Post by snoggle on May 13, 2015 18:37:45 GMT
The answers have just been published to some bus related questions from MQT back in March. There was no April meeting due to the general election.
Note the very reticent answers about all electric double deckers - no mention whatsover of the route 69 trial. Makes me wonder if things are proving very difficult for Alexander Dennis to get viable reliable vehicles.
Route 7
Question No:2015/0945
Andrew Dismore
Is the shortening of the No7 route to Oxford Circus permanent or temporary, pending work at Tottenham Court Road tube, and if permanent, why?
The Mayor
The shortening of route 7 to Oxford Circus was implemented as a temporary measure to help mitigate against the Crossrail works at Tottenham Court Road, which has been compensated by the extension of route 98 to Russell Square over the same routing. TfL is keeping the changes under review.
Aerodrome Road buses
Question No:2015/0943
Andrew Dismore
Is it possible to route other buses than route 186 along Aerodrome Road towards Colindale as at present the 186 turns right at the roundabout towards Mill Hill, and if not, why not? Can you also look at the siting of the 186 bus stop which has been moved from Cherry close, making interchange with route 204 difficult and if not, why not?
The Mayor
TfL recently met with council officers to discuss requirements for the Collindale area. A study will be undertaken over the next six months, which will evaluate how the networ kmight develop including options for Aerodrome Road.
With regards to the siting of the 186 bus stop, works have been undertaken to re-align the road layout in Lanacre Avenue off of Grahame Park Way. The road has been re-aligned approximately 80 metres eastwards with stops re-located accordingly from the disused section of the original road, which is being redeveloped as part of a major housing development scheme in the Grahame Park Estate. Both routes 186 and 204 continue to serve the new stops, along with the 305 and N5, and this means that the interchange is retained.
100 Bus
Question No:2015/0924
John Biggs
Why is TfL incapable of mitigating the catastrophic failure of the rerouting of the 100 Bus from Dock Street, even though at peak times this has led to massive delays. My constituents in Wapping, and beyond, have largely abandoned the service at peak times as a result.
The Mayor
The diversion of route 100 in the Aldgate area is due to the closure of Minories (the usual southbound route) as part of the gyratory removal works by the City of London. It was also designed to keep route 100 away from potential traffic congestion at Tower Hill during the construction of the East-West Cycle Superhighway.
Although buses are travelling through the area at a similar overall speed as before the diversion, the main concern is the slow speed on Dock Street where traffic queues at the junction with The Highway.
Following feedback, TfL has decided to alter the diversion to run via Prescot Street, Mansell Street and East Smithfield. There is a risk of additional delay when the cycle superhighway works starts and TfL will continue to monitor the route to ensure the most appropriate diversion is used for the prevailing traffic conditions.
iBus contract
Question No:2015/0862
Darren Johnson
Now that the Transport for London Board has agreed to go ahead with a £260m extension of the iBus Communication System, can you ensure it addresses the following:
It provides bus operators with the ability to limit the maximum speed that matches existing speed limits on bus routes with TfL ensuring these limits are observed
Buses currently have an iBus reminder bleep when they pass near a low bridge. Will you ensure that they have a similar bleep when passing through areas with a high number of collisions, or junctions with a large number of cyclists, school children, tourists, and elderly pedestrians?
Where roads have a recurring problem of collisions, will you ensure that the iBus sets an advisory speed limit of 10mph?
Will you ensure that iBus headway indicator and screen saver have "Safety is your most important Objective"
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
The quoted figure of £260 milion is the total value of the 17 year iBus contract, which includes the initial 10 year contract for iBus, and its seven year contract extension. As the extension is for an existing contract, no additional functionality is being provided.
iBus is an Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)system which tracks the position of individual buses for the purposes of service control and the provision of passenger information. The system is not equipped to provide speed limiting functionality.
