Transport for London (TfL) has issued its proposals for the West End / Paddington area, this being partly to comply with the promise to reduce substantially the number of buses on Oxford Street
TfL stated that recent investment in upgrading the Tube network has made it ‘much more reliable and attractive for many to use,’ with over four million journeys made each day. These improvements mean that demand for some bus routes has reduced.
The 73, for example, which closely follows the route of the Victoria Line, has seen up to 11% reduction in demand since 2011. TfL said that by operating slightly fewer services, it will be able to operate them faster and more reliably.
The opening of the Elizabeth line from 2018 will provide a key east-west link across central London and beyond. TfL anticipates that many people will choose to use this faster journey rather than take a bus.
The Elizabeth line is particularly significant for bus services on Oxford Street, with the two new stations at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street set to further reduce bus demand on the street. The Mayor is also working with City of Westminster to make Oxford Street more pedestrian friendly.
A TfL spokesman said: “Our proposals for changes to bus services in central London are designed to start reducing the number of buses running along Oxford Street.
“The proposals in this consultation would reduce the number of buses going along Oxford Street by around 40%.
“In this context we have carried out a review of routes to and from the West End.”
The consultation includes routes 3, 6, 8, 15, 22, 23, 25, 46, 73, 137, 172, 242, 332, 390, 425, 452, C2, N2, N3, N8, N15, N22 and N73. The proposals for each service range in scale depending on the route.
TfL said more information on its longer term plans to transform Oxford Street will be available in the near future, and is not in the scope of these proposals.
The deadline for responses is January 29, 2017.
The full consultation document can be found at https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/west-end-bus-changes
