Description
Ben Jarman
The 344 is usually overcrowded and seems to run far less frequently than advertised. It is very common, waiting at the Battersea Park Station stop going towards Liverpool Street, to wait for a second or third bus before there is space to board.
This morning I waited 25 minutes for the first bus, and a further 20 minutes before there was a bus with space to board.
The service is clearly inadequate for its level of demand.
You need to ask Abellio to lay on more buses, please.
Ben Jarman
Problem History
- 1 Ben Jarman reported the issue on FixMyTransport. close 09:52 11 Jun 2012 #
-
2
Ben Jarman wrote to Transport for London
close
09:52 11 Jun 2012
#
Here is the letter that Ben Jarman wrote.
Totally inadequate bus service
The 344 is usually overcrowded and seems to run far less frequently than advertised. It is very common, waiting at the Battersea Park Station stop going towards Liverpool Street, to wait for a second or third bus before there is space to board.
This morning I waited 25 minutes for the first bus, and a further 20 minutes before there was a bus with space to board.
The service is clearly inadequate for its level of demand.
You need to ask Abellio to lay on more buses, please.
Ben Jarman
-
Thank you for your email. We can now confirm that this has been
received.
For further information about the Surface Transport Complaints
and Feedback Policy including timescales, please see
[1]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tf...
Problems with roadworks or other street faults? In support of
the Mayor’s Streetworks Code of Conduct to help cut congestion,
please report these issues by visiting
[2]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/reportas...
show quoted sections
References
Visible links
1. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tf...
2. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/reportas... -
Our Ref: 1010809886
Date: 02.07.2012
Mr B Jarman
[increase the number of buses running the 344 route email]
Dear Mr Jarman
Re: Route 344
Thank you for your email dated 11 June. I was concerned to learn
of your experience in attempting to travel on bus route 344, and
I am sorry for the inconvenience caused as a consequence.
I would like to assure you that the capacity and frequency of
all London bus routes are routinely assessed in relation to the
demand for a service. There are no current plans to increase the
frequency or capacity of route 344, as Transport for London
(TfL) is satisfied that the current capacity of the service
matches the passenger demand, providing the service operates to
schedule. Regrettably, route 55 has recently been subject to
delays due to major utilities works in Great Eastern Street /
Shoreditch High Street, EC2.
I note that you have had to wait up to 25 minutes for a bus on
route 55, and I apologise for this. The route is scheduled to
operate approximately every 5-8 minutes between 7am and 7pm,
Monday to Friday. There are sufficient buses in operation to
meet this frequency. However, adverse traffic conditions caused
by works such as the above can mean that gaps in service occur,
which can result in more crowded buses. I would like to assure
you that the route controllers are striving to provide as
reliable and as consistent a service as possible, despite
traffic congestion.
Let me also assure you that we continually monitor the bus
network to ensure that routes are meeting their performance
targets or identify any that are not. Where a problem becomes
apparent, our Performance team will work with the operating
company concerned to overcome it.
Thank you for your correspondence on this subject. Please feel
free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.
Yours sincerely
Paul Lawley
Customer Services
DO NOT DELETE.............................
{ticketno:[2798648]}
DO NOT DELETE............................. -
Thanks for your email.
Your reply is a little confusing. I have a couple of questions.
Firstly, the information you sent me is about route 55. I complained about route 344.
Secondly, assuming you have just copied and pasted information from another response, forgetting to change the bus numbers, I still don't understand the relevance of the information you mention about roadworks at Shoreditch. How would roadworks in Shoreditch affect the bus's ability to leave a depot in Battersea, call in at Clapham Junction, and then arrive back in Battersea on its way to Liverpool Street?
Finally, despite what you say about service gaps, roadworks in unconnected locations, and stated frequencies of 5-8 minutes, the bus is overcrowded on (I would estimate) 80% of mornings, and takes longer than 8 minutes on (again, an estimate) well over half. Perhaps you need to take a closer look?
