Hundreds of buses to get special extra school services – but are your vital ones included?

By Owen Sheppard, Local Democracy Reporter

 

TfL has released details of dozens of bus routes that will provide more frequent services, as well as children-only buses, when schools reopen next week.

Children are being encouraged to scoot, walk and cycle to school where possible, as coronavirus infection rates continue to rise again across London.

But from Tuesday September 1, TfL is laying on 230 extra buses to run at peak times.

The 230 will all be designated “Schools Service” buses that will enable children to travel separately from commuters and to social distance onboard.

The Transport body said the extra buses will go on routes (see six lists below) that are known to be busy with school children despite having a lower frequency of service.

On some routes that serve schools, up to half of buses will be School Service buses, and will carry prominent School Service signs. Red signs will be placed on non-School Service buses along these routes, and children will be discouraged from boarding them.

The School Service buses will run between 7.30-9.30am and 2.30-4.30pm on weekdays.

All children aged 11 or over will be required to wear a face mask, unless they are exempt for medical reasons.

TfL’s managing director of surface transport, Gareth Powell, said changes of this scale had never been made before.

“We are doing everything we can to get children and young people back to school as well as supporting their teachers and other school staff and people returning to their workplaces after the summer break,” he said.

“Changes on this scale have never been made to the bus network before and we need everyone to do their bit to ensure children can safely return to school. It will greatly help if people can travel outside the peaks or walk, cycle or scoot wherever they can.”

High-frequency routes that will have School Services in the MORNINGS will include: 

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 18, 21, 25, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 44, 46, 47, 51, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 70, 71, 80, 81, 83, 85, 86, 87, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99, 102, 103, 108, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 118, 120, 121, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134, 136, 137, 140, 143, 144, 145, 147, 150, 151, 154, 155, 157, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 170, 172, 174, 176, 177, 180, 184, 185, 188, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 197, 198, 199, 200, 202, 204, 207, 212, 213, 217, 219, 220, 221, 222, 226, 227, 229, 231, 235, 236, 237, 244, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 256, 257, 258, 262, 263, 267, 270, 271, 276, 279, 283, 284, 285, 288, 296, 299, 301, 307, 312, 316, 319, 320, 321, 326, 329, 330, 332, 333, 337, 343, 344, 357, 358, 363, 364, 366, 371, 379, 380, 381, 391, 393, 410, 417, 419, 422, 425, 427, 428, 430, 432, 433, 440, 450, 452, 453, 466, 468, 469, 472, 473, 483, 484, 486, 490, 607, B12, C10, C11, D6, E1, E2, E6, E8, E9, EL2, EL3, H10, H19, H22, H37, H91, H98, K2, K3, P4, R11, R70, S1, U1, U2, U4, U5, W11, W13, W15, W19, W3, W4, W6, W7, W8

High-frequency routes that will have School Services in the AFTERNOONS will include: 

25, 33, 39, 46, 51, 54, 58, 61, 65, 80, 81, 92, 93, 95, 96, 110, 111, 112, 114, 120, 123, 124, 125, 126, 131, 132, 140, 143, 144, 147, 152, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165, 170, 184, 190, 192, 193, 200, 208, 213, 217, 221, 227, 229, 234, 235, 237, 238, 244, 248, 256, 261, 267, 270, 276, 279, 281, 284, 296, 316, 320, 326, 358, 364, 366, 371, 410, 419, 427, 433, 440, 444, 450, 469, 490, 607, C11, D6, E6, H10, H19, H22, H37, H98, K2, K3, P4, R11, R70, S1, U1, U2, W13, W16, W19, W3, W4, W6, W8

Lower-frequency routes that will also have additional School Service buses in the MORNINGS will include: 

20, 50, 89, 110, 116, 117, 119, 122, 130, 138, 142, 152, 153, 167, 181, 186, 187, 201, 203, 206, 215, 216, 223, 225, 228, 232, 233, 234, 246, 255, 265, 269, 272, 273, 275, 282, 287, 289, 290, 294, 298, 300, 309, 313, 315, 317, 322, 323, 324, 325, 331, 339, 346, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 359, 360, 362, 367, 370, 372, 376, 377, 382, 383, 394, 395, 396, 397, 401, 406, 407, 411, 412, 413, 418, 434, 444, 455, 462, 463, 465, 470, 481, 487, 491, 492, 493, 496, 498, 499, 533, A10, B11, B14, B15, B16, E10, E11, E5, E7, G1, H17, H18, H2, H20, H25, H26, H28, K1, K4, K5, P12, P13, P5, R2, R3, R4, R68, R7, R8, S3, S4, U3, U7, W16, W5, W9

Lower-frequency routes that will also have additional School Service buses in the AFTERNOONS will include: 

117, 130, 142, 167, 181, 187, 201, 203, 206, 216, 223, 226, 232, 233, 251, 255, 265, 269, 272, 273, 289, 290, 300, 309, 313, 317, 324, 325, 331, 339, 352, 353, 354, 355, 360, 362, 367, 370, 376, 377, 380, 382, 393, 394, 396, 397, 398, 405, 411, 413, 428, 434, 455, 462, 463, 465, 470, 481, 484, 487, 491, 492, 493, 499, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, E10, E11, E5, E7, G1, H17, H18, H20, H25, K1, K4, K5, P13, P5, R1, R2, R4, R6, R68, R7, S3, S4, U3, U7, W9, X26

The following routes that go past schools will also get additional non-designated buses in the MORNINGS: 

601, 602, 603, 608, 612, 613, 617, 626, 631, 632, 635, 638, 640, 643, 646, 652, 653, 655, 656, 657, 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 667, 669, 671, 674, 677, 678, 679, 681, 683, 684, 688, 689, 696, 697, 698, 699

The following routes that go past schools will also get additional non-designated buses in the AFTERNOONS:  

601, 602, 612, 613, 617, 624, 626, 627, 628, 629, 631, 632, 635, 642, 643, 646, 652, 653, 655, 656, 657, 662, 663, 664, 665, 667, 669, 671, 675, 677, 678, 679, 683, 684, 685, 686, 687, 688, 689, 690, 692, 697, 698, 699