Have your say on TfL’s proposed changes to bus services
Hackney Council is urging residents to take part in a Transport for London (TfL) consultation that proposes significant changes to buses in the borough.
With proposals to cut three borough routes entirely (the 78, 242 and 349), and make changes to 12 daytime routes and two night routes, the proposals represent a significant reduction in the borough’s bus services.
Under the proposed changes:
- Route 236, which currently runs from Hackney Wick to Finsbury Park via Homerton Hospital, would start at Homerton Hospital, removing one of the links between Hackney Wick and Homerton Hospital
- Route 476, which currently runs between Northumberland Park and King’s Cross would only run from Northumberland Park to Newington Green, removing a link between Stamford Hill and King’s Cross. There are currently 1,200 trips a day on the section of the route being withdrawn
- Route 242 from Aldgate to Homerton Hospital would be withdrawn completely, replaced by the 135 which would be extended to run from Crossharbour Asda to Aldgate East and Homerton Hospital. This would remove a direct link from Hackney to Aldgate Station and see a reduction in frequency on a route that has already been subject to a number of changes in the past few years
- Two links from Shoreditch to south London would be removed: route 47 from Catford to Shoreditch Church would end at London Bridge, and route 78 from Shoreditch to Nunhead would be withdrawn entirely. Both of these would be replaced by an extension to route 388, which would be extended to run from Stratford City to Peckham Bus Station
- Route 349 from Ponders End to Stamford Hill would be withdrawn
- Route 56, which currently runs from Whipps Cross to St Barts Hospital, would be amended to run from Whipps Cross to Blackfriars
- Route 277 would be amended to run from Dalston Junction to Poplar, but would continue to call at Canary Wharf
- Route 254 would be amended to run from Aldgate to Finsbury Park, instead of Holloway
- Route 259, which currently runs from Edmonton Green to King’s Cross, would be amended to run from Ponders End to Holloway
- Route 279, which currently runs from Waltham Cross to Manor House, would be amended to run from Waltham Cross to Stamford Hill
- Route 26, which currently runs from Hackney Wick to Waterloo, would be amended to run from Hackney Wick to Victoria at a reduced frequency Monday to Saturday. The N26 night bus would be extended from Trafalgar Square to Victoria
- Route 214 would be diverted away from City Road and Old Street and would no longer serve Hackney
- Route 205 would be cut back from Bow Church to Mile End Station without replacement.
Since 2019, over 25 of Hackney’s bus routes have had frequency cuts, representing 50% of the borough’s network.
We recognise the financial position TfL is in, caused by the absence of a long-term funding settlement from the Government, but these changes would have a significant impact on people in Hackney, who we know rely on buses.
I’d urge as many people as possible to have their say in the consultation so local views are taken into account before any decisions are made.
