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Commuters were today warned they faced cuts to bus services after Boris Johnson disclosed he was slashing £1.7 billion from his transport budget.
The Mayor intends the budget cut to be part of £5 billion “efficiency savings” from his Tube and bus budget which he announced last month.
But he was challenged today over the £1.7billion figure which threatened to hit the capital's bus system hard. The number of buses are likely to be reduced on some of the busiest services, while some routes could be dropped entirely.
Labour attacked the cuts, revealed at the Mayor's question time today.
London Assembly member Val Shawcross said: “Far from being painless efficiency savings that we will barely notice, the Mayor's cuts are actually going to hit commuters hard and bus users the hardest.
“Reducing funding to the buses will mean rising fares while cutting the number of buses on the roads will inevitably lead to a poorer, less reliable service. We all want to see an end to wasteful spending, but this shouldn't be at the expense of bus users who are set to pay more for less under this Mayor.”
Mr Johnson denied there would be significant cuts to services.
Mr Johnson said: “What I don't want to do is see significant reduction in London's bus coverage because it's been a great success and we support it.”
But this month Peter Hendy, the transport commissioner, said some buses could run less frequently. Routes that could be hit include the 28 from Wandsworth to Kensal Rise and the 31 from Shepherd's Bush to Camden Town. TfL was unable to rule out cutting entire routes.
The £1.7 billion would be made in bus subsidy cuts until 2017. Mr Johnson will also take £1.1 billion from projects such as dial-a-ride and cycling schemes. Last month he announced £2.4 billion cuts by axing staff and changing computer systems. He claimed to be able to slash a quarter of non-operational costs from TfL without losing frontline jobs.
TfL later said no specific plans had been made yet.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Transport for London is committed to continuing to provide one of the most extensive, frequent, reliable and accessible bus networks anywhere in the world.
"Any changes to services will only be marginal and there are no plans in place to cut any specific bus routes.”
Reader views (44)
The TFL budget has not become monsterously overspent so serious cuts & price rises are need just to keep it in the realms of financially feasible in the last year. This has been built up from years of waste, poor management, endless poorly thought through projects tip toeing around the unions all to feed locslised politaical agendas (Kens).
At least Boris has the guts to look at the huge mess and try and see how to get it on a sensible footing. In an ideal world this would be an excellent time to completely restructure the TFL management and look at how best provide the most effective transport system cost effectively. However we cant shut it all down while we start again so some cuts will have to be made and you certainly wont please all of the people all of the time until we have a financially sustainable sytem that can then spawn more effective solutions to real probelms.
If you think this is a Boris and London issue wait til the carnage caused in the country has to be sorted out by the next govermnment . Sadly but true one of the reasons the Tories are tagged as the party who makes cuts is that they have to as too often they are inheriting a complete and utter unstainable shambles from the previous incumbents. The current system in London is yet another example of labour mixture of good ideas / shocking political point scoring ideas , shocking waste and bureaucracy all of which is financially disaterous and someone has to fix it!
- Paul ., Central London, 19/11/2009 14:06
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Can anyone expain why, since Boris withdrew the bendy buses from route 38, they double-decker replacements now run in pairs? The same goes for the single-deckers that have replaced the bendies on the 521.
How can running two buses together save money, ease congestion and cut pollution?
- Terry, London, 19/11/2009 13:54
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Stuz Graz, Wimbledon - You obviously have never taken a night bus. The N87, which runs to Wimbledon every ten minutes through the night, is often so full that not all passengers waiting at Trafalgar Square / Vauxhall can get on. But don't let facts get in the way of your ranting...
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall, 19/11/2009 11:51
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The reason there is a massive hole in the Transport budget is because Boris doesn't want to increase the precept that's added to our council tax just before the local elections - because people will just think his Tory mates are increasing their council tax - plus they can hardly blame him when there's a national election too. So we all pay and Boris gets a cab possibly now driven by one of his old deputy mayors!
- Lyndawithay, london, 18/11/2009 23:21
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Mick (first comment) I use the buses all the time and I am a huge fan of the Mayor. In fact everyone I know uses the bus services and they also support Boris. The Mayor is hugely popular right across the board.
After Gordon's disastrous economic policies and manic spending, there is no-one unaffected by the credit crunch and savings have to be made. It's just a question of grin and bear it or get a bike!
- Angela King., London, 18/11/2009 21:56
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How is London Transport run. Surely the Mayor should have no say in what is essentially a public service but, why should I worry, I dont have to live in a menagerie like London.
