• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

Rise in Bus Passenger – A Job Well Done

May 24, 2006 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

Yesterday the Public Accounts Committee lavished praised on Ken Livingstone and Transport for London (TfL) for their “commitment” in increasing bus usage within the capital. It is praise well deserved. Outside the capital usage has fallen by 7% whereas “London has seen bus usage increase by 32% over recent years” with over 6 million passenger journeys now made every weekday.

The Committee has recommended that the Department of Transport should “identify what factors have been critical for success in London, and how far they might be replicated in the other regions to stimulate the desired expansion.”

New Labour may find it hard to to take lessons from the unashamedly socialist Mayor of London – whose selection and eventual election they did so much to prevent – especially as the ethos of public service he has brought to London’s bus network is missing from most of their policies.

Livingstone’s approach is very different and has seen greater numbers of buses, easy payment via the Oyster card, free travel for all under 16s and, from September 2006, the abolition of bus fares for under-18s in full-time education.

The London bus network is the most accessible for wheelchair users in the world and will soon lead the way in becoming more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as TfL introduce audio visual announcements.

It takes genuine effort and dedication to ensure one of the biggest bus networks in the world runs for the benefit of the passengers and Livingstone has pulled it off. He has his detractors but on this issue we agree with the MPs on the Public Accounts Committee; “The Mayor is to be congratulated on his success in increasing bus usage in London”.

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Tagged With: Fares, Oyster

RECENT UPDATES

TfL proposes bus and tube cuts and annual fares increases to achieve long-term financial sustainability

London’s entire bus fleet now meets ULEZ emissions standards

New road layout comes into effect at Old Street roundabout

TfL funding enables creation of 2,000 new cycle parking spaces




Popular

1,700 extra Santander Cycles are coming to London’s streets

TfL confirms changes to Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster card hours

TfL fares to rise in return for £1.6bn Government rescue package

Election for Mayor of London and London Assembly postponed until 2021

FEATURED

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 MayorWatch Publications Limited · MayorWatch is Registered Trademark · All Rights Reserved · Contact Us · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

MayorWatch Publications Limited · 20-22 Wenlock Road · London N1 7GU · Company Number 6291816

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.