Andrew Dismore

Today I  published the reply to my question to the Mayor about the future of bus services  on Finchley Road. (See below)

After the abortive consultation on route 13 cuts, held improperly during the period of the general election,  I have been questioning  what the future holds for the Finchley Road bus network. When I received a worrying email response from TfL’s Managing Director – Surface Transport, (see below) I took  up the issue with the Mayor.

It is becoming increasingly clear, that TfL and the Mayor are coming back for a second bite at the cherry, and we will need to keep a close eye out for what they plan, late in the year.

 

Answer to MQ:

 Bus routes Finchley Road

Question No: 2015/1785

Andrew Dismore

The consultation during the election on the plan to axe bus 13 was stopped, as it was inappropriate during election purdah. I understand that TfL still intend to cut bus services along the Finchley Road and Abbey Road corridors, potentially affecting routes  13, 82, 113, 139 and 189. When will you bring forward your proposals for this?

 

Written response from the Mayor

TfL are reviewing services in this area to ensure supply best matches demand.  Any savings realised will then be reinvested back into the bus network.  The comments received from the consultation on the proposed changes to route 13 will also be used to inform future bus network planning in the Finchley Road and Abbey Road areas, and any resulting proposals would be subject to further public consultation later in the year.

 

 

Response from TfL’’s Leon Daniels Managing Director Surface Transport concerning  route 13:

 

Dear Andrew

 

Thank you for contacting Sir Peter Hendy CBE regarding our recent consultation on proposed changes to bus services along Finchley Road and Abbey Road. I am responding to you directly.

 

Firstly, can I assure you that the decision to commence consultation on the scheme which included the replacement of bus route 13 with changes to two other services was taken by TfL alone, without any involvement of the Mayor. TfL has guidance on the use of its resources during the pre-election period which all staff are required to comply with, and which was complied with in this case. The guidance is issued to staff to ensure that TfL carries out its activities in a politically neutral way at all times; a principle to be applied with particular care during the pre-election period.  

 

We were keen to progress with the scheme given the excess capacity on bus services that run along Finchley Road and the western section of Oxford Street, which would allow us to reinvest the resources elsewhere on the bus network where there is crowding. This alone was the reason for running the consultation at the time that we did. There was absolutely no political motive whatsoever.

 

The consultation was open between 3 March and 10 April, which meant that it finished within a few days of the pre-election period starting. However there was far more interest in the consultation than we initially envisaged (over 3000 responses were received) and it became a subject of intense local interest. In hindsight we should have waited until after the election before proceeding to avoid it becoming a political issue‎ .

 

Given the strength of feeling on the loss of route 13, we took the decision on 17 April not to proceed with the scheme in its current form.  We will however use the information from the consultation responses received to inform future bus network planning in the Finchley Road and Abbey Road areas.

 

‎There does remain excess capacity on Finchley Road and given the constraint on public finances‎ we are obliged to work to ensure good value to the London taxpayer.

 

Any proposals that arise from this further review would of course be subject to further public consultation.

 

We will be publishing a report on the consultation shortly.

 

Yours sincerely

Leon

 

Leon Daniels

Managing Director – Surface Transport