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK, 18/11/2009 21:41
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I use the 31 bus daily in Kilburn area and frequently see
more than one bus in tandem with another
It is obvious that the route is over bussed and that there is scope for a reduction in service at certain times of the day
- Alex Pomeroy, london, 18/11/2009 21:11
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It`s about time all public transport users went on to the streets to really make their feelings felt about these cuts and price rises, the tube lines that are always shut at the weekend etc. Until that moment nothing will change. This could never happen in Paris!
No metro on weekends ........ there would be a riot!
So come on Londoners lets not put up with this
- Steve In London, london, 18/11/2009 19:24
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I see that Boris today told Olympic officials to use public transport 'like everybody else'. Everybody else but him! I've only ever seen him getting into or out of cabs. At least Ken used the Tube every day... The only time Boris gets on a Tube is to pose for press photos. No wonder he's cutting public transport - he never uses it!
- Charlie, Soho, London, 18/11/2009 18:22
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Shame as the London transport system is a pleasure for me and more international tourists alike.
- Agynes, Bristol, 18/11/2009 18:04
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The usual ignorant ranting from the left about this on here I see. TfL under Livingstone was one of the greatest wasters of money in the entire public service, which under Labour really is saying something. There is plenty of room for both efficiency savings within TfL as well as cutting back on running unnecessary buses with exactly 4 people on them, again instituted by the left just in order to create jobs for Labour supporters at the rest of our expense.
Well done Boris, more of the same please!
- Matt, London, UK, 18/11/2009 18:02
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There are too many empty buses outside of rush hour. Why do you need a bus running every 10 minutes throughout the night. It is about time somebody made a start of getting this mad spending under control. Good job Boris.
- Stuz Graz, Wimbledon, London, 18/11/2009 17:58
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This should come as no surprise especially to people within the bus industry. Boris sold off East Thames Buses to Go Ahead London for £5 million way below market value. We knew this would be bad. Now drivers are losing their jobs by a cut throat bus company. We have a cut throat mayor making drastic cuts to vital services. London had the best bus service in the world, well not for much longer now!
- Leon, London, 18/11/2009 17:56
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I work near Oxford Street.The street is generally choked with largely empty buses.
When I go home in the evening, I notice streams of non-paying passengers boarding bendy buses. The sooner these are phase out the better- they are far too big for our roads anyway.
- Bill Chaplin, Camden, 18/11/2009 17:28
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Good,a few hours extra in bed until the first bus is due.Im sure everyone being very late for work will do the economy the world of good.Did Boris get past grade 4.
- Dave, london, 18/11/2009 17:27
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Boris is simply cleaning up the financial mess left by Ken Livingstone. Buses were never going to solve London's transport problems no matter how much money was spent on improving the network. The previous Mayor has left a massive hole in TfL's finances, one which will require painful but necessary cuts to pay back. Good on Boris for being truthful to commuters and London taxpayers.
- Sarah, London, 18/11/2009 17:25
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Rich people don't use Buses and Tubes so Johnson's voters won't be effected. If you are a Bus and Tube user and you voted for the bumbling toff then it serves you right.
- Mick, London, England, 18/11/2009 16:55
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And how much could be saved by getting rid of free travel for kids? Perhaps that could be added to his budget too, it might even force the bloaters to start losing some weight.
Btw Freya, that's absolutely correct, all cyclists ride on pavements, none ride on the road, perhaps you also think that all cyclists run red lights? Although how would they do that if they're all on the pavement? Don't let intelligent thought get in the way of your anti-cycle rants.
- Bob, Cheam, 18/11/2009 16:45
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The Borisconi sect have all gone quiet, I wonder why?
- James Hennessy, Manchester England, 18/11/2009 16:41
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mmmmmmmmmmmm yes I can understand why he's cutting the buses...the continous road works are getting in his way...yeap have not see the Fulham Road clear once this year due to road works or the SAME never ending pot holes being filled in and that's not just Fulham road it's all over london....ooooh yes the buses are a great service..I supppose they would be IF THEY COULD MOVE and congestion wasn't a problem
- Sarah, London, 18/11/2009 16:40
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Good job the tube is not overcrowded then.
- Paul Bg, London, 18/11/2009 16:37
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I hope the people in the outer boroughs understand that by voting in Bojo the clown they have shot themselves in the foot, the very people who rely the most on our bus system will suffer the most.
- Jacqui Smith'S Dvd Collection!, Hackney, London, 18/11/2009 16:28
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If you get rid of buses, private cars, and aeroplanes, the world would be cleaner, and climate change reduced to a reasonable level.
Then we all could get free plastic carrier bags again, when we walk to the shops.
Boris is not that stupid, when you look beyond his image.
