Dear ,
Thank you for your correspondence concerning bus service 463, and I apologise for the difficulties you encountered with this service.
Please be assured, London Buses are committed to providing a first class bus service. We work hard to ensure that a reliable and convenient service is provided. Accordingly, our Network Planners take into account congestion and known difficulties when planning a route and setting a timetable. This said, delays do occur from time to time due to unusual traffic congestion, illegal parking and adverse road conditions. At all times, our Route Controllers do the very best to provide an effective service. It is regrettable that on these occasion our customers may incur delays as a result. This said, were continued delays and difficulties are incurred, we will endeavour to remedy them.
I can confirm that delays were being experienced on 12 January on this route. There was a traffic light malfunction on Grove Road which caused delays to be incurred along this route. Hopefully now that this has been resolved you will not experience further difficulties with this service. Having looked at the performance report for this service, it would appear that it has been operating within normal parameters and that a good service overall has been provided. Nevertheless, we continually monitor our services to ensure it is meeting its performance targets.
I hope this has addressed your complaint and that overall you have been pleased with the performance of this service otherwise. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Ben Lyon Customer Services
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL The 463 bus was either not running or severely delayed as I waited over 40 minutes for a bus that is supposed to arrive every 20 minutes.
This disruptions was not reported on any of the TfL webpages.
Our Ref: 1005813053 Date: 22.02.2010
Dear Sir / Madam
Re: Route 463
Thank you for your email of 26 January. I am sorry to learn of the difficulties you have reported with regards to travelling on bus route 463.
I can confirm that there are plans to introduce one double deck journey on route 463. However, the morning double deck service will operate from Coulsdon South at 07:28 in one direction only. While there are no current plans top increase capacity on other sections of route 463, I would like to assure you that the capacity and frequency of all London Bus routes are routinely assessed in relation to the demand for a service.
Every 12 weeks we carry out Quality of Service Indicator (QSI) surveys. These measure the reliability of a route and focus on regularity and punctuality. Mystery Traveller Surveys and Customer Satisfaction Surveys are carried out monthly and monitor the quality of service from a customer perspective.
We may also commission extra surveys if we are concerned about particular problems on a route, such as crowding. These surveys can help us decide what changes may need to be made to improve a service.
Thank you for your correspondence on this subject. Please feel free to contact me should you require further assistance.
Yours sincerely
Paul Lawley Customer Services
2/2/10 AND 26/1/10 ON ANOTHER ST Dear Sir and Madam,
As you know that we have problem with the current bus 463 runs from Polards Hill to Colusdon south. The 3 buses in the morning is always full so that my son and many other people can not get to the school and work on time.
If you can not get a bigger bus in the route, why do not you run more small buses on the route. At present there is a 20 minutes gag between each bus and if you run more small buses every 10 minutes the problem would be solved. You only need during morning time when students and pupils goes to work and school.
With regards
Our Ref: 1005896263 Date: 12.02.2010
Dear
Thank you for your email regarding bus route 463.
I am sorry to learn that your children have experienced difficulties in using the route. I understand that your children have been consequently late for school and I appreciate why you feel that the capacity provided on this route is not sufficient. Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.
As you may be aware, route 463 was extended on 19 December from Coulsdon, Red Lion to Coulsdon South Station via Brighton Road and extended to Pollards Hill, South Lodge Avenue. The route was also re-routed at Beddington Lane to run via Coomber Way, Beddington Farm Road and Marlowe Way in both directions.
As with all service changes of this magnitude, we need to allow a little time for the new routeing to settle down and for any teething problems to be overcome.
The timetable was reviewed as a result of the service change. Patronage on the route lowered during the Christmas holidays and, during the adverse weather conditions in January, reliability issues were experienced on the route. Reliability issues can often give the impression of a lack of capacity.
As with all service changes, we are closely monitoring the effectiveness of the new arrangements to ensure that the service is accurately matched to passenger requirements. The service is now operating in normal conditions and the operating company will soon be in a position to report on the efficiency of the current timetable. Should any adjustments be required, action will be taken to help alleviate the situation.
