Sir Sadiq Khan has been hit by another backlash from Labour MPs over cuts to London bus services.
It comes as Transport for London announced that more than 20 bus routes will have their frequencies changed, either due to falling passenger numbers or worsening traffic jams. This will mean fewer buses on rote 13 between North Finchley and Victoria.
The mayor, who chairs TfL, was already facing criticism over proposed changed to the 19 and 38 bus routes, including from Hackney South and Shoreditch MP Meg Hillier.
Now two south London Labour MPs, Ellie Reeves and Vicky Foxcroft, have written to TfL commissioner Andy Lord to share their “deep concern” about the reduction in the frequency of route 484.
They said the bus – which links Lewisham station and Camberwell Green – was a “vital route”, especially for patients and staff travelling to and from King’s College hospital in Denmark Hill.
They wrote: “These buses are particularly important because, unlike many other parts of London, our communities do not have access to the Underground network.”
Last Saturday, March 21, TfL reduced the 484’s frequency to one bus every 15 minutes.
Ms Reeves, the MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich, posted on X: “I am deeply concerned about the changes to the frequency of the 484 bus.
“I know what a vital route it is for local people and that's why @vickyfoxcroft and I have written to @TfL requesting a meeting to discuss the impacts of these changes and for them to be reversed.”
I am deeply concerned about the changes to the frequency of the 484 bus.
— Ellie Reeves (@elliereeves) March 23, 2026
I know what a vital route it is for local people and that's why @vickyfoxcroft and I have written to @TfL requesting a meeting to discuss the impacts of these changes and for them to be reversed. pic.twitter.com/GQZxrCNWtd
TfL is making widespread changes to bus routes across the capital in a bid to respond to the long-term decline in passenger numbers, which has primarily been caused by plummeting bus speeds.
Latest figures, for the period between last April and January this year, show that bus journeys were down almost four per cent year-on-year.
This means there were 64m fewer journeys in the 10 months to the end of January than in the same period a year earlier.
The Standard revealed in January that the mayor was having to spend £1.2bn a year subsidising the capital’s bus network.
A TfL spokesperson said in relation to the 484 bus: “London has one of the most extensive and accessible bus networks anywhere in the world, and we are committed to providing the best service possible.
“We are making the network safer and greener and are introducing new services in areas of growing demand – including through our game-changing Superloop network.
“We regularly review our services according to customer demand and, following detailed analysis, we have decided to make some changes to the timetable of route 484.
“Services are now running every 15 minutes instead of every 12 minutes on Monday to Saturday.
“The change allows us to operate the service efficiently to meet demand whilst offering value for money and allowing buses more time to complete their journeys - which should increase reliability.
"As with all changes, we will consider feedback from local stakeholders and continue to keep the changes under review."
TfL is reducing the number of buses in central and inner London and focusing its efforts on attracting more passengers in outer London.
Earlier this month, the 76 and 201 had their frequencies “revised” to “better reflect current traffic levels”.
The 204, 206, 260 and E7 routes all had their frequencies “widened” - meaning longer waits between buses - on a temporary basis.
Last weekend, routes including the 70, 148, C3 and N72 had their frequencies “revised” to reflect traffic levels - essentially allowing more time for the buses to complete their journeys.
In addition, the closure of the A40 Marylebone flyover for more than a month will result in fewer buses on routes 16, 18, 23, 27, 28, 49, 94, 95, 139, 220, 295, 306, 390 and C1 on a temporary basis.
However a number of routes, including the 111, 172, 188, 238, 285, 325 and 366 had their frequencies “restored” to previous levels, meaning more regular buses.
There will be further changes from this Saturday, March 28.
These include the 13 being reduced to one bus every 10 minutes, and the 32 being tempoarily limited to a bus every 11 minutes.
Routes 60, 278, 320, 372 will have fewer buses “to better reflect current traffic levels”.
The 493 will have no more than four buses an hour, with a similar frequency on the E6, E7 and E10. The D3 will have be reduced to a bus every 17 minutes.
From April 4, the 207 will have its daytime frequency reduced to a bus every seven to eight minutes.
However, the SL8 Superloop, the first of the Superloop routes, will be improved – there will be a bus every eight minutes (rather than every 10 minutes) during the day, and every 10 minutes rather than every 12 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays.
TfL’s decision to prioritise its limited-stop Superloop routes has resulted in parallel routes being reduced in frequency or axed.
In Woolwich, the 472 was axed when the SL11 was introduced - but this has resulted in the 177 bus being so overcrowded that passengers are unable to board, according to the Murky Depths website.
TfL confirmed this week that the proposed changes to the 38 would halve the number of buses on Graham Road in Hackney from 12 to six an hour during the day.
TfL says its passenger income for 2025/26 is £112m lower than expected – mostly because of the fall in bus usage.
It is predicting an “operating surplus” of only £5m by the end of the current 2025/26 financial year.
However the rate of decline in bus usage has slowed to two per cent in January, in part due to an increase in the number of “unique” passengers in outer London.
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