All Aboard For An Improved 94

In response to residents’ complaints, TfL have devised ‘Action Plan’ to improve the service.

Whilst the old Routemasters hold a special place in the minds of the more nostalgic of locals, those commuters who use the 94 bus route daily feel rather differently about the service they provide. In response to one commuter’s complaints with regard to the over-crowding and sporadic nature of the ‘timetable’ from Acton Green, Tom Loader, Customer Services TfL-Buses wrote:

“We realise that our services need to be reliable and convenient if we are to attract more passengers. We monitor the network to identify those routes that fail to perform to the standard we expect. We can then work with our operators to overcome the problems that they face, and improve the level of service that is offered to our passengers.

This service, as well as many in London, can be affected by traffic congestion, roadworks, illegal parking and staff shortages. Timetables are planned to take instances of disruption, such as traffic congestion, into account. However, since road conditions can change from day to day, it can be difficult to predict the time a bus will need to travel from one bus stop to another. This can mean that some passengers are subject to a longer than expected wait for a bus, despite the best efforts of route controllers to maintain an even and reliable service.

On the occasion that a bus is delayed, a greater than anticipated number of passengers can gather at the bus stops along its route. This means that a delayed bus can soon become full. The solution to this problem is to overcome the issues that lead to the bus being delayed, such as traffic congestion. The current frequency of route 94 is sufficient to meet the demand that exists, providing it runs reliably. However, as of the 24th January, the number of buses per hour (at peak times Monday to Friday) is increasing from 12 to 15.

We are absolutely committed to improving this service. As I mentioned, we meet with the operators to seek solutions to the issues of traffic congestion, illegal parking and roadworks. This allows us to discuss potential solutions to poor performance, and so raise the level of service that is offered to our passengers. With regards to route 94, we are absolutely determined to overcome the serious and ongoing problems that are affecting the operator.”

This is certainly a positive and encouraging response from TfL and will hopefully warm the cockles of the hearts all those still waiting at the bus stop!

February 27, 2004