TfL boss to experience C10 bus overcrowding for himself

Simon Hughes, the MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey, met Transport for London bosses at the House of Commons this week to discuss issues of concern to his constituents and other travellers in Southwark.

As a result of many complaints from local residents of overcrowding on local buses and from Mr Hughes' own experience, particularly on the C10 and 381, David Brown, TfL's head of surface transport, will now join the MP to see conditions for himself and talk to passengers.

Last year we reported that TfL's own figures show that the C10 – which links Canada Water with Victoria via Elephant & Castle – is the second most complained about bus route in the entire city and is also in the list of London's 10 least reliable bus routes.

Passengers have regularly complained of long gaps between buses, overcrowding on the small single-deck vehicles and buses terminated short of their advertised destination.

Other issues raised by Mr Hughes at the meeting with transport commissioner Peter Hendy and his senior colleagues included the reopening of the East London Line, the present and future disruption on the Jubilee and Northern Lines, the closures of the Rotherhithe tunnel, overcrowding on the buses, the lack of a Countdown indicator at local bus stops, the bus lane along Jamaica Road, the unfriendly attitudes of some bus drivers, dangerous potholes on main roads and the plans for the roundabouts at Elephant & Castle.

"As always I was impressed by the competence and commitment of Peter Hendy and the senior management of Transport for London," said Simon Hughes.

He added: "The problems on the Jubilee Line and the threatened problems on the Northern Line are not the fault of TfL but the failure of the Labour Government who forced the public private partnership (PPP) on London Underground.

"I made clear that as a part of London with four Jubilee Line stations and four Northern Line station people in North Southwark and Bermondsey will expect London Underground to make sure that there are no closures on local Jubilee and Northern Line stations at the same time."