art Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and radio system which assists TfL to run a more reliable, consistent bus service.
Next stop visual displays and audio announcements on the bus keeps passengers informed so that they know exactly where they are and when to get off.
iBus makes travel easier for everyone but has particular benefits for visually or hearing impaired passengers and infrequent travellers.
The precision of the information will mean an improved Countdown service at bus stops and better information for service controllers.
More information about iBus is available on the TfL website.

Diesel hybrid-electric buses

As of November 2007 there were 12 single deck hybrid buses operating on London’s bus network.
These vehicles have been introduced as part of an ongoing programme by TfL to test innovative technology and reduce emissions from its bus fleet, which is already the cleanest in the UK.
These vehicles operate using a combination of a conventional diesel engine and an electric motor, reducing emissions of local pollutants and carbon dioxide by at least 30 per cent compared to a conventional diesel bus.
The results of the testing carried out by TfL showed that these buses produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions and harmful local pollutants, as well as having lower noise levels.
More information about diesel-electric hybrid buses is available on the TfL website.

Zero-emission fuel cell buses

Having taken part in a highly successful European trial London is looking to have ten zero-emission hydrogen buses running in London by 2010.
Five of these buses will be hydrogen fuel cell buses and five will be hydrogen internal combustion engines.
This initiative is a key part of the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy and Air Quality Strategy, designed to help give Londoners a cleaner and healthier future.
Not only is the fuel cell bus trial a significant step towards achieving this goal, it demonstrates that London is leading alternative forms of public transport.
More information about hydrogen buses is available on the TfL website.

Bus stops

A five-year programme to upgrade 7,000 bus stops with solar-powered illuminated signs has been launched.

Coaches

Transport for London operates Victoria Coach Station, from which regular scheduled coach services depart for UK and European destinations.

A London Coach Forum has been established and reviews of coach parking facilities and terminals are underway.

Related websites

Links to related websites.