East Londoners have claimed that “rude” schoolchildren who don’t pay for their bus journeys need their own service. Thamesmead is set to receive a new ‘rapid transport’ bus service as part of plans to improve connectivity within the area.
Transport for London (TfL) said the bus transport plan, announced by the Government in its Autumn Statement in November, will use new bus lanes from Woolwich through Thamesmead to Abbey Wood, providing affordable access to the wider Thamesmead area. It says it will improve local connectivity and transport capacity. It has good access and frequent connections to the Elizabeth Line and DLR services. But locals told MyLondon more needs to be done about problematic young people who are said to even “push the elderly away”.
Over a pint in a Cutty Sark pub, Michael Harwood, 69, a retired electrician and builder who has lived in the East End for 40 years, said: [schoolchildren]. I can’t take the bus.Everyone is pushing and pushing. [older people] It’s all over. ”
Read more: Some areas of the Elizabeth line will have no trains on weekends for a month
Another participant, a 46-year-old builder who has been based in the area for 10 years, said: “I think we need more police, especially during school hours. They have no respect for elders.” Ta.
The bus driver also called the pub. He requested anonymity because of his role, which he has held for 11 years. “We definitely need more buses,” he said. He added that it would be “hopeful” that drivers’ pay would go up.
Asked about the prospect of extending the DLR into the area, which London Mayor Sadiq Khan said TfL was pursuing with “urgency”, a Stagecoach worker said: “It would cause a lot of distress. It’s going to be crowded,” he said. [already]. Give your children their own bus and only ride on that bus.
“Anyway, none of the kids pay, no one taps, we face this problem every day. [the problem] this morning. “
Raymond Hutchins, 74, who worked for the Ministry of Defense and has lived in Thamesmead since 1972, said: “They’ve been trying to get the DLR through the tunnel here for years? It’s like a marina.” It will never happen.
“the [the DLR extension] It will probably never happen. One thing I would like is for the B11 bus to drop off here. It only goes as far as the end of Yarnton Way. It used to come this far. They’ve been trying to build a tunnel under the Thames, but it’s never happened, and I don’t think it ever will. ”
“That won’t happen in our time.”
Another man at the bar, 74, who has lived in the area for 22 years but declined to give his name, said the bar had been around for “at least 30 years.” Then he said, “Let me tell you, that won’t happen in our time.”
Cutty Sark manager Billy Joe, 25, was more optimistic. She said: “This is a five to 10 year plan at least, but I’m sure it will be what the mayor wants. ”
Kelly, 43, didn’t want her last name included in the piece, but added: “I don’t travel much, so [new trains and buses in the area] I don’t have much benefit. Trains and buses are very precious, but I think that’s a good thing. Because you can get somewhere faster. ”
Adil Hassan, 66, came to the UK from Sudan to see his sister and ended up staying. He has had a varied career including being a chauffeur, working for Londis and working for Wimpy.He said: “If you [DLR] Extended to Thamesmead.
“It’s dead now and you have to go to Abbey Wood to catch the train. There’s not even a tube here. The nearest is North Greenwich and you have to go 45 minutes to get there. When asked if she would use the DLR if it were extended to her area, Adil’s wife Awadia said, “Why not?”
‘Thousands more jobs and homes’ await in Thamesmead
Officials said up to 4,000 new jobs and 8,000 new homes could be created in Thamesmead if the DLR were extended, with a further 15,000 new homes and 8,000 new jobs potentially being created. Says. Mr Hassan said: “Of course, when I came to Thamesmead in 1988, the Morrisons were here. It was small and it was a Safeway. Look at them now. If it develops every time, I It’s good for us and it’s good for our children. They make it.” Their friends and school are here too. ”
Mr Harwood told MyLondon that local infrastructure needed to be improved to serve new entrants. he said: “That will be the case if they can secure transport. We will also restore the previous connections to buses and make the drivers’ jobs less stressful.”
Window cleaner Daniel Smith, 50, has lived in Abbey Wood all his life. He said: “Since I drive a car, I actually don’t concentrate much. That’s the train they really need, right? There are thousands of people living in Thamesmead without a railway,” Mr Smith said, adding his bosses needed to ensure the area had the right infrastructure to support new residents. .
Kelly said, “Where are they putting them up?” The full-time mother added that local residents were having problems with existing accommodation. “Everyone has had problems with boilers and water and sewage systems. They all came together at some point. It’s going to get too crowded. We need to do something for the kids,” Kelly said. ” she said.
Passengers should ‘show respect to other customers’
A TfL spokesperson said: “We encourage everyone using our network to be respectful of other customers so that other passengers have a safe and comfortable journey. I have received threats from other customers. If you feel this is the case, we encourage you to report it to our staff.”
It added: “Extending the DLR from Gullion’s Reach to Thamesmead via Becton Riverside will provide two new accessible stations while linking two major growth areas and four development sites. This will enable more housing, retail and leisure activities, unlocking more attractions for people living, working or visiting London. The scheme could support the delivery of up to 30,000 homes over the next 30 years.
“We welcome Government funding to support the bus transport plan announced last year, which will improve local connectivity and transport capacity for the wider Thamesmead area. We will continue to support early-stage development in Thamesmead as part of the development, but expansion of the DLR is needed to unlock the full potential of both Becton Riverside and Thamesmead. We continue to work with governments and partners to We will continue to work with them to develop the DLR design and further explore funding and financing options to make this a reality.”
A number of railway projects have successfully tunneled beneath the River Thames in the past, including the DLR extension to Woolwich Arsenal and more recently the Elizabeth Line between Woolwich and Custom House. Earlier this year, TfL submitted a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) to the Government, which called on the Authority to work with our scheme partners to further develop the funding and financing case for the DLR extension.
Next steps for public consultation
A key part of this work will be to identify options to maximize local and regional funding sources, reduce costs and increase efficiency, but given the scale of the project, some additional government funding will be required. Officials say support will be needed. .
MyLondon understands that the next stage in the process is a public consultation on the DLR extension and progressing plans to outline a business case. A new Superloop bus route will also be introduced to the area.
SL3 will be operating between Thamesmead and Bromley by spring this year and is part of a rapid route network linking city centres, hospitals, schools and transport hubs on the outskirts of London, improving London’s bus network. This is an important part of Sadiq Khan’s efforts. Outer London, my boss says.
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