However, to achieve speed limitation as suggested, TfL will be trialling an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system on two routes this spring of 2015 for six months, meaning drivers are physically unable to exceed local speed limits when using vehicles fitted with this technology. The purpose of this trial is to understand the potential role of ISA in promoting adherence to speed limits across the road network. If the trial is deemed successful, there is the potential to roll out ISA to other parts of the bus fleet, in addition to the iBus system that is already installed.
The safe operation of London Buses is of paramount concern, and TfL is looking at yet further innovative ways of improving safety across the network, such as the use of pedestrian and cyclist detection equipment. TfL has also considered your suggestion for audible warnings on buses, but there are no plans to introduce these as trials have shown that recurring 'beeps' for too many events are distracting to drivers and can be ineffective if too frequent.
Number 13 bus route
Question No:2015/0959
Andrew Dismore
Why are you proposing to withdraw the well-loved number 13 bus route from service?
TheMayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 12 May 2015
I can confirm that I do not propose to withdraw the number 13 bus from service.
ULEZ (1)
QuestionNo:2015/0997
Murad Qureshi
Your response to MQ2015/0667 states that "As part of my Ultra Low Emission Zone proposals all single deck buses in central London will have to be zero emission at tail pipe by 2020". How many double-decker buses operating in central London will be zero emission tailpipe by 2020?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
The current ULEZ requirement for double-deck buses is for them to be ultra-low emission hybrid diesel-electric as there are currently no zero-emission double-deck buses available on the market. It should be noted, however, that most of TfL's hybrid diesel-electric buses, including my iconic New Routemaster bus, have the capability to run in electric-only mode for considerable periods of time.
TfL is talking to potential manufacturers about developing full-electric double-deck buses in the near future. TfL will then be in a position to forecast potential numbers and assess the contribution they might make to wider emissions reduction.
ULEZ (2)
Question No:2015/0998
Murad Qureshi
How many zero emission tail pipe buses - both single and double-decker - are operating in London at present? What proportion of the total buses operating in London does this represent?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
There are eight pure-electric buses operating on routes 507, 521, H98 and 312. This number will rise to 15 in the autumn when the 312 becomes the first all-electric route in London. The total is then anticipated to increase steadily and make up a bigger proportion of the 8,700 fleet as operators increasingly bid for single-deck routes with all-electric options. There are also eight hydrogen fuel-cell buses on route RV1 with plans to increase this to 10 in 2015/16.
Delivering the first pure-electric double-deck buses is more challenging as overall weight and space constraints make it difficult to accommodate sufficient batteries to achieve the required operating range for London. Nonetheless TfL is talking to potential manufacturers about developing pure-electric double-deck models in the near future. Once there is greater certainty about when these models will be available TfL will be in a position to forecast potential numbers and assess the contribution they might make to wider emissions reduction.
ULEZ (3)
Question No:2015/0999
Murad Qureshi
What are the current costs of a standard diesel single decker bus, a hybrid electric-diesel single decker bus, a fully electric single decker bus, a gas-fuelled single decker bus and a fuel cell single decker bus?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
The estimates, provided in the table below, are indicative and can range significantly from supplier to supplier and also on size and capacity of the bus. There is no unit cost for gas powered vehicles as this technology is not used in the TfL bus fleet. When assessing the most cost-effective technology, the total operating costs over the life of the vehicle must be taken into account.
Type Indicative Cost
Diesel single-deck bus £165k
Hybrid diesel-electric single-deck bus £265k
All electric single-deck bus £330k
Gas fuelled single-deck bus £ n/a
Fuel cell single-deck bus £650k
ULEZ (4)
Question No:2015/1000
Murad Qureshi
Your response to MQ2015/0667 states that the number of fully electric single decker buses will "exceed 300 by 2020". What proportion of the single decker buses expected to be operating in central London in 2020 will this represent?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
100 per cent of single-deck buses operating through the Ultra Low Emission Zone will be zero tail pipe emission (e.g.pure electric or hydrogen) by 2020.
