248 BUS ROUTE STOPPING SHORT?

Following a number of complaints about the 248 bus route being curtailed at Upminster before going on to Cranham, I asked Transport for London for an explanation of this practice. This is their reply

I understand how frustrating it can be when a bus is curtailed, and would like to apologise for any inconvenience any users may have experienced.  This is an issue that both London Buses and our operators take extremely seriously.

When a bus is particularly delayed, route controllers can stop it short of its usual destination.  This allows the delayed bus to turn around and return to its usual timetable in the opposite direction. We do this for the benefit of our passengers as it allows us to maintain an even service across the route and prevents delays from building up. We realise that this causes inconvenience for some passengers already on the bus, and so expect operators to only take this action as a last resort.  However, it is done to benefit the majority of passengers using the service.

When a bus is curtailed, passengers should be given a transfer ticket to allow them to catch the next bus without paying again.  This helps to minimise disruption to their journeys in difficult circumstances.

We monitor all our bus routes thoroughly in order to be aware of any service issues that may arise. Like most of our services, route 248 is operated under a Quality Incentive Contract (QIC).  This means that the operator can be rewarded for providing an excellent service, or penalised for failing to meet performance targets. 

As route 248 was taken on by a new operator relatively recently, we will be keeping a close eye on how it is run, and working with East London Bus Group to ensure that everything possible is being done to provide a service our passengers can rely on.  I have made our Performance Team aware of your comments, which I am sure will assist with this process. I am hopeful that residents will soon see improvements to the service provided on route 248.

Thank you again for raising these concerns with us.  If I can be of any further help, please feel free to contact me again.

Cllr Clarence Barrett

27.2.09