- Mickinlondon, london, 18/11/2009 16:27
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I wonder whether this means more people will walk, making it harder for cyclists to ride all over the pavements? That would be good news. I could walk to work but at the moment I'm too scared of being mown down by lawless riders, so I take the bus. But it's bad news for people further out, and particularly for old or disabled people waiting far longer in cold weather.
- Freya, London, 18/11/2009 16:12
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Same old Tories cut cut cut !and do you think Cameron will be any differant when he is PM ?
- Brian, Wiltshire, 18/11/2009 16:02
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BoZo is only doing what he promised: he said he would get rid of the bendibuses, he just didn't mention he'd get rid of all the other buses too!
- Roy, England, 18/11/2009 15:59
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The Tories have always hated public transport and done anything they can to ruin it. Dr Beeching was hired by the Tories, privatisation of rail was their fault and now they are trying to undo all the improvements in buses over the last few years.
It just doesn't fit into their 'hate the state' ideology. As far as they are concerned, it is for smelly paupers who are sadly too poor to own a gas-guzzling 4X4.
- Robert C, London UK, 18/11/2009 15:42
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I suspect yer Boris is just trying to promote his love of bicycles. Well, why not? They don´t leave a very big carbon footprint.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 18/11/2009 15:37
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Not a bad idea, there are far too many buses, just look at the multiples of a single route stacked up behind each other in central London. Does there really need to be so many 12s for example?
- Sarahn, London, UK, 18/11/2009 15:33
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See people, this is how the game works: First raise the costs associated with owning one's on car and force people to use public transportation. Second, create a shortage in public transportation. Third, raise taxes and fees, put more people on the government payroll. Result? Less freedom of movement, more money paid to the government, = control of the population.
Wake up people!
- Trunk, US, 18/11/2009 15:21
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The majority of us in London are already travelling in overcrowded 3rd world conditions.
Boris DON'T do this to us................
- Mrs, London UK, 18/11/2009 14:46
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Welcome to the world of Boris & Dave....cuts that directly effect large sections of the population!
- Andy, london, 18/11/2009 14:42
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Well - you vote a Tory in and what do you expect?
- Liam, London, 18/11/2009 14:41
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Why not take the opportunity to completely restructure the bus network for efficiency, and around the Oyster card?
Cut the number of different routes down to a smaller number of shorter routes with a frequent service, and well-defined locations where they interconnect. We're used to changing between tube lines, why not bus routes as well?
Of course, it would also be necessary to introduce something like a one-hour transfer ticket, so passengers are not charged extra to travel on two or three routes with changes, rather than on one through route. We aren't charged extra for changing on the tube, so why are we on the buses?
- Nigel, London, 18/11/2009 14:38
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there are too many buses on the road, and they just add to congestion.
Abolish them completely apart from in central london and pour more resources into trains.
- Darren, london, 18/11/2009 14:22
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Blame Boris for heaping even more misery on commuters. Why cut services and create even more congestion on the roads and on the Tube. 2012 is not far away.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 18/11/2009 14:17
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There are far too many buses clogging up the streets of London when I visit in my Jaguar so this is good news for some of us.
- W. Vieux, Hampshire, 18/11/2009 14:11
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Boris needs to realise that having an efficient, affordable bus service is equally vital for those in the outer suburbs, who lack other transport forms, and for those in the inner areas, where cheap, efficient buses lure people off the tube, keeping overcrowding levels down (relatively). If somewhere is a ten minute drive, but the bus is only every 15 / 20 minutes, people will use their own cars instead, adding to this city's congestion. Please, stop wasting money on the vanity routemaster project, and on the pointless and costly replacement of buses on routes like the 38 and 521, where the current buses work perfectly adequately.
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall, 18/11/2009 13:58
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There are not enough buses as it is, the sooner this clown is voted out the better.
if he wants to save money, start slashing the high salaries at tfl
- P Staker, London, 18/11/2009 13:54
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FEWER buses please.
- Tommy Judd, London, UK, 18/11/2009 13:52
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Good grief we have to pay the most expensive travel fares in Europe travel in conditions that the RSPCA would not allow and now we are told buses will be cut and some routes cut competely I give up !
- Linda Cliff, London, 18/11/2009 13:52
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This City's packed to the rafters as it is.More misery in store and once again it's the true Londoners (though there can't be that many left) that suffer.
- Steve, London, 18/11/2009 13:52
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Ahhh yes, cut backs to London's transport system, what a surprise - The Tories are once again showing their true colours.
- Mark H, London England, 18/11/2009 13:51
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Great News, much more room for cyclists to cycle in safety.
- Jim, London, 18/11/2009 13:50
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