Extending bus lane hours to help more people travel safely and reliably
Subject to a statutory consultation with the emergency services, boroughs and others, we have decided to permanently operate the majority of bus lanes on London’s red route network at all times.
Depending on the outcome of the statutory consultation, those bus lanes that were included in the trial will continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We’ll also look at whether any further changes might be necessary to ensure that bus passengers benefit to the greatest extent possible from these changes. That might mean further changes are necessary in some areas. If we believe that further changes might be necessary, we may consult local people and other stakeholders before making a decision on whether or not to introduce these.
We used temporary signs to indicate which bus lanes were part of the trial, and plan to replace these with permanent signs over the coming months.
A document giving more information about the outcomes of the trial can be found in the Documents section.
Background
In August 2020 we announced that we would trial changes to the operating hours of more than 80 kilometres of London’s bus lanes. This trial aims to make bus journeys faster and more reliable, and over one billion journeys each year could benefit from these changes.
This trial was proposed as part of our London Streetspace Programme (LSP). Through the LSP the Mayor and TfL are creating more space for people to walk and cycle in London, and make sure those travelling by public transport can do so safely, efficiently and reliably.
Our trial
From 13 September 2020, bus lanes on London’s red routes will operate at all times, seven days a week.
The bus lanes included in the trial are on red routes located in the boroughs of Bromley, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster.
During the trial period we need to suspend a number of parking bays to allow these bus lanes to operate at all times. On-street signage will be in place to identify suspended bays.
The list of suspended bays can be found in the 'Documents' section.
The trial will run for a minimum of six months to monitor impacts and capture feedback from the public and stakeholders. If required, the trial can be extended up to 18 months.
We have started to compile a list frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the trial. These can be found in the 'FAQs' section. As the trial progresses, we will periodically update our FAQs.
Implementing the trial
This trial has been implemented through an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO). An ETO allows us to rapidly introduce new and innovative schemes and take feedback on the progress of them whilst they are in operation.
This ETO allows us to legally implement these changes to bus lanes and suspend parking bays along the impacted red routes.
ETOs also provide the public and our stakeholders with a statutory consultation period to object to an order. The statutory consultation period in this instance runs from 13 September 2020 to 12 March 2022.
Details of how to view the ETOs for this trial and respond to the statutory consultation can be found in the 'Documents' section.
Engagement
During the trial, we want to engage with London’s communities and stakeholders to understand more about these changes.
Whether you’re a bus passenger, a business owner, resident or someone who has been using the bus lanes to cycle more - we want to hear about your experiences now that these bus lanes are operating.
Your feedback will be an important part of how we monitor this trial.
To share your experiences please email: Customerservice@tfl.gov.uk.
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