Bus Safety
Question No:2015/1049
Valerie Shawcross
How many collisions have there been with a bus from the TfL bus fleet that have involved members of the public being killed or seriously injured in the last 2 years?
TheMayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
The figures you seek are regularly published on the TfL website for public transparency and can be accessed at: https://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/road-safety.
Road safety figures for London,as reported by the police in accordance with the Stats 19 national reporting system, show there were 11 fatalities and 167 serious injuries in collisions involving all types of buses, including those contracted to TfL as well as private coaches, during 2013. The most recent provisional figures available from the police show eight fatalities and 138 serious injuries resulting from collisions involving a bus or coach between January and October of 2014.
The underlying trend in the number of Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) collisions involving a bus or coach shows dramatic reductions, with 445 KSIs occurring in 2000 compared to 178 KSIs in the full year of 2013. This steady reduction means KSIs have more than halved between 2000 and 2013, and are now equivalent to one KSI for every 10 million bus journeys undertaken a year in London. The safe operation of London Buses is of paramount concern and TfL is looking at yet further innovative ways of improving safety across the bus network. Last summer, TfL started trials of detection software technology that enhances bus driver awareness of vulnerable road users by alerting them when pedestrians and cyclists are close to their vehicles. The trials are currently being evaluated as part of TfL's continuing drive to improve road safety in London.
In addition, TfL is about to undertake a six month trial using Intelligent Speed Assistance(ISA) on two bus routes which will mean that the bus driver cannot exceed the maximum speed limit. The purpose of this trial is to understand the potential role of this technology in promoting adherence to speed limits across the road network. If the trial is deemed successful, there is the potential to roll out ISA to other parts of the bus fleet.
Bus Safety 2
Question No:2015/1050
Valerie Shawcross
What safety measures do TfL currently have in place to prevent incidents where pedestrians or cyclists are injured by collisions with TfL buses?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
The entire operation of the bus network is geared around safety with some of the more significant measures including:
The most rigorous training regime for bus drivers in the UK. This includes identifying avoidable accidents and understanding how best practice can prevent these. TfL has just developed an additional course called 'In the Zone', which focuses on driver behaviour to risk and how this reduce incidents involving cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. All 24,000 drivers in the fleet will take this.
Assessment of risks on all individual bus routes such as turning points and sight lines, and understanding how best to minimise potential hazards
Covert monitoring of the standard of bus driving across the fleet which can identify performance issues and lead to remedial training where necessary
Monitoring the outcomes of serious accident investigations and sharing these with all bus operators at regular forums so operation of the network can be continually improved
Trials of new and innovative pedestrian and cyclist detection systems on buses, and intelligent speed adaptation as part of wider commitments in the Road Safety Plan to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on London's roads.
Independent monitoring of the engineering standard of vehicles in the fleet so they remain in a good state of repair, minimising the chances of them being a contributory factor to accidents
Collecting safety statistics across the network and conducting analysis
Bus Safety- Prosecution
Question No:2015/1051
Valerie Shawcross
What are the prosecution or penalty rates where there has been a collision with a bus from the TfL bus fleet that have involved members of the public being killed or seriously injured in the last 2 years? If this is dealt with by individual bus companies - why is this not dealt with by TfL?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
There have been 21 recorded fatalities on the bus network from January 2013 to February 2015. Of this total, two bus drivers have been prosecuted in relation to bus collisions, six investigations have concluded with no charges brought against drivers and 13 are still under investigation. Powers to prosecute and penalise drivers for potentially serious motoring offences are vested in the Crown Prosecution Service and criminal courts for the UK, not TfL. The bus operators,as the direct employers of bus drivers, will be notified of these cases.
