Bus speeds in London have dropped to their lowest levels in years, contributing to a decline in passenger numbers, the London Assembly has been told.
Data from City Hall shows that average bus speeds across the capital fell to 9.17mph in 2024–25, down from 10.27mph four years earlier. In August, the most recent month recorded, buses were travelling at an average of 9.06mph.
Passenger journeys also fell last year for the first time since the pandemic, dropping from 1.869 billion to 1.842 billion.
Transport for London (TfL) said its Bus Action Plan aims to improve travel speeds, including 15.5 miles of new bus lanes, 1,900 signals prioritising buses and 52.8 miles of existing lanes operating 24 hours a day.
The assembly’s transport committee heard that slow services and “endless traffic” were making buses less appealing.
Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach London, said: “It’s making them less attractive and less reliable… It’s got to be one of the reasons why bus passenger numbers are declining at the same time that bus speeds are.” He added that conditions had worsened over recent years, with one driver reporting it as the worst he had ever seen in 40 years operating buses in London.
TfL’s latest Travel in London report recorded a 1.5% fall in bus journeys compared with last year, while passenger numbers on the Underground and Elizabeth line rose.
Michael Roberts, chief executive of London TravelWatch, warned that slower journey times reduce patronage, lowering TfL’s income and increasing operating costs, since more buses are required to maintain services. He said buses remain an efficient use of road space, and declining use is “bad for London”.
Roberts added: “For every 10% reduction in journey speeds, there’s a 6% reduction in demand.” Meeting the mayor’s target for 80% of trips to be made by walking, cycling or public transport by 2041 would require bus journeys to rise by 40%, with daily trips needing to grow from 5.1 million to 9 million according to TfL analysis.
The report highlighted disparities across boroughs, with average speeds below 7mph in the City of London, Camden and Westminster, while Bexley, Hillingdon and Havering recorded speeds above 11mph.
