Residents of Newington Green have voiced their anger over TfL’s proposed plans to alter the number 21 bus route, meaning it will no longer stop at Newington Green.
The current route terminates at Newington Green. However, if plans go ahead the service would bypass that area entirely.
TFL said that the plans provide “a new structure for the local bus network”, and recommended passengers use the 141 route as a replacement.
According to one resident, however, this is simply not feasible. “In peak travel times the 141 [which begins further north, on Tottenhall Road] is often already at full capacity by the time it reaches Newington Green,” he said.
Currently, the 21 bus runs from Newington Green to Lewisham every 7-13 minutes, travelling through London Bridge. The proposed alternative terminates at London Bridge, rather than continuing south down the Old Kent Road. For those travelling further, that would mean changing routes.
Laura, another resident of Newington Green, said the bus was the only feasible transport option for many people, as the overground is not readily accessible and there is no underground station nearby.
“I’m angry,” she said. “Without this [bus], I feel I will have even fewer ways to get back home.”
Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Rowena Champion, declined to comment on the number of concerns over the changes that have been voiced to the council.
On 22 November, TfL opened the consultation on the changes to the public. This will run until 9 January 2022, when a final decision will be made.
According to TfL, the restructuring of the bus routes is due to a funding gap caused by the pandemic. While demand for bus services has been rising since spring 2021, TfL “do not expect it to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels for some time”.