191 busroute(1)
Question No:2015/1114
Joanne McCartney
I have received complaints about the poor service passengers experience on the 191 bus route which passengers often have to wait long periods for the next bus to arrive. Buses not arriving as scheduled particularly affect disabled and elderly passengers who may have difficulty in waiting at a bus stop. Will you conduct a review into this service and take actions to improve the service for commuters?
The Mayor
In December 2014, TfL invested extra resources on route 191 to implement an improved schedule providing extra resilience for buses to complete their journeys and improver eliability. Since then, the route has been achieving its overall reliability targets. However, TfL is aware delays are still being experienced at peak times and are working with the operator to ensure these are managed appropriately. TfL is also working alongside Enfield Council to investigate additional Bus Priority measures along more congested parts of the route.
New Bus for London(1)
Question No:2015/1141
Stephen Knight
Further to reports of faults with the battery on some of the New Routemasters, how many vehicles have so far been checked, and how many batteries have been replaced?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
TfL is aware of only two entire battery packs being replaced since New Routemasters were introduced to London. Batteries are, however, subject to regular maintenance which may require individual modules to be replaced. This performance is in line with batteries on other types of hybrid diesel-electric buses in the fleet.
The cost of replacing current battery packs beyond the warranty period would be circa £25,000. However, when operators bid for route contracts they factor in the anticipated costs of maintaining vehicles over the duration of the operating contract and would bear these costs if they materialised.
New Bus for London(2)
Question No:2015/1142
Stephen Knight
What would be the cost of upgrading the battery pack used in the New Routemaster vehicle outside the warranty period?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
Please see my response to MQ2015/1141.
Future of London Buses
Question No:2015/1155
Richard Tracey
Do you think that electric buses or hydrogen buses represent a more viable future for London's public transport?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
My ultimate goal is to achieve a zero-tailpipe-emission fleet for London, as this would radically improve air quality for all Londoners.The emergence of pure-electric buses with greater battery storage capacity and the evolution of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles both represent excellent opportunities to achieve this at the current time. TfL will continue to trial and demonstrate new emerging technologies to ensure the best options are taken forward for emissions reduction.
Note the very reticent answers about all electric double deckers - no mention whatsover of the route 69 trial. Makes me wonder if things are proving very difficult for Alexander Dennis to get viable reliable vehicles.
Route 7
Question No:2015/0945
Andrew Dismore
Is the shortening of the No7 route to Oxford Circus permanent or temporary, pending work at Tottenham Court Road tube, and if permanent, why?
The Mayor
The shortening of route 7 to Oxford Circus was implemented as a temporary measure to help mitigate against the Crossrail works at Tottenham Court Road, which has been compensated by the extension of route 98 to Russell Square over the same routing. TfL is keeping the changes under review.
Aerodrome Road buses
Question No:2015/0943
Andrew Dismore
Is it possible to route other buses than route 186 along Aerodrome Road towards Colindale as at present the 186 turns right at the roundabout towards Mill Hill, and if not, why not? Can you also look at the siting of the 186 bus stop which has been moved from Cherry close, making interchange with route 204 difficult and if not, why not?
The Mayor
TfL recently met with council officers to discuss requirements for the Collindale area. A study will be undertaken over the next six months, which will evaluate how the networ kmight develop including options for Aerodrome Road.
With regards to the siting of the 186 bus stop, works have been undertaken to re-align the road layout in Lanacre Avenue off of Grahame Park Way. The road has been re-aligned approximately 80 metres eastwards with stops re-located accordingly from the disused section of the original road, which is being redeveloped as part of a major housing development scheme in the Grahame Park Estate. Both routes 186 and 204 continue to serve the new stops, along with the 305 and N5, and this means that the interchange is retained.
100 Bus
Question No:2015/0924
John Biggs
Why is TfL incapable of mitigating the catastrophic failure of the rerouting of the 100 Bus from Dock Street, even though at peak times this has led to massive delays. My constituents in Wapping, and beyond, have largely abandoned the service at peak times as a result.
