Transport for London's 424 bus route. PICTURE: DAVID HOWARD
Hammersmith & Fulham Council voted to back residents’ fight against plans to change an important bus route that many people rely on.
Councillors voted last week to oppose plans by Transport for London (TfL) to re-route the 424 bus.
The bus currently runs from Craven Cottage through to Putney High Street but, if the unwanted changes went ahead, it would terminate in Wandsworth and miss out important stops vital to Sands End residents.
Councillors called on London mayor Boris Johnson, the Chair of TfL, to halt the plans, pointing out that the current 424 service provides a vital service to local residents, many of them elderly and living in sheltered housing schemes.
Cllr Lisa Homan, H&F Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “The proposed changes to the 424 are totally unacceptable and H&F Council is determined that they don’t go ahead.
“For many residents, this route is the only way they can get to shops, GP surgeries and other essential services that they rely on and which allow them independence.
“TfL have finally agreed to meet with residents in sheltered housing as part of a full consultation in the autumn. This follows months of requests from the council.”
Residents welcomed the council’s opposition to the plans, describing the bus as a ‘lifeline’ and ‘vital to the local community’.
Among those commenting on H&F Council’s website, Rosemary Hadfield, said: “I know how absolutely vital the 424 service is to those in the sheltered accommodation in Sands End, Fulham.
“How else does TfL expect those with mobility difficulty to access GPs, shops, other bus services and friends and family, or for others with mobility issues to visit them?”
Paul said: “The 424 provides an important service running many children to and from school. In the morning it is packed, which proves how important a route it serves.”
Tif, said: “This service is a lifeline for many Sands End residents who shop in Putney, also the new Sainsbury's in Townmead Road. This bus also serves children who travel to school, the residents of the sheltered housing that this bus route covers in Bagley Lane and is a lifeline for these residents who depend on this service.”
The 424 is the only bus route that directly serves Sands End. Under the new proposals, the service would no longer stop at Bagleys Lane, Pearscroft Road, Broughton Road and Byam Street.
Many Sands End residents use the service to access the large supermarket on Townmead Road as well as Putney High Street.
TfL is currently reviewing the route and says no changes have yet been confirmed.
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