MPs demand action on 213 bus route affecting Sutton schoolchildren
Four parliamentarians have written to the Mayor of London regarding issues with the 213 bus service.
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Four Members of Parliament have formally requested that Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, take action to improve the 213 bus service. The MPs are calling for additional services between Sutton and Kingston, specifically to address overcrowding and reliability concerns during school travel periods. This intervention follows a public petition that has garnered more than 1,000 signatures from residents seeking enhancements to the route.
Concerns over student impact
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The MPs, including Luke Taylor for Sutton and Cheam, Paul Kohler for Wimbledon, Sarah Olney for Richmond Park, and Sir Ed Davey for Kingston and Surbiton, highlighted that pupils attending Coombe Girls’ School are among those experiencing difficulties. According to their joint letter, morning buses on the 213 route are frequently full by the time they reach stops used by students. This situation reportedly leads to buses passing by without picking up waiting passengers, leaving children stranded or risking lateness for school.
The letter states that students face a dilemma: either catch an earlier bus and wait outside school in adverse weather conditions, or risk arriving late and facing penalties such as detentions. Parents involved in the petition have previously reported children waiting for over an hour for the 213, with instances of buses turning out of service or rerouting when running behind schedule. This unreliability, they argue, disrupts children's education and forces parents to alter their work commitments.
Service reductions and TfL response
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The 213 bus route serves approximately 15,000 passengers daily. Its frequency was reduced in 2023, decreasing from six buses per hour on Mondays through Saturdays. In response to a Freedom of Information request, Transport for London (TfL) indicated that there are no immediate plans to reinstate the previous service frequency, citing that current usage levels do not warrant such a change. However, the MPs contend that this assessment does not align with the experiences of their constituents.
The parliamentarians are advocating for the introduction of extra services specifically timed to coincide with school arrival and departure times. They believe that these targeted additions would alleviate overcrowding for both students and other commuters using the route. The petition also calls for improved scheduling and greater reliability of the 213 service, along with adjustments to the management of late-running buses.
Questions this report answers
+Why are MPs concerned about the 213 bus route?
Four MPs have written to Sadiq Khan because of issues with overcrowding and reliability on the 213 bus service, particularly affecting schoolchildren. They report that buses are often full, leaving students stranded or late for school, and that the service frequency was reduced in 2023.
+What improvements are being requested for the 213 bus service?
The MPs are requesting additional 213 bus services specifically during school arrival and departure times to ease overcrowding. A petition also calls for better spacing, improved reliability, and changes to how late-running buses are managed on the route.
+What has Transport for London said about increasing the 213 bus service frequency?
Transport for London has stated, in response to a Freedom of Information request, that there are no current plans to restore the previous frequency of the 213 bus service. They indicated that current usage does not justify increasing the frequency from its reduced 2023 levels.
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