The Mayor
The diversion of route 100 in the Aldgate area is due to the closure of Minories (the usual southbound route) as part of the gyratory removal works by the City of London. It was also designed to keep route 100 away from potential traffic congestion at Tower Hill during the construction of the East-West Cycle Superhighway.
Although buses are travelling through the area at a similar overall speed as before the diversion, the main concern is the slow speed on Dock Street where traffic queues at the junction with The Highway.
Following feedback, TfL has decided to alter the diversion to run via Prescot Street, Mansell Street and East Smithfield. There is a risk of additional delay when the cycle superhighway works starts and TfL will continue to monitor the route to ensure the most appropriate diversion is used for the prevailing traffic conditions.
iBus contract
Question No:2015/0862
Darren Johnson
Now that the Transport for London Board has agreed to go ahead with a £260m extension of the iBus Communication System, can you ensure it addresses the following:
It provides bus operators with the ability to limit the maximum speed that matches existing speed limits on bus routes with TfL ensuring these limits are observed
Buses currently have an iBus reminder bleep when they pass near a low bridge. Will you ensure that they have a similar bleep when passing through areas with a high number of collisions, or junctions with a large number of cyclists, school children, tourists, and elderly pedestrians?
Where roads have a recurring problem of collisions, will you ensure that the iBus sets an advisory speed limit of 10mph?
Will you ensure that iBus headway indicator and screen saver have "Safety is your most important Objective"
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
The quoted figure of £260 milion is the total value of the 17 year iBus contract, which includes the initial 10 year contract for iBus, and its seven year contract extension. As the extension is for an existing contract, no additional functionality is being provided.
iBus is an Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)system which tracks the position of individual buses for the purposes of service control and the provision of passenger information. The system is not equipped to provide speed limiting functionality.
However, to achieve speed limitation as suggested, TfL will be trialling an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system on two routes this spring of 2015 for six months, meaning drivers are physically unable to exceed local speed limits when using vehicles fitted with this technology. The purpose of this trial is to understand the potential role of ISA in promoting adherence to speed limits across the road network. If the trial is deemed successful, there is the potential to roll out ISA to other parts of the bus fleet, in addition to the iBus system that is already installed.
The safe operation of London Buses is of paramount concern, and TfL is looking at yet further innovative ways of improving safety across the network, such as the use of pedestrian and cyclist detection equipment. TfL has also considered your suggestion for audible warnings on buses, but there are no plans to introduce these as trials have shown that recurring 'beeps' for too many events are distracting to drivers and can be ineffective if too frequent.
Number 13 bus route
Question No:2015/0959
Andrew Dismore
Why are you proposing to withdraw the well-loved number 13 bus route from service?
TheMayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 12 May 2015
I can confirm that I do not propose to withdraw the number 13 bus from service.
ULEZ (1)
QuestionNo:2015/0997
Murad Qureshi
Your response to MQ2015/0667 states that "As part of my Ultra Low Emission Zone proposals all single deck buses in central London will have to be zero emission at tail pipe by 2020". How many double-decker buses operating in central London will be zero emission tailpipe by 2020?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
The current ULEZ requirement for double-deck buses is for them to be ultra-low emission hybrid diesel-electric as there are currently no zero-emission double-deck buses available on the market. It should be noted, however, that most of TfL's hybrid diesel-electric buses, including my iconic New Routemaster bus, have the capability to run in electric-only mode for considerable periods of time.
TfL is talking to potential manufacturers about developing full-electric double-deck buses in the near future. TfL will then be in a position to forecast potential numbers and assess the contribution they might make to wider emissions reduction.
ULEZ (2)
Question No:2015/0998
Murad Qureshi
How many zero emission tail pipe buses - both single and double-decker - are operating in London at present? What proportion of the total buses operating in London does this represent?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
There are eight pure-electric buses operating on routes 507, 521, H98 and 312. This number will rise to 15 in the autumn when the 312 becomes the first all-electric route in London. The total is then anticipated to increase steadily and make up a bigger proportion of the 8,700 fleet as operators increasingly bid for single-deck routes with all-electric options. There are also eight hydrogen fuel-cell buses on route RV1 with plans to increase this to 10 in 2015/16.
