The London red bus is an icon of our capital city. Not only is it the most accessible form of public transport it is also one of the most sustainable methods of getting people from A to B. At a time where the public is being encouraged to move away from private vehicles and onto more greener modes which are far more efficient in terms of road space (a fully loaded double-decker bus can take as many as 75 cars off of the road) the bus should play a very important role in helping people to make that transition.
However, with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the economic consequences that has had for transport authorities like Transport for London, there is a threat now that bus services could be radically reduced. Not only would this be a disaster for many lower income Londoners who rely on buses, many of them key workers that have kept the country going throughout the past two years, but it could cause a dramatic take up of car use which on already congested streets would lead to more pollution, poorer air quality and extended journey times for people trying to get around the city.
That’s why we decided to set up the London TravelWatch Bus Alliance incorporating people and organisations from across the capital including:
- London First
- Campaign for Better Transport
- The London Assembly
- Members of Parliament
- Unite the Union
- Go Ahead London
- Women’s Institute
- Transport for All
- Sustrans
- Healthy Streets Scorecard Coalition
- LoTAG (London Technical Advisers Group)
- Future Transport London
- LEDNet (London Environment Directors’ Network)
Together, we hope to persuade policy makers that cutting buses would be a huge mistake for our city and its people.
If you want to help us and amplify our message, please do share our video and this page with friends, family and anyone else who you think might be interested and who cares about the bus. We will also provide regular updates through our social media channels on Twitter and Facebook, and if you want to become of member of London TravelWatch’s free digital community, where we will provide regular updates on the campaign, you can do so by going to our sign up page here.