You will also be pleased to know that we are planning to convert to double decker operation the Monday-Friday schoolday-only journey. The service operates between Coulsdon South Station and Beddington Church, Croydon Road only. A route test was recently carried out, which highlighted issues preventing the immediate introduction of the double-decker service. Please be assured that we are working closely with the local authority to solve these issues to enable us to introduce the double decker service as soon as possible.
Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if I can be of further assistance.
Yours sincerely
Virginie Revel Customer Services
DO NOT DELETE...... {ticketno:[709817]} DO NOT DELETE......
Original Text From: To: [email protected] CC: Sent: 05.02.10 15:33:04 Subject: Bus route - 463 Pollads Hill to Coulsdon
To whom it may concern
I am a parent of two (11/13 year old) children writing to highlight the inadequacy of the above service at peak times. Quite often they are unable to get on the bus particularly in the mornings, because it is full and are late to school as a result.
Is it possible to increase the capacity at these times by either having lager buses or a more frequent service.
Sincerely
Our Ref: 1005941063 Date: 19.02.2010
Dear
Thank you for your email regarding bus route 463.
I am sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with the service provided on this route. I understand that you feel that the reliability of the route has deteriorated since the service changes introduced on 19 December and I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Route 463 has been extended and re-routed to provide new links. The extensions to Coulsdon South Station and Pollards Hill, South Lodge Avenue create new links to and from the town centre and the station. Previously unserved areas, such as Tamworth Lane and Recreation Way, now benefit from a bus service.
As with all service changes of this magnitude, we need to allow a little time for the new routings to settle down and for any teething problems to be overcome. I accept that, for regular users of the services, it may take a little time to become used to the new arrangements.
Due to the service change, the timetable was reviewed and amended. Patronage on the route lowered during the Christmas holidays and, during the adverse weather conditions in January, reliability issues were experienced on the route.
We are closely monitoring the effectiveness of the new arrangements to ensure that the service is accurately matched to passenger requirements. The service is now operating in normal conditions and the operating company will soon be in a position to report on the efficiency of the current timetable. Should any adjustments be required, please be assured that action will be taken to help alleviate the situation.
Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if I can be of further assistance.
Yours sincerely
Virginie Revel Customer Services
Notes 11.02.2010 13:47:05 WEBLOGIN
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL Please advise when Route 463 is actually going to run to its published timetable.Since the Route was changed on 19 December 2009 the service has deteriorated to the extent where it is completely unreliable which is not helpful if you are trying to get to work at a specific time. I can make some allowance for bad weather but regrettably on most days there is no reason for the poor adherence to the timetable or indeed for buses not turning up at all. Direction : Southbound
28 June 2011
Customer Ref: 810898 / 1006214770
Dear ,
Thank you for your comments regarding the route 463. I agree that the service has not been the success that we would have liked. However we are still meeting our targets for service reliability that are set by Transport for London. However this is of little consolation when you are waiting for a bus that has been delayed.
Since the route was extended to Coulsdon South and Pollards Hill, we have suffered with now end of disruption and traffic delays.
We are currently working on a timetable that will hopefully address these reliability issues.
Once again, thank you for raising these issues and rest assured we are doing every we can to bring the service back to its usual standard.
Kind regards
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Ball Service Manager
Notes 19.03.2010 09:36:21 MOHAMMAB
Customer called in to complain about the delays she has been regularly experiencing on this bus route and she is aware of the road works going on as well. she complains the service has gone down before the works started and is always late for work .
Please investigate the matter and reply directly to the customer.
Thanks Abdul Mohammed
Dear
Thank you for your email regarding the difficulties your son has been experiencing recently with service 463. I would like to apologise for the inconvenience that has been caused.