Delivering the first pure-electric double-deck buses is more challenging as overall weight and space constraints make it difficult to accommodate sufficient batteries to achieve the required operating range for London. Nonetheless TfL is talking to potential manufacturers about developing pure-electric double-deck models in the near future. Once there is greater certainty about when these models will be available TfL will be in a position to forecast potential numbers and assess the contribution they might make to wider emissions reduction.
ULEZ (3)
Question No:2015/0999
Murad Qureshi
What are the current costs of a standard diesel single decker bus, a hybrid electric-diesel single decker bus, a fully electric single decker bus, a gas-fuelled single decker bus and a fuel cell single decker bus?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
The estimates, provided in the table below, are indicative and can range significantly from supplier to supplier and also on size and capacity of the bus. There is no unit cost for gas powered vehicles as this technology is not used in the TfL bus fleet. When assessing the most cost-effective technology, the total operating costs over the life of the vehicle must be taken into account.
Type Indicative Cost
Diesel single-deck bus £165k
Hybrid diesel-electric single-deck bus £265k
All electric single-deck bus £330k
Gas fuelled single-deck bus £ n/a
Fuel cell single-deck bus £650k
ULEZ (4)
Question No:2015/1000
Murad Qureshi
Your response to MQ2015/0667 states that the number of fully electric single decker buses will "exceed 300 by 2020". What proportion of the single decker buses expected to be operating in central London in 2020 will this represent?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
100 per cent of single-deck buses operating through the Ultra Low Emission Zone will be zero tail pipe emission (e.g.pure electric or hydrogen) by 2020.
Bus Safety
Question No:2015/1049
Valerie Shawcross
How many collisions have there been with a bus from the TfL bus fleet that have involved members of the public being killed or seriously injured in the last 2 years?
TheMayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
The figures you seek are regularly published on the TfL website for public transparency and can be accessed at: https://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/road-safety.
Road safety figures for London,as reported by the police in accordance with the Stats 19 national reporting system, show there were 11 fatalities and 167 serious injuries in collisions involving all types of buses, including those contracted to TfL as well as private coaches, during 2013. The most recent provisional figures available from the police show eight fatalities and 138 serious injuries resulting from collisions involving a bus or coach between January and October of 2014.
The underlying trend in the number of Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) collisions involving a bus or coach shows dramatic reductions, with 445 KSIs occurring in 2000 compared to 178 KSIs in the full year of 2013. This steady reduction means KSIs have more than halved between 2000 and 2013, and are now equivalent to one KSI for every 10 million bus journeys undertaken a year in London. The safe operation of London Buses is of paramount concern and TfL is looking at yet further innovative ways of improving safety across the bus network. Last summer, TfL started trials of detection software technology that enhances bus driver awareness of vulnerable road users by alerting them when pedestrians and cyclists are close to their vehicles. The trials are currently being evaluated as part of TfL's continuing drive to improve road safety in London.
In addition, TfL is about to undertake a six month trial using Intelligent Speed Assistance(ISA) on two bus routes which will mean that the bus driver cannot exceed the maximum speed limit. The purpose of this trial is to understand the potential role of this technology in promoting adherence to speed limits across the road network. If the trial is deemed successful, there is the potential to roll out ISA to other parts of the bus fleet.
Bus Safety 2
Question No:2015/1050
Valerie Shawcross
What safety measures do TfL currently have in place to prevent incidents where pedestrians or cyclists are injured by collisions with TfL buses?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
The entire operation of the bus network is geared around safety with some of the more significant measures including:
The most rigorous training regime for bus drivers in the UK. This includes identifying avoidable accidents and understanding how best practice can prevent these. TfL has just developed an additional course called 'In the Zone', which focuses on driver behaviour to risk and how this reduce incidents involving cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. All 24,000 drivers in the fleet will take this.
