The West London bus route so busy that children and the elderly 'compete' to get on
West London commuters have called on Transport for London (TfL) to increase the capacity for a local bus route. Passengers claimed that the 235 service can get so busy that children and elderly people often 'compete' with each other to get on the bus, with some buses skipping stops altogether
Locals have started a petition that calls on TfL to upgrade the single-deck bus route into a double-decker service. Lib Dem Assembly Member Gareth Roberts presented the petition to the London Assembly at a City Hall meeting on Thursday, February 13.
The representative for Hounslow, Richmond and Kingston said at the meeting: "Starting from Sunbury village, the journey quickly becomes a competition to board the bus with both children and the elderly, among others, failing to do so because the buses reach maximum capacity too quickly."
He added: "There is particularly an issue with capacity between Sunbury and Hounslow with buses often skipping stops." The campaign has received over 500 signatures from passengers. The route runs from Sunbury village to Brentford and passes through areas such as Feltham and Hounslow.
TfL passenger figures show that 5.3 million journeys were recorded on the 235 route from April 2023 to April 2024. Usage of the route has seen a net increase over the past few years, with 4.6m journeys for the 2022/23 financial year and 3.7m across 2021 and 2022.
The number of passengers seen on the route has also been noted as being significantly higher than single-deck buses seen on routes running throughout Zone 1, such as the 507 and 521. Rosie Trew, TfL's Head of Bus Service Delivery, told MyLondon that the transport authority was aware that buses are an important lifeline for millions of Londoners and that TfL was determined to ensure that people can rely on the capital's bus network.
She added: "Feedback is hugely important to us to help understand local issues. We continue to explore with the borough how we can ensure the bus network is fit for purpose and meets demand for bus services in the Feltham and Hounslow area, while also providing value for money for Londoners."
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