Campaign for TfL Superloop bus stop in Bexley Village

Commuters in Bexley Village say their current bus journeys are a ‘nightmare’ and a petition has been started by local Conservative politicians to have the SL3 express bus service stop there.

The campaign has attracted 1,947 signatures and requests Transport for London (TfL) to add a stop for the SL3 at Bexley War Memorial.

The route currently runs from Bromley North to Thamesmead, but the bus passes through the village without stopping due to a complication at the Arbuthnot Lane junction preventing the service from using its preferred route of Penhill Road.

Sue Pridmore, 62, has lived in Bexley her entire life and uses the town centre every day.

Sue Pridmore The resident said people currently wait up to 20 minutes if they have missed the 229 and 269 buses, which she heavily relies on as she does not have a car.

Ms Pridmore told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “[Transport here] is all right. But if that bus, the SL3, stops at the memorial it would be so much better.

"You can wait there for the 229 or 269 but if you’ve just missed it and that comes, it just goes straight past. It doesn’t stop there.”

The local added that she felt the additional stop could provide a useful link to the Abbey Wood Elizabeth line station.

The Bexley War Memorial is a short walk from the train station in the village

She also said it could boost trade for the local businesses in Bexley Village, who ‘need all the support they can get’.

Carol Bowden, 67, has lived in Bexley for nearly 40 years and said she would also like to see more customers being attracted to the village.

She told the LDRS: “We need it because, as you can see, there are a lot of empty units now.”

She added: “In the future, it would be great to be able to go over to Bromley and areas like that with the Superloop because it’s faster… I think it’s a really good idea and I can’t understand why they don’t stop here because you see it go through.”

Davina Jones, 73, lives in Plumstead but comes to Bexley Village every week for a fitness class.

She said she currently has to use two buses each way to get to her class, switching buses at Blackfen.

The local told the LDRS: “It depends on buses. This morning I did it in 40 minutes, sometimes it’s an hour.”

She added: “The 51 bus route is a nightmare. You have to wait 20 odd minutes and then three come along together. There used to be a nice service every ten minutes or so but not anymore.”

While the SL3 route does not run through Plumstead and an additional stop would not benefit her commute, Ms Jones said she would still like to see transport in South East London improved.

The petition was started by London Assembly member Thomas Turrell as well as Conservative MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup Louie French.

Mr French told the LDRS: “Adding a Superloop bus stop in Bexley Village is a no-brainer. Residents and local businesses in the area want access to the service, and the Superloop needs more passengers to succeed. Transport for London must listen to local people.”

Bexley councillors Cameron Smith and Kurtis Christoforides also worked to introduce the campaign. Cllr Christoforides told the LDRS that there was a clear demand for the service in Bexley Village, and urged TfL to consider the proposal.

Cllr Smith added: “Transport for London’s reasoning for skipping Bexley Village is flawed. They hugely underestimate how many people want to use the Superloop here.

"They’ve got their calculations wrong, and the benefits far outweigh the two-minute delay an extra stop would cause. I urge them to think again.”

Superloop, a series of newly launched bus routes connecting up the outer boroughs where traditionally transport links have gone towards Central London, was designed to link places like Bexley Village to neighbouring areas.

It was launched as ULEZ was expanded, ensuring improved bus services for areas where people were being urged to ditch their cars.

A TfL spokesperson told the LDRS that buses are a central part of the city’s transport system. They said the transport authority is always looking at ways to improve and adapt the bus network to make it better for everyone.

The spokesperson said: “We have carefully considered potential changes to the SL3, yet the number of passengers it would delay would significantly outweigh those who would use it to and from Bexley Village.”

They added: “While it has not been possible to include a stop in Bexley on the Superloop network so far, we will continue to monitor and review all Superloop routes to get a full understanding of how customers are using the network, working with local councils, including Bexley Council, to improve the bus network across the capital.”