You may have noticed some changes to our buses on route 63! 👀
We’re now trialling several enhancements across the route to make our buses more welcoming than ever before. We caught up with Louise Cheeseman, our Director of Buses, to chat all things route 63! 👇
What exciting new features can I expect to see on route 63 buses?
There are lots of new features on the route 63 buses! 🚌
You can expect to find wood effect flooring with anti-slip properties, and a new moquette with our priority seating sign now part of the moquette design.
We’re also adding headrests and deeper seat cushions for a comfier journey. Plus, if you like to watch your favourite series on your commute, you’ll love the new pull-down phone holders on the back of the seats and USB charging points. 📱
To create more light, we’ve also added skylights on the top deck, situated just above the stairwell! 🌤
We’ve also added extra space for wheelchair users. The handrail around the area has also been redesigned so there are no obstructions for a wheelchair user to get in and out of the area. 🧑🦽
A new bus lane on New Kent Road will also mean faster journey times on route 63. This will complement a route that’s already high frequency with a bus every 5-8 minutes in the mornings! ⏰
Later this year we’ll also be trialling 24 new at-stop digital information screens. These will provide up to date service information including arrivals and disruption. 😯
Why are you trialling these new features?
Buses are a core part of our sustainable transport network, and key to so many Londoner’s lives. 🚌
We’ve made great progress in the safety, reliability and environmental performance of our bus network, but we want to make the bus an even better option for journeys in London. 🤗
We’re also trialling new features to help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. The new buses on route 63 are part of the largest zero emission bus fleet in western Europe, meaning we’re on target to have a fully zero emission bus fleet by 2034. 💚
What do you mean when you say ‘zero-emission buses’?
By ‘zero-emission’ we mean that the buses don’t produce any harmful emissions at their exhausts. For example, like nitrogen oxide, which contributes to poor air quality and affects our health. As well as carbon dioxide, the gas partly responsible for climate change. 🌎
The buses on route 63, like a growing number on our network, are electric. This means they run on a battery that’s charged up at the bus depot between journeys. 🔋
What will happen after the trial? Will we see buses like these across the whole of London?
The features which are being rolled out on route 63, if successful, could be rolled out to other routes across London! 🥳
We will be testing the performance of these features to help us focus on those which have the best potential to make bus journeys more appealing to our customers. 🚌
Well done, TFL – it is a bold step forward, and which will being enormous benefits to everyone, in terms of less traffic congestion, better quality air to breath, more eco friendliness, etc. Hope that this initiative will be rolled out across the whole of London bus network, so that drivers will be enticed out of their cars, and onto public transport. Including school run parents, and weekend drivers dumping their vehicles.