Changes to buses next week

[ForestHull]

TfL have a press release about changes to how buses will run from next week, aimed at helping the service operate in the new school term:

Keeping London moving

From Tuesday 1 September, TfL will:

• Designate some existing regular buses as School Services on high frequency routes, which are prioritised for school travel and can operate at full seated capacity consistent with Government guidelines;

• Add more than 230 extra buses as School Services to bolster some of the busiest lower frequency routes that are highly used by schoolchildren, including adding more vehicles to its existing school bus services.

This means that on some routes that serve schools, around half of buses will be designated as a School Service during school travel times. All buses designated for school travel will carry prominent “School Service” signs to clearly indicate that people not travelling to school should not use them. Other buses on those routes with some school services and some non-school services, will have red signs to differentiate them from School Services and show schoolchildren to avoid boarding them. Information will also be available online and will be posted at relevant bus stops in the biggest bus stop poster campaign in TfL’s history.

Schoolchildren travelling without adults are encouraged to travel on School Services where they are provided in order to make space for other customers on regular services. Anyone else needing to travel at these times should board regular non-school buses as usual.

To cope with the likely increase in demand for buses, as students, teachers and other school staff return, these changes are planned to help across London on weekdays between 07:30-09:30 and 14:30-16:30.

There is a full list of route numbers at the bottom of the press release, giving those that will have the special School Services and those that just have extra buses. The 356 is listed as a lower frequency route that will have extra buses around school opening and closing times. The 75 is not listed.

[pattrembath]

Ooooh! Only one ‘s’ in buses

[ForestHull]

Oh crikey! I’ve fixed that now - thanks

[applespider]

176, 185, 197, 363 and P4 all on the list that have school services but no extra buses from what I can see. I’m assuming that means that every other bus won’t be available for adults. Might be worth allowing extra time if you have to travel at peak times.

[ChrisR]

The 122 is also shown on the list of routes with extra buses. I find it strange that the 75 isn’t mentioned at all as it serves Forest Hill School and even pre-covid buses were often full around school finishing time in the afternoon so with restricted numbers allowed that will be fun!

[Sherwood]

Actually, there was a special 75 bus waiting outside Forest Hill School for pupils at finishing time.