No people killed by or on buses from 2030: that's the ambitious aim of the Mayor of London and TfL, who have announced plans to make London buses the safest in the world.
Though passenger numbers have fallen to around 6.5m each day, in the past three years, there have been over 20,000 safety incidents on TfL's bus network (£).
From 2019, all new London buses must include the following safety measures:
- Technology that automatically limits the speed at which buses are able to travel
- An audible alert for pedestrians and other road users of the presence of buses
- Slip reduction measures inside buses such as high-grip flooring
- More blindspot mirrors and reversing cameras
- Special warning pedal indicators for drivers
Claire Mann, Director of Bus Operations at TfL, said:
Safety is at the very heart of everything we do. While the safety of the bus network has improved, no death involving a bus is inevitable or acceptable. That's why we have worked with the industry to create an innovative evidence-led Bus Safety Standard. The enhanced safety features it will require will make London's buses the safest in the world and will save lives.
These bus safety regulations are part of the wider Vision Zero action plan, which aims to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries in London by 2041.
@tfl thanks for reminding me to please hold on the bus is about to move when then bus is already moving after every single bus stop. pic.twitter.com/dNbek765Wa
— Nathan Wade (@natewade87) January 13, 2018
Not all of TfL's bus safety measures have been welcomed by Londoners, though. In January 2018, a badly-timed on board announcement that the 'bus was about to move', was widely derided.
