Buses slower since charge

Thousands of bus passengers are suffering longer journeys to work since the launch of congestion charging, new figures show.

They face fresh delays as motorists switch to different roads in search of routes that avoid the £5-a-day charge.

Only one bus service surveyed showed an improvement since 17 February. The study of five key bus routes into central London during the morning rush-hour showed that four were now taking longer.

The route that has slowed down most is the busy 29 from Wood Green, which took 100 minutes to arrive at Trafalgar Square, compared with 46 minutes the week before charging. Transport for London blamed new roadworks in Shaftesbury Avenue.

The number 18 from Sudbury to Euston has also been affected. Before congestion charging it took 68 minutes but this week it took 80 minutes.

The only encouraging note was that the number 25 from Ilford to Oxford Circus was eight minutes faster than before. But while TfL estimate this route should take 120 minutes in the wake of the Central line closures, it took slightly longer at 123 minutes.

Last week, an Evening Standard survey of five other bus routes found three took seven to 14 minutes longer than before charging, and two were between eight and 11 minutes faster.

Trafficmaster, which monitors journey times on main roads into London, said the slowdown was partly explained by motorists switching routes as new travel patterns emerge. "We would expect bus journey times to get shorter," said spokeswoman Georgina Osborn. "They should not be as affected by the congestion charge as other traffic."

The RAC Foundation said buses may be becoming victims of their own success as car drivers switch to buses, forcing them to take longer to allow people on and off at stops. New passengers often do not have passes and take longer to buy tickets.

Today Transport for London said London Buses was conducting its own extensive monitoring of services in central London.

"It is early days, but the latest data from the week beginning 17 February indicate that delays to bus services caused by traffic congestion more than halved," said a spokesperson.

She said on the day of the survey gas repairs in Shaftesbury Avenue and an accident nearby had disrupted central London roads.