TfL provides £10m funding boost for bus services in Haringey

Funding will help to cut journey times, make bus travel more attractive, increase overall ridership and offer buses as a preferred alternative to cars

Tottenham Hale Bus Station

Transport for London (TfL) has announced up to £10million in funding for Haringey as part of its ‘Better Bus Partnerships’ programme.

The aim of the programme is for TfL to work in partnership with boroughs to transform the bus network by investing in a range of infrastructure and operational interventions that will improve journey times, reliability and customer experience.

Haringey, Lewisham and Southwark have been chosen following a competitive bidding process, which was open to all boroughs. The successful boroughs will each receive up to £10m over an expected four-year period, with funding released in stages based on the progress of each programme.

The selected schemes aim to cut bus journey times by up to 30% and make bus travel more attractive, increase overall bus ridership and offer buses as a preferred alternative to travel by private car.

Investment proposals include new bus priority measures to improve journey times, better management of roadworks to reduce delays to buses, bus stop improvements to make them more pleasant places where it’s safer to wait, and street improvements to make it easier and safer to walk to bus stops and stations

TfL says it will now work closely with the successful borough councils on design and planning, with delivery expected to commence in 2027. Full details will be shared later by Haringey Council.

Lorna Murphy, TfL’s director of buses, said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to put bids forward. It is encouraging to see boroughs putting bus services at the heart of their communities to support sustainable transport for all and a safer, cleaner, greener London.

“I am delighted that we can work together with London boroughs to invest in bus priority and bus infrastructure. We now look forward to working closely with Haringey, Lewisham and Southwark over the coming years to deliver their bus schemes as part of the Better Bus Partnerships programme.”

Mike Hakata, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, environment and transport, said: “Buses are essential for Haringey residents, especially those on the lowest incomes, with over 50% of borough residents not owning a car – rising even higher the further east you go.

“Optimising these services in collaboration with TfL must be one of our priorities to ensure access to jobs, education, healthcare and community hubs, particularly in more deprived areas including Tottenham and Wood Green.

“We are delighted to have secured this major funding, which provides a significant opportunity to expand on the bold measures we’re already taking to make bus travel safer, quicker and more reliable. This isn’t just about moving from A to B – this programme will support the comprehensive regeneration of Wood Green, Tottenham and Green Lanes as thriving metropolitan centres and sustainable, safe, attractive neighbourhoods that will enable growth in jobs, services and affordable housing.

“We’ll engage with our communities to see how they’d like to improve bus travel in their area.”

The Better Bus Partnerships programme was first launched by TfL in July 2024 to partner with three boroughs to deliver transformational borough-led bus schemes. Boroughs were invited to bid for a share of £30m to fund bus schemes to improve journey times, accessibility and support safety and environmental targets.

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