Hornchurch & Upminster MP, Julia Lopez, has joined with local Conservative activists to criticise the Mayor’s proposed amendments to local bus services. These changes to services are being considered alongside the Mayor of London’s imposition of a £12.50 daily tax upon many motorists via the ULEZ expansion.

Despite the Mayor’s pledge of new bus routes in outer London to mitigate against the ULEZ extension, Mrs Lopez believes changes to routes published this week will not support a shift to public transport in Havering. Locally, the changes consist of the expansion of the existing 497 route such that it continues from its current route of Dagnam Park Square to Harold Wood Station and on to Upminster Station via Moor Lane and St. Mary’s Lane. But alongside this, the existing 346 route (Upminster Park to Upminster Station) and the 347 route (Romford Station to Ockendon Station) would be withdrawn.

While the extension of the 497 route is welcomed, the Mayor’s proposed changes will have a number of negative impacts:

• Passengers on the existing 346 route travelling from Moor Lane to Upminster would see the frequency of services halved, with two buses per hour instead of four
• Bus services between Clay Tye Road and Ockendon Road will be completely cut by the removal of the 347 route
• Some passengers will be required to make additional interchanges
• Access to the Cathedral estate via bus will require passengers to make use of an unlit footpath

Mrs Lopez is asking all constituents concerned about this to give feedback on the Mayor’s proposals and is backing the calls of local Conservative activists that there should be:

• Direct bus routes to and from Upminster and Cranham to Harold Wood
• Frequent bus services of at least 4 buses per hour
• Direct bus routes to and from Harold Wood to Ockendon
• Direct bus routes to and from Upminster and Cranham to Ockendon

The above can be achieved by retaining the 36 and via the extension of the proposed 497 route to Ockendon, following the existing 347 route, and with a frequency of four buses per hour.

To have your say in the consultation, please visit: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/bus-routes-346-347-497

Commenting on the bus plans, Mrs Lopez said: ‘While I welcome the extension of the 497, it is telling that the Mayor’s investment in ‘new’ bus services in Havering is limited to the consolidation of routes, requiring the removal of two. These changes will cut bus services between Ockendon Road and the Mayor’s own analysis shows that elderly residents will be disproportionately affected.

 It will come to no surprise to residents that the Mayor’s promises of 400,000km of additional bus routes in London does not amount to very much. The proposed changes clearly do not represent an overall improvement to bus services in Havering, even resulting in a reduction or total loss of services to some. At a time when the Mayor is imposing an effective daily tax of £12.50 these changes will not support the shift to public transport the Mayor claims to aspire to. Instead, these changes will leave some constituents even more exposed to the expanded ULEZ.’

Local resident and Upminster Conservative Ward Volunteer, Ed Green said: ‘ULEZ will already harm residents and local business in our area, now with cuts to public transport, Sadiq Khan continues to let residents down.’