Letter for publication on 13 bus route
Dear editor,
TfL’s consultation on plans for bus services on the Finchley Road proposes to “extend route 13 to North Finchley in the north and divert it to Victoria in the south (replacing route 82)” as part of an effort to reduce traffic flow through the Finchley Road.
However, on closer inspection, their proposals would in effect rename the 82 bus as ‘13’, whilst scrapping the current route 13.
The 13 is an important bus route into the heart of central London; with the introduction of Sadiq Khan’s 1 hour “hopper fare” next month, residents in Finchley and Hendon can travel to Charing Cross or Oxford Circus on one bus fare.
During the general election last year, I campaigned successfully to stop TfL’s then consultation to scrap the 13 bus, as so many residents objected to the scheme.
Now, despite that reversal last year, it looks like TfL has planned all along to scrap the 13 bus route and they are coming back for a sneaky second bite.
I strongly urge TfL to rethink their plans, and not to come back by stealth with proposals already rejected by the community.
Andrew Dismore AM
Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden