London mayor Sadiq Khan announces London’s buses are getting Tube-style colour coding for routes to make it easier to travel
Sadiq Khan plans to give London’s bus network an overhaul by colour coding the routes, similar to the Tube lines’ distinctive colours.
The mayor wants to simplify the bus system with the Tube-style approach to travel, so individual routes have been given their own colour, and links to other Transport for London (TfL) services have been clearly identified in a new way to give passengers travel information in a similar way to the Tube.
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Buses and stop signs will be marked in their specific colours and the main destinations and interchanges will also be listed on the side of the bus, making it clear for passengers to tell, at a quick glance, where the bus will go.
Khan said:
By bringing these new distinctive route colours to areas of the network, we’re making it as easy to navigate areas of London by bus as it is by Tube.
It’s another key part in our efforts to encourage Londoners to take to the bus and help us tackle congestion, air pollution and make our city better for everyone.
More than 60 red buses will be given the distinctive colour to mark seven different routes for a trial in Barkingside, East London.
Another trial is set for the summer in Hayes, west London, before the colours will be rolled out to buses across the capital.
Bus passenger numbers have been dropping in London, as journeys have become slower due to roadworks and congestion.
So the mayor and TfL have been seeking to boost numbers through a range of measures, including the introduction of the Hopper fare in September last year, to make a second bus journey within an hour free.
This will be extended to unlimited bus and tram journeys in an hour from next year.
The capital’s bus network will also go an overhaul when it comes to pollution, with new low emission bus zones being introduced to phase out the worst polluting diesel buses. The first is on Putney High Street with 11 others to come.
Read more: From Putney to Stratford: These are London’s 12 new low emission bus zones