A proposed shake-up of bus routes has sparked concerns it could lead to longer and more costly journeys for residents.

Transport for London (TfL) is considering changes to the 16, N16, 113 and 189 routes serving Barnet under plans for a 4% reduction in bus kilometres drawn up following a collapse in revenue caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

If the move goes ahead, it will see the scrapping of route 16 between Mora Road and Victoria Bus Station and the N16 between Victoria and Edgware.

In addition, the 113 would re-routed to operate between Edgware Bus Station and White City, meaning it would no longer serve stops between Swiss Cottage and Marble Arch. The 189 would run between Belsize Road and Camden Town and would no longer serve stops between Belsize Road and Marble Arch.

Hendon MP Matthew Offord has opposed the changes, warning that the loss of a direct link between Hendon and central London would be inconvenient and lead to longer journey times.

In a statement posted on his website, the MP said “Many constituents use these bus services and with the rising cost of living, more people are now using the bus as it is significantly cheaper than using the Tube. Buses are also more accessible for people who do not live near Tube stations. Furthermore, given the increasing likelihood of industrial action on the Tube, TfL needs to maintain the services as currently provided.”

Nagus Narenthira, a Labour councillor representing Colindale South, said the changes could lead to more people using the 113 and it becoming an “overcrowded, packed bus”.

She added: “Residents from Colindale, if they want to use the bus through to the city, the 113 is very convenient, and it is going to be packed when it comes to Colindale. Everyone is encouraging people to use public transport, but if people want to use it, it needs to be convenient for them. People do not want to travel on crowded buses. They are still very worried about travelling on public transport because of Covid.”

Anne Clarke, who represents Cricklewood for Labour, said she was concerned about the loss of the N16, despite plans to create a new N32 service running between Edgware and Oxford Circus.

Cllr Clarke said: “For Cricklewood, the N16 is going to be replaced by the N32, which will go up to Edgware, but people will still need to change at Kilburn if they want to take a bus further up north […] There are not a lot of buses up to Cricklewood, and my worry is the Thameslink is not as frequent or reliable as the buses, and people might not be able to afford the Thameslink.”

She added that the government needed to provide TfL with funding to cover the money it had lost during the pandemic.

On Wednesday, TfL’s emergency funding deal with the government was extended by two weeks. The two parties disagree over whether TfL has shown it can make £400million of agreed savings, and the government refused to offer a long-term funding deal.

According to TfL, the routes that would be affected by the proposed cuts are ones where there are very similar existing services or where passengers can use the Hopper fare to keep costs low. It says the proposals have been carefully planned to ensure services meet demand and to avoid overcrowding.

Geoff Hobbs, director of public transport service planning at TfL, said: “TfL’s reliance on passenger fares for the majority of its income means the effect of the pandemic on its finances has been devastating, requiring government support to keep public transport in London operating. The government set a number of conditions before it would provide emergency funding to enable TfL to keep operating, including requiring us to produce a plan to set out how we would achieve significant financial savings. This plan included reducing the extent of our bus network.

“We have carefully studied our network in order to only propose changes to areas that already have a high provision of buses. The bus network is critically important to reducing car use, congestion, road danger and pollution. With all routes served by low-floor vehicles and access ramps, our entire bus network is also step-free. We have always adjusted the network to reflect our changing city, but the devastating impact of the pandemic on our finances and government requirements have now required a more significant review. As with all our consultations, we will take into account all public and stakeholder responses before reaching any final decisions.”

The consultation on the proposed bus route changes, which is due to run until 7th August, is available here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/busreview

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