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Transport priorities
• WE read with interest your article concerning bus stops on West End Lane, and their distance from West Hampstead Tube station. (Bus stops ‘too far from Tube’, January 11).
At Transport for London (TfL), we try to ensure that switching between different forms of transport is painless and quick. This, of course, means we normally attempt to place bus stops as close to Tube stations as possible.
However, this is not the only consideration when locating bus stops.
We need to make sure bus stops neither interfere with the traffic flow nor have a negative affect on the surrounding area. We also have to consider various regulations, laws and guidelines.
Placing the bus stops on West End Lane nearer to the Tube station would have involved interrupting sightlines and disrupting the traffic flow.
It was proposed to site the new bus stops outside the Thames Link Station after no suitable site could be found opposite the Underground station, and there is already an existing stop about 60 metres prior to the station.
TONY MITCHELL
Area Manager, Camden and Islington Regional Operations Central, Operations & Group Safety, Surface Transport
Transport for London
Empress Approach
SW6
• LONDON bus drivers are not employed to act as security guards but they can and do request instant help and police assistance through a ‘Code Red’ call to the 24-hour Centrecomm control room (‘TfL treated me like a criminal’ January 18).
Buses are a low crime environment but TfL is not complacent – the safety of our staff and passengers is our top priority. All London buses are fitted with CCTV and Transport for London funds more than 1,200 uniformed officers to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour on and around the bus network.
The route 29 is one of London’s busiest and runs along a priority corridor which is patrolled by a dedicated team of officers from the Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU).
Current figures show that crime and disorder is no higher on bendy buses than the rest of the fleet, and the introduction of bendy buses has improved accessibility for commuters with mobility difficulties and significantly decreased boarding times meaning millions of customers each year are benefiting from shorter journey times.
STEVE BURTON
Deputy Director of Transport Policing and Enforcement
Transport for London
Empress Approach
SW6
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