Save Local Bus Services COUNTRYWIDE. Residents MUST be MEANINGFULLY CONSULTED PRIOR to any changes  being made to local bus services. All bus services MUST as a minimum be, FREQUENT, RELIABLE & REGULAR. An HOURLY bus service is NO SERVICE AT ALL. 

Your signature can make a difference. Please sign this petition and pass on to all your contacts all over the country to sign WHETHER AFFECTED OR NOT, in support of this life changing campaign.New local bus routes have been imposed causing devastation and chaos to local residents. Tomorrow it could be yours and/or your loved ones'  -Please DO NOT let TfL continue to do this to us. Please SIGN OUR PETITION 

Please note when asked the question about a donation, IT DOES NOT come to us, so feel free to 'skip' that or more importantly, please share the petition with all your contacts. To COMPLETE the process of SIGNING this Petition, after filling in your first name, surname & EMAIL address & click on 'Sign this petition', you  MUST then please check your EMAILS to VALIDATE  your signature by opening the email from 'Change.org' & click in the box that asks you to "confirm your signature".

TfL imposed changes to our North East London local  bus routes -  W12, W13, W14 & withdrew the 549 bus, on 7 September 2024. The W12 and W14 routes in particular are a lifeline for many - now school children only have an HOURLY W14 bus, elderly and infirmed residents, will have to walk much more than the 500 metres TFL claim, to get to the hospital facilities along a busy road that is not easy, in bad weather. It previously had two stops by Outpatients & A&E. With the imposition  of TfL's proposals, many residents in Redbridge and Waltham Forest are devastated, isolated and further marginalised, notwithstanding, during this time of this cost of living crisis. One resident suffered a further heart attack that we believe is a consequence of her distress  and anxiety of having her independence taken away. TfL, it is never too late to do the RIGHT thing. Amend these divisive and discriminatory imposed proposals.

During the so called 'consultation' process, TfL failed to provide residents a fair chance to voice their opinions and concerns and those that did, were not listened to. Their divisive and discriminatory “proposals” not only FAIL to meet TfL's own objectives "to increase capacity” and  “improve bus connectivity to (our local) Whipps Cross Hospital" but are also woefully inadequate and do not serve the transportation needs of our community.

These proposals that were imposed on 7 September, significantly affect marginalised groups including seniors, school/college children/young people, women, minority groups and those with mobility issues who rely on these buses to access essential amenities such as hospitals, schools, shops, job centres, places of work & worship, and the only local underground station with escalator access to platforms - Wanstead tube station. 

ACCESS TO LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS NOT A LUXURY BUT A NECESSITY. TfL's proposals have ignored their own 2023 Equality Impact  Analysis , in that "the bus is a key form of transport for people aged 65 and over, with 61% saying they use the bus at least once a week". These groups, along with those with limited mobility, are heavily dependent upon our local bus services to maintain their independence and quality of life. 

Other key points of note pertaining to vulnerable groups - 
Gender - The bus is the most frequently used type of transport (after walking) among women, with 63% using the bus at least once a week.  Women are also more likely than men to be travelling with buggies and/or shopping, and to be travelling with children. 

Disability - 15% of the LBs Waltham Forest and Redbridge residents have a disability which limits their day to day activities. 10% of bus users in London are disabled. 

Young People - "29% of bus users in London are young people under 25". Many use the bus to travel to and from school/college to get home safely instead of hanging around the streets, waiting for a bus that will only run hourly - (W14 bus).

Race - The bus is the second most frequently used type of transport (after walking) among BAME people, with 65% using the bus at least once a week. 

Furthermore, these proposals simply don't make sense. The Mayor of London is committed to lowering emissions, with the introduction of ULEZ, yet the new bus routes have  forced residents to use their cars to take children to school/college, get to the shops, hospital (exorbitant parking charges if a space is available), get to work on time, visit their GP or dentist on the High Street, and so forth, contradicting TFL's rationale for changing the bus routes. 

We therefore call on  this Government, TFL, our MPs & the Labour majority Councils of the Boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest, to honour Labour's "promise to allow every community to take back control of local bus services". 

We demanded a moratorium of the changes NOT to be imposed on 7 September, especially to routes W12 and W14, until meaningful consultation with a view to reaching agreement, takes place with the residents of Redbridge and Waltham Forest, to NO AVAIL Consideration MUST  be given  to the specific needs of our community. It is vital that our transport system should be inclusive, accessible, and tailored to meet the needs of all users and addresses the concerns of the people whose lives are directly impacted, and reverse/amend these discriminatory and divisive proposals.

In conclusion and very importantly, we call on the Government, Mayor of London, TfL, London Assembly, Our Local MPs and  Local Councils to LISTEN  TO THE  VOICES OF LOCAL RESIDENTS and DO THE RIGHT THING. MEET WITH US and AMEND TFL's PROPOSALS that are DETRIMENTAL to residents lives.

Be part of the movement to ensure fair, local public transportation is the practice across the UK, by LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF LOCAL RESIDENTS & very importantly ensure that all local bus services MUST be FREQUENT, RELIABLE & REGULAR. A bus running hourly is NO SERVICE at all. Please SIGN and PASS ON to all your contacts.  

This petition is supplementary to the Walthamstow W12 petition. 
Thank you.