Transport for London to remove Countdown bus signs in Richmond (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Transport for London to remove Countdown bus signs in Richmond

1:00pm Monday 15th March 2010 in

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Commuters could face an uncertain wait for the bus after plans were revealed to remove countdown signs from stops across Richmond.

The proposals would see 30 of the area’s real time bus trackers moved from their current locations and placed elsewhere across the borough, causing confusion for many regular passengers.

Both Richmond MP Susan Kramer and the Conservatives’ Tony Arbour, councillor for Hampton Wick, have spoken against Transport for London’s (TfL) plans.

Ms Kramer said: “TfL seems to have pulled these proposals out of thin air, and our residents are set to lose out.

“If TfL gets its way, there will be no countdown signs at all in Ham, a ward without a train station and with only an infrequent bus service.

“We are also set to lose many of the signs along Upper Richmond Road West.

“I’m asking TfL to reconsider these plans and save the existing countdown signs.”

Councillor Arbour said: “People who use bus stops with countdown will sorely miss them if they are removed. I am particularly unhappy about those being lost in Teddington.”

The countdown system, which displays real time information for people waiting for buses, is being revamped as part of TfL’s plans to increase the number of stops across London that will display them.

As part of a 12-year project, TfL will spend £21m making sure each of the capital’s 19,000 bus stops will be able to provide up-to-date information, either by text and internet methods or via one of 2,500 new countdown signs.

Although the number of stops in Richmond with signs will remain the same, as many as 30 locations will have to change and another seven stops may suffer disruption as their signs are replaced.

A spokesman for TfL said: “TfL has developed a strategy to select locations for countdown signs where the need for real time information is thought to be greatest.

“We have conducted a review of the locations of existing countdown signs and those which do not satisfy the requirements set out in the stop selection strategy will be moved.”

Factors taken into consideration will include the number of people using the stop, proximity to transport interchanges and the number of 24-hour routes in the area.

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