London transport watchdog calls for rethink on 'floating bus stops'

London TravelWatch, the official consumer body for transport users in the capital, has issued a statement calling for a major rethink of so-called floating bus stops, which are designed to help cyclists. OnLondon reports that there are about 164 of them in London, in two forms.

The first is the "shared use bus boarder" (SUBB), where a cycle lane runs through the space between the waiting area and the kerb where the bus pulls up. People getting on or off a bus must therefore cross a strip of pavement that cyclists may also be using. Some have appeared in Enfield, where campaigners for blind people have raised concerns. London TravelWatch calls for the "compulsory and immediate removal of all existing SUBBs in London, rather than just a pause on their use". The article says the Department for Transport asked councils to stop implementing them more than a year ago.

The second is the bus stop by-pass (BSB), where a cycle track goes round the back of the bus stop, which sits on an island between the track and the road. Zebra crossings painted on the track mean cyclists are meant to give way to pedestrians under the Highway Code. London TravelWatch has asked Transport for London and the boroughs not to install more until there is clear evidence of significantly improved compliance by cyclists. It also calls for more action, from design innovation to enforcement at the worst locations.

The statement notes that TfL published a bus stop by-pass safety review in May 2024, but it has twice been withdrawn because of data errors, and no revised version has appeared. Some by-passes have been found to fall short of DfT standards, and TfL expects new statutory guidance next year. London TravelWatch concluded that the schemes have increased risk, and the perception of risk, for users with fewer transport choices.