Assessment of risks on all individual bus routes such as turning points and sight lines, and understanding how best to minimise potential hazards
Covert monitoring of the standard of bus driving across the fleet which can identify performance issues and lead to remedial training where necessary
Monitoring the outcomes of serious accident investigations and sharing these with all bus operators at regular forums so operation of the network can be continually improved
Trials of new and innovative pedestrian and cyclist detection systems on buses, and intelligent speed adaptation as part of wider commitments in the Road Safety Plan to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on London's roads.
Independent monitoring of the engineering standard of vehicles in the fleet so they remain in a good state of repair, minimising the chances of them being a contributory factor to accidents
Collecting safety statistics across the network and conducting analysis
Bus Safety- Prosecution
Question No:2015/1051
Valerie Shawcross
What are the prosecution or penalty rates where there has been a collision with a bus from the TfL bus fleet that have involved members of the public being killed or seriously injured in the last 2 years? If this is dealt with by individual bus companies - why is this not dealt with by TfL?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 24 April 2015
There have been 21 recorded fatalities on the bus network from January 2013 to February 2015. Of this total, two bus drivers have been prosecuted in relation to bus collisions, six investigations have concluded with no charges brought against drivers and 13 are still under investigation. Powers to prosecute and penalise drivers for potentially serious motoring offences are vested in the Crown Prosecution Service and criminal courts for the UK, not TfL. The bus operators,as the direct employers of bus drivers, will be notified of these cases.
191 busroute(1)
Question No:2015/1114
Joanne McCartney
I have received complaints about the poor service passengers experience on the 191 bus route which passengers often have to wait long periods for the next bus to arrive. Buses not arriving as scheduled particularly affect disabled and elderly passengers who may have difficulty in waiting at a bus stop. Will you conduct a review into this service and take actions to improve the service for commuters?
The Mayor
In December 2014, TfL invested extra resources on route 191 to implement an improved schedule providing extra resilience for buses to complete their journeys and improver eliability. Since then, the route has been achieving its overall reliability targets. However, TfL is aware delays are still being experienced at peak times and are working with the operator to ensure these are managed appropriately. TfL is also working alongside Enfield Council to investigate additional Bus Priority measures along more congested parts of the route.
New Bus for London(1)
Question No:2015/1141
Stephen Knight
Further to reports of faults with the battery on some of the New Routemasters, how many vehicles have so far been checked, and how many batteries have been replaced?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
TfL is aware of only two entire battery packs being replaced since New Routemasters were introduced to London. Batteries are, however, subject to regular maintenance which may require individual modules to be replaced. This performance is in line with batteries on other types of hybrid diesel-electric buses in the fleet.
The cost of replacing current battery packs beyond the warranty period would be circa £25,000. However, when operators bid for route contracts they factor in the anticipated costs of maintaining vehicles over the duration of the operating contract and would bear these costs if they materialised.
New Bus for London(2)
Question No:2015/1142
Stephen Knight
What would be the cost of upgrading the battery pack used in the New Routemaster vehicle outside the warranty period?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
Please see my response to MQ2015/1141.
Future of London Buses
Question No:2015/1155
Richard Tracey
Do you think that electric buses or hydrogen buses represent a more viable future for London's public transport?
The Mayor
Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.
Written response from the Mayor received 15 April 2015
My ultimate goal is to achieve a zero-tailpipe-emission fleet for London, as this would radically improve air quality for all Londoners.The emergence of pure-electric buses with greater battery storage capacity and the evolution of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles both represent excellent opportunities to achieve this at the current time. TfL will continue to trial and demonstrate new emerging technologies to ensure the best options are taken forward for emissions reduction.