Ben Jarman
-----Original Message-----
Our Ref: 1010809886
Date: 02.07.2012
Mr B Jarman
[increase the number of buses running the 344 route email]
Dear Mr Jarman
Re: Route 344
Thank you for your email dated 11 June. I was concerned to learn
of your experience in attempting to travel on bus route 344, and
I am sorry for the inconvenience caused as a consequence.I would like to assure you that the capacity and frequency of
all London bus routes are routinely assessed in relation to the
demand for a service. There are no current plans to increase the
frequency or capacity of route 344, as Transport for London
(TfL) is satisfied that the current capacity of the service
matches the passenger demand, providing the service operates to
schedule. Regrettably, route 55 has recently been subject to
delays due to major utilities works in Great Eastern Street /
Shoreditch High Street, EC2.I note that you have had to wait up to 25 minutes for a bus on
route 55, and I apologise for this. The route is scheduled to
operate approximately every 5-8 minutes between 7am and 7pm,
Monday to Friday. There are sufficient buses in operation to
meet this frequency. However, adverse traffic conditions caused
by works such as the above can mean that gaps in service occur,
which can result in more crowded buses. I would like to assure
you that the route controllers are striving to provide as
reliable and as consistent a service as possible, despite
traffic congestion.Let me also assure you that we continually monitor the bus
network to ensure that routes are meeting their performance
targets or identify any that are not. Where a problem becomes
apparent, our Performance team will work with the operating
company concerned to overcome it.Thank you for your correspondence on this subject. Please feel
free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.Yours sincerely
Paul Lawley
Customer ServicesDO NOT DELETE.............................
{ticketno:[2798648]}
DO NOT DELETE.............................
-
Thank you for your email. We can now confirm that this has been
received.
For further information about the Surface Transport Complaints
and Feedback Policy including timescales, please see
[1]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tf...
Problems with roadworks or other street faults? In support of
the Mayor’s Streetworks Code of Conduct to help cut congestion,
please report these issues by visiting
[2]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/reportas...
show quoted sections
References
Visible links
1. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tf...
2. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/reportas... -
Our Ref: 1010809886
Date: 18.07.2012
Mr B Jarman
[increase the number of buses running the 344 route email]
Dear Mr Jarman
Re: Route 344
Thank you for your further email of 2 July. I am sorry for the
error in my previous response. As you state, your complaint was
in reference to route 344 and not route 55. I can assure you
that Transport for London (TfL) takes all complaints
seriously, and I am sorry for the confusion caused by the errors
in my email.
I can confirm that route 344 has been subject to delays caused
by the works mentioned in Shoreditch High Street and Great
Eastern Street. While the service only operates as far as
Liverpool Street Station, the route can be subject to any
disruption in nearby roads such as the aforementioned, as
traffic congestion can affect adjoining roads such as
Bishopsgate. While the locations you reference are towards the
other end of the route, any delays at Liverpool Street can have
a knock-on effect along the entire length of the route resulting
in gaps in service at any point.
In addition to recent works in Shoreditch High Street and the
surrounding area, route 344 is also experiencing delays due to
re-surfacing works in Wandsworth Road / Parry Street, SW9. I
would again like to assure you, however, that the route
controllers are striving to mitigate the effects of these works
wherever possible.
TfL is satisfied that the operating capacity of route 344 is
appropriate in relation to passenger demand, and as such there
are no current plans to increase the capacity or frequency. We
will continue to monitor the route as part of the larger bus
network to ensure that the best possible service is provided,
and the route controllers will work to minimise any gaps in
service to help prevent any crowding concerns.
Thank you again for your correspondence. Please feel free to
contact me if I can be of further assistance.
Yours sincerely
Paul Lawley
Customer Service Advisor
DO NOT DELETE.............................
{ticketno:[2798648]}
DO NOT DELETE.............................
From: [increase the number of buses running the 344 route email]
To: [email address] <[email address]>
CC:
Sent: 02.07.12 14:29:17
Subject: Re: London Buses
Thanks for your email.
Your reply is a little confusing. I have a couple of questions.
Firstly, the information you sent me is about route 55. I
complained about route 344.
Secondly, assuming you have just copied and pasted information
from another response, forgetting to change the bus numbers, I
still don't understand the relevance of the information you
mention about roadworks at Shoreditch. How would roadworks in
Shoreditch affect the bus's ability to leave a depot in
Battersea, call in at Clapham Junction, and then arrive back in
Battersea on its way to Liverpool Street?
Finally, despite what you say about service gaps, roadworks in
unconnected locations, and stated frequencies of 5-8 minutes,
the bus is overcrowded on (I would estimate) 80% of mornings,
and takes longer than 8 minutes on (again, an estimate) well
over half. Perhaps you need to take a closer look?
Ben Jarman
show quoted sections
344 bus in London operated by Abellio London
Problem Reporter