Petitioners’ victory as Coldharbour Lane gets shuttle bus 545

Val Shawcross, Labour Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark has paid tribute today to the organisers of a 700 signature strong petition calling for restored bus services to the Coldharbour area during emergency gas works. TfL have today announced that a single deck ‘shuttle’ bus service will replace double decker services which are unable to use a diversion route because of low bridges.

Val said ‘The gas works mean that double deck routes 35, 45, 345 and N35 can’t get from Camberwell to Brixton along Coldharbour Lane because the diversion to allow for the gas works uses roads where there are low bridges. This has meant that people living in the Coldharbour Lane/Loughborough Junction area have been without a bus service to access shops and facilities in either Brixton or Camberwell. I’m absolutely delighted that Transport for London has recognised these exceptional circumstances and listened to the many people who signed the petition. A single deck shuttle bus service will run five times an hour from today until the gas works are completed – which is expected to take until the end of March’.

Local resident Veronica Ball who started the petition, said ‘Many older people have been totally cut off and stranded. I’m pleased that the shuttle service is here – hopefully this will make things much better while the gas works are going on.’

Val, who will present the petition at Mayor’s Question Time on February 24^th at City Hall added ‘I’m grateful to the TfL staff involved in this outcome – bizarrely enough the problem has been resolved even before I present the petition to the Mayor. It just goes to show direct action from communities can have an impact!  So I also want to thank the 700 people who took the time to sign the petition too!’

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Details of shuttle bus service:

The new bus service started today (23^rd February) and will operate from 4.30am until half past midnight every day until the gas works are completed. There will be five buses an hour running between Camberwell and Brixton via Loughborough Junction.