Residents of Sandhurst Road and nearby Sangley Road in Catford have raised concerns after witnessing 10 bus collisions this year alone, the BBC reports.
Transport for London (TfL) said there had been 85 crashes involving buses on the two roads since July 2021, but stated that many of these were ‘minor incidents’. However, one in September 2022 involved an injury.
According to data released as part of an FOI request by the campaign group Safer Sandhurst and Sangley, TfL buses routinely travel at over double the speed limit – with speeds up to 45mph recorded in the 20mph limit.
Resident of Sandhurst Road and member of Safer Sandhurst and Sangley, Alison Howard, told Highways: 'This is a narrow residential street with a school at either end, but it has more buses than even the South Circular. Some of them are doubling the speed limit, and at least one crashes here every month. Someone’s going to get killed.
'Not to mention that the buses are constantly shaking houses, keeping people up at night, causing cracks in our houses, and setting off car alarms. This road has been sacrificed for the benefit of the rest of the borough, and we don’t deserve all their pollution, noise, and road danger.'
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: 'We have been working closely with residents on Sandhurst and Sangley roads to resolve these issues and recognise the frustration they must be feeling. We have instructed engineers to check speedbumps are fit for purpose – this work is ongoing. The Council is not responsible for the route and speed of buses, but we have passed on resident concerns to Transport for London (TfL).'
The council added it is currently introducing new measures to calm traffic and prevent 'inconsiderate parking' and also highlighted a 'comprehensive consultation with local residents' that it has recently undertaken to 'explore proposals to improve safety and accessibility'.
Philip Gerhardt, TfL’s head of bus performance, said: 'iBus technology is used to closely monitor London-wide bus routes and trends so that we can make journeys more reliable and safer, providing customers with accurate and up-to-date travel information only. An additional set of data which measures speed of buses more precisely is used by bus operators. We continue to work with bus operators to ensure that appropriate action is taken against any driver found to be breaking the speed limit. Alongside the operator Stagecoach, we are happy to support Lewisham Council with any future proposal they have for Sandhurst Road and continue to explore long-term alternatives.'
Image credit: I Wei Huang / Shutterstock.com
