Elephant & Castle buses could be cut by more than a quarter

The consultation period for Transport for London's Central London Bus Review – which aims to save £35 million a year – ends this week.

City Hall this week published a response to a question tabled by Lib Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon asking for a comparison between bus service levels at three South London locations in 2016 compared to those proposed under the latest plans.

In 2016, the Mayor says that Elephant & Castle was served by around 3,700 buses per weekday per direction or 6,650 in total.

If the proposals in the Central London Bus Review – and the previously announced changes to the 1, 168 and 188 routes – are implemented, the Elephant will be served by around 2,960 buses per weekday per direction or 4,840 in total.

This represents a reduction in bus journeys of more than 27 per cent.

"There have been a number of changes to routes through these locations since 2016, including the central London changes in 2019," said Sadiq Khan.

"There have also subsequently been frequency reductions on high frequency routes to better match service level to demand level, and make savings required by Government.

"This has enabled the reallocation of spare resource to other parts of London. The Mayor’s Hopper Fare also now means that passengers can interchange between buses for free within one hour of first boarding a bus."

Under TfL's plans the following routes serving SE1 would be changed or withdrawn:

• 3 – rerouted at Lambeth Bridge
• 4 – withdrawn
• C10 – rerouted between Elephant & Castle and Lambeth Palace Road
• 12 – withdrawn
• 26 – rerouted to serve Victoria instead of Waterloo
• 43 – no longer serve London Bridge
• 45 – withdrawn
• 47 – rerouted
• 53 – withdrawn north of Elephant & Castle
• 59 – route changed at either end; SE1 section unaffected
• 77 – route changed at Waterloo
• 78 – withdrawn
• 133 – rerouted in the City of London to St Bartholomew's Hospital
• 171 – minor route change at Elephant & Castle
• 211 – rerouted to Battersea Power Station instead of Waterloo
• 343 – cut back to terminate at Tower Gateway
• 388 – extended to Peckham via former 78 route
• 507 – rerouted via Westminster Bridge; extended to Fulham Broadway
• 521 – withdrawn

Full details of the Central London Bus Review are on the TfL website; the closing date for comments is Sunday 7 August.