EXCLUSIVE: There’s more than a touch of an old Morecambe and Wise gag about the extensive changes to 10 bus routes in Croydon and Sutton: ‘TfL has chosen all the right routes, just not the right roads’.
By JEREMY CLACKSON, transport correspondent
End of the line: the 455 between Wallington and Old Coulsdon, via Purley, will operate for a final time on Mar 1
Significant changes are coming to 10 bus routes through Croydon and Sutton from March 2, including the complete withdrawal of the somewhat rambling 455 route.
The changes have been under consideration by Transport for London for at least three years, and despite lengthy consultation and a couple of re-thinks, concerns have been raised that maybe, just maybe, the finalised plans might not work, at least not for the passengers who rely on the public transport to get around.
Although the proposed changes are just 10 days away, TfL’s comms department only managed to issue a formal listing of the various changes yesterday. A briefing on the details of the changes has been promised, but not until some time next week.
And according to some, the London Assembly Member for Croydon and Sutton, Neil “Father Jack” Garratt, has been completely silent on the matter, unlike his more pro-active and supportive predecessor, Steve O’Connell. Clearly, to be compared unfavourable with “Silent Steve” is something of an achievement, even for Garratt, a Tory politician who has a reputation for telling voters to “fuck off”.
The residents’ association in O’Connell’s old ward were last week celebrating the long-called-for arrival of a new bus route, the 434, which was due to serve the upper part of Kenley and the valley road and Beverly Road before being extended to Caterham.
The 439 was due to take over the 434 route in Northwood Avenue and then return to the Godstone Road to Whyteleafe South.
You take the high road and we’ll take the low road: there’s some doubts about whether the new Kenley route will provide the service wanted
And then last week, when TfL issued a press release, it was all change… The 434 will be extended to Caterham but directly along the Godstone Road not serving the upper part of Kenley, as had been promised and long requested.
The 439 would serve Northwood Avenue, but instead of returning to the Godstone Road it would take over the 434 route along Valley Road and Beverley Road to Whyteleafe South.
No explanation was offered.
Inside Croydon asked the East Surrey Transport Committee what they make of all the forthcoming changes, and their chair, Charles King, said, “Although we supported all the changes, it is a pity that TfL didn’t take on board our small changes which kept the principle of the proposals but improved the continuity of the network.
“It’s as if TfL has chosen all the right routes, just not the right roads.
“It is disappointing that the two principle issues that affect Kenley are not happening on March 2. The 407 is now not being split to make it more reliable, and the upper part of Kenley is not getting the bus that they were promised.”
The 455 route that snakes from Old Coulsdon, up through Purley and South Croydon, and then on to Wallington Station via Valley Park and Roundshaw, can take an hour and 20 minutes to cover the entire route, even in off-peak times. It is less than five miles between Canon Hill and Wallington.
To help speed up journey times, TfL has broken the route up and divvied it between various other buses, and the trams, which might not be the seamless transfer of passengers that they hope for, with the increasing fragility of the old rolling stock and tracks of the tram network.
TfL’s is holding up the Hopper fare as their solution for the more fractured journeys: passengers can change as many times as they need to within one hour and all for one fare.
The long and winding road: the 455 takes 1hr 20min to travel between points less than 5 miles apart
But as King observes, there’s several snags and gaps in the services proposed. The 455’s replacement route, the 166, fails to serve Purley Town Centre and Purley Hospital, a significant omission.
The new routes also remove the 166’s connection at South Croydon Bus Garage, and there’s no longer a bus stopping at South Croydon railway station, leaving commuters and travellers with a 500-yard hike to catch their train, which will be most unwelcome by anyone with heavy luggage…
There are other issues which, once agreed three years ago, apparently got forgotten when it came to implementing the bus changes.
“We supported the new route 439 but not serving playing fields via the Purley Way, but to use Pampisford Road to serve five schools,” King said.
“We also suggested swapping the 166 and 312 so the 166 remains in the Brighton Road and the 312 uses Pampisford Road and still serves South Croydon.
“TfL has refused to move on any of this even though everybody else supported and it would provide a better network.
“The concessions they have made is the 166 could be diverted via Christchurch Road, Purley, but only when Croydon Council undertakes some road works. This would allow the 166 to still serve Purley town centre and Purley Hospital.
“They will also look again at the 439 on Pampisford Road if Croydon can show there is a need to serve the schools and new housing.
TfL says: “From Saturday March 2 2024, we’ll change some bus routes in Croydon and Sutton. This will help us better match demand and improve services in outer London.”
We’ll see…
For TfL’s blow-by-blow breakdown of their 10 bus route changes, click here.
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TFL can kiss my arse! I’d been looking forward to catching the 434 from Cullesden Road to the Foxley Hatch but now it seems that Sadiq Khan has kicked me and my Kenley residents association friends and neighbours in the teeth. What a betrayal! And at the last minute. Can we find out what happened? I smell a rat.
Tfl mess up all the London bus routes they have no idea about transport for the country sad ????
1. I agree.
2. Lacking good connections. So sad one could ride on 405 and go right up to Red Hill.
3. No buses from Pampisford Road area going to East Croydon Station.
4. Just making journeys shorter and making the commuters wait for connections is just so silly.
5. Lacking bus stop covers doesn’t help either.
Running the 434 directly along the 407 route achieves nothing (other than maybe enhance the 407). So maybe it’s only a temporary route until it can go the way it was proposed to ??
Removing bus services from St Peter’s Road and southern section of Park Lane will adversely impact a lot of residents in an area where the rail line already limits bus routing options.
Pampisford Road is well populated and has many schools with high bus demand so two services are needed there.
Few of these changes are because Brighton Road near the South Croydon Garage has become a congestion hotspot for buses. Adding so many straight across zebra crossings without islands and removing right turn pockets has caused so much blocking back which really extend journey times.
Keep the cycle lane but signalise the pedestrian crossings so everything is coordinated (it’ll help get all the schoolkids/parents across in blocks to free up buses coming past) and remodel the Sanderstead Road giveway junction buses can pass on inside again.
Breaking up bus routes so they are more reliable is good for TfL contracts but not customers who have longer journey times and especially in Croydon we are waiting without shelter. Proper bus priority schemes are needed to relieve congestion not tinkering routes so they avoid pinch points.
All good thoughts, John. There’s another pedestrian crossing coming, outside Whitgift House (apparently, the two crossings each less than 200 yards away are far too far for people to walk…).
But isn’t this all symptomatic of a disjointed transport system, where TfL has say over major roads, but no powers to make perfectly sensible adjustments and roadworks because they come under the control of Croydon’s dysfunctional council?
TFL’s sudden – and secret – decision to scrap the uphill route for the 434 came as a shock to Kenley residents and our councillors. TFL didn’t have the courtesy to tell them they’d changed their mind at the last minute.
It was the Tory councillors’ jobs to know. And to prevent it happening. Instead they chirped and claimed success for something that they had little if any role in.
That they did not negotiate a better service from TfL only shows how truly useless they are.