Illustration by John Sadler www.johnsadlerillustration.com 

• I WRITE to ask your readers to respond to Transport for London’s recently announced survey and consultation regarding 16 London bus routes that are under threat of cancellation, (‘Absolutely shocking’: Transport for London announce plans to cut bus routes, June 1).

Bus routes 4 and 24 are the ones that most directly affect Camden and Camden residents, especially as they serve the Whittington and Royal Free hospitals respectively.

Our Unite Community members rely heavily on public transport, and even more so on buses. Many of our members have mobility issues and depend on buses to leave and return to their homes.

This is exacerbated by some Overground and Underground stations having accessibility issues and not providing step-free access to the platforms.

Add in the fact that many people take buses because they are cheaper than trains, and it’s a totally unfair step by TfL to announce this consultation, and with such a short time for the public to respond.

The closing date for submissions and replies to TfL is July 12, which means the consultation is only open to the public for six weeks.

We ask all people who live in the area to take the time to go to https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/busreview which has details of the proposed changes, and to https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/busreview/survey_tools/busreview-survey which is where people can respond with their thoughts and comments.

London buses are the envy of the rest of the country, but that will only remain if people are prepared to fight for them.

As a resource, we are pinning this information and links to consultations and petitions to the top of our union Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UniteCommCam, so please visit regularly for latest campaign news.

We serve members in Camden, Cities of Westminster and London, and Kensington and Chelsea.

GARETH MURPHY
Branch Secretary
Unite Community
Camden LE/00018