Transport correspondent JEREMY CLACKSON on a roll-out of enhanced bus shelters, with better lighting, improved seating and some in ‘high-crime areas’ to be fitted with CCTV
Improvements: TfL’s trial shelters include vandal-proofing, better lighting and some have CCTV
Croydon, where almost all the borough’s bus shelters were ripped out five years ago due to the crass incompetence of council officials, is about to get a new design of shelter as part of a 12-month trial being conducted by Transport for London.
Croydon’s failed experiment with “smart” bus shelters demonstrated that the basic shelter with seats really doesn’t need to be meddled with, but the new designs in the TfL trial are promising improvements which include better lighting, what they describe as “a more sustainable modular construction approach”, more robust anti-vandalism materials and, significantly, CCTV at selected shelters.
TfL says that the trial shelters will be installed at 27 locations across the capital, but they are unable to specify where, as the bus stop locations have yet to be decided.
Croydon is among 12 boroughs where the new designed shelters are to be trialled, along with Bexley, Kingston, Lambeth and Southwark.
Much emphasis around the modernised design is being placed on passenger safety and the use of better lighting and CCTV.
Safety concern: Michael Roberts of London TravelWatch
“Many people – particularly women and girls – can feel unsafe waiting at bus shelters after dark, so better lighting and CCTV will go a long way to help them feel more safe and secure,” said Michael Roberts, the CEO of watchdog London TravelWatch.
“We know that buses are a vital mode of transport for many people, so this is a positive way to encourage people to use them more and make them feel a lot safer and comfortable when they do so.”
A recent TravelWatch survey found that one-third of Londoners wanted better places to sit and rest, “So more comfortable bus shelters will be welcomed by many people, particularly those with mobility issues,” Roberts said.
The new shelters will be installed in the coming weeks at existing bus stops by upgrading or replacing a variety of individual features.
More than 5million journeys are made daily on TfL’s bus network “and every passenger wants their waiting environment to be as safe, accessible and comfortable as possible”, the transport authority says.
“This trial introduces a modern, environmentally responsible and sustainable design identity,” they say.
Locations for the trial will be selected based on the condition of existing shelters and the number of passengers using each bus stop, as well as “high-crime locations”.
“Across the sites, two different designs and four different configurations of features will be used to test the new approach, ensuring a broad range of criteria can be assessed throughout.”
The improvements will include:
- Better lighting – a brighter waiting environment to help people feel safer and provide better visibility of the bus shelter and stop for bus drivers
- Improved seating – an updated seating design to enhance comfort and ease of access, especially for passengers with mobility impairments
- More robust materials – shelters less prone to the impact of vandalism, making them easier to maintain
- An improved roof design – a reflective red vinyl to strengthen the red bus brand identity and stand out more, making it more recognisable in darkness and from further away
- Priority spaces – a priority seating moquette and dedicated waiting space with signs for priority customers
- CCTV – cameras installed at 10 locations to enhance public safety, with evaluation of how they support police investigations and influence crime levels in those areas
TfL says that it has collaborated with campaign groups and charities including disability focus groups, the RNIB, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and London TravelWatch and taken on their feedback.
“Throughout the trial TfL will carefully consider any feedback and will incorporate this into the future design of London’s bus shelters.”
TfL maintains most of the 14,000 bus shelters across London.
Last year, they spent £3.2million to replace 99 bus shelters on the streets of Croydon that the borough’s incompetent senior council officials ordered to be ripped out in 2021 after they had struck a deal for “smart shelters” with an American con artist, which for four years left bus passengers across the borough waiting in the worst of the weather.
Alongside the trial of new shelter designs, additional bus shelters will be introduced at around 20 locations that previously had no provision, while 11 refurbished shelters are being redeployed.
Re-instated: one of the replacement shelters being installed last year
In 2024, TfL installed CCTV in 20 bus shelters across London. Results showed that 80% of women surveyed said CCTV made them feel safer and 73% said they would be more likely to travel by bus. “These trials will continue to enable TfL to evaluate the effectiveness of CCTV in improving passenger confidence and safety.”
Carl Eddleston, TfL’s director of streets and network operations, said: “This initiative reflects our commitment to creating a bus network that feels safer, more welcoming and easier to use.
“By modernising our infrastructure, we’re ensuring that Londoners benefit from spaces that truly support their daily journeys. These upgrades allow us to rethink how our shelters serve the city and help us shape the future of public transport.
“We are keen to hear directly from those who use these shelters so we can incorporate their feedback into future designs.”
TfL’s Bus Action Plan aims to increase the number of passengers by making the bus network more reliable, faster and greener.
The bus shelter improvements announcement comes as figures show that bus travel in London has fallen to a post-pandemic low, with several central London bus routes under threat of being axed.
It was reported last week that there were 1,233million bus journeys between April 2025 and the start of December – 62million fewer than the same period a year earlier.
This 4.3% fall in bus patronage has left a £88million hole in TfL’s fares budget.
It has been reported that London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is having to spend almost £1.2billion a year subsidising the struggling bus fleet because of rising operating costs and the fall in passenger numbers.
Read more: Perry drops action against bus shelter firm and loses £500,000
Read more: Company behind ‘smart’ bus shelters has CCJs for unpaid bills
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It’s about time. Most bus shelters provide very little protection from the elements.
“A recent TravelWatch survey found that one-third of Londoners wanted better places to sit and rest.” Gosh! Knock me down with a feather! You mean people don’t like those narrow slopey type seats? We really do live in an age of progress after all.
lots of users of stops in Croydon would just like some form of shelter as many have none. ….
We used to have shelters with information about when the next bus might arrive in this part of the borough [north]. That was removed with the old shelters, more than 5 years ago, and not replaced last year. That would be more reassuring than sitting in relative comfort for . . . . however long whilst being filmed eventually being mugged.