I can assure you, London Buses are committed to providing a first class bus service for our customers. We understand the importance our passengers place on our services, and the need to ensure that a comfortable, convenient and reliable service is provided at all times. We oversee over 700 bus services on a daily basis which are operated on our behalf. Our Route Controllers work hard to ensure that services operate according to scheduled times. When devising our bus services, our network Planners take into account normal congestion levels within the timing of services. This said, delays do arise as a result of factors outside our control. Such delays are often caused by increased traffic congestion, illegal parking, emergency roadworks and bus incidents. Were continued problems are found, we do all that is possible to remedy the situation.
I can confirm that highway maintenance work began on 22 March 2010 along Croydon Road, Carshalton to allow for road resurfacing. As a result services have been disrupted. Further, roadworks commenced along on South Lodge Avenue, Mitcham necessitating a road closure. As a result a diversion is currently in place, and is scheduled to resume the normal route service from 5 April 2010. At present the diversion operating on service 463 is as follows: from Rowan Road, Left Stanford Way, ahead Stanford Road, Right London Road, ahead London Road, Right Galpins Road, Right South Lodge Avenue, Left Yorkshire Road, Right Westmorland Way, Right Carisbrooke Road , Right South Lodge Avenue to stand.
As a result of the above works, services have become disrupted, and as a result services have been operating with delays. Accordingly, this may give rise to the impression that passenger numbers have increased. Your comments relating to the vehicle operated on this service has been noted, and has been forwarded to the Network Development Team, as they deal with looking at the operational setup of a particular bus service. Hopefully once these works have been completed, you will notice an improvement with this service. If this is not the case, after 5 April 2010, please let me know.
The driver should have stopped to allow passengers to alight and board at the designated stop. I can understand how frustrating your son must have found this. The very nature of the driver’s role is to stop and pick up passengers and it is disappointing that this basic requirement was not met. I have therefore contacted Quality Line, the operator of this service and I have asked them to remind all of their drivers of the importance of ensuring that an excellent service is provided at all times to our customers. They will be reminded that measures will be implemented in line with the operators internal procedures and protocols when this is not adhered to.
Once again I would like to apologise for the difficulties that have been experienced recently. I would like to thank you for your continued patience during this time, whilst the works are underway.
If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Ben Lyon Customer Services
24/3/10
Dear Sir, I have a complain again about your 463 bus lane from Polards Hill to Wallington. Again the most morning buses(7am till 8am) are full my son and his friends can not get on time to the school. It happened Monday and Today which is Wednesday. It has been okey for about 2 month since we complained 2 Month ago.We are only depend on your bus services.
Please do something. Do exchange for a longer bus which has 2 doors. We only need morning bus from 7 to 8am.Today again the bus at 7.25 am at tomworth lane road in Mitcam coming from Polards Hill did not stop and I was also there witnessing the bus did not stop.
With regard
22/3/10
Dear Sir, I have a complain again about your 463 bus lane from Polards Hill to Wallington. The bus has been okey for about 2 month so my son and his friend who goes to Wallington Grammar School have got the standing place so far. But today again the bus was nearly full and the driver did not stop at tommworthlane road at the second bus stop in Mitcham even there were few standing spaces. My son would be late for his lesson today.
There is always a problem in the early moring service. I hope you would exchange for a longer bus or ask the driver to make the bus full and do not ignore one or 2 kids waiting at bus stop. Today again the bus at 7.25 am at tomworth lane road in Mitcam coming from Polards Hill did not stop and I was also there witnessing the bus.
With regard
Our ref: 1006275721 Date: 12.05.2010
Dear
Thank you for your follow up feedback on our previous correspondence. Conveniently I have been provided recently with more information on the subject of the route extension. We implemented the extension of the 463 after consultation with local boroughs, their councils, London TravelWatch and others. The published decision on this can be found here. Part of the decision was an initiative to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home. By increasing links between modes of transport, it is hoped that people will take advantage of more environmentally friendly transport options. On consultation with members of the public we found a huge response requesting better connections across the three boroughs the 463 covers, and better connections to train services. It is also hoped that this service extension will assist with school commuters on the route. However I note you point about the buses not allowing for train arrivals and have relayed this information to the relevant team. They will look into this issue and take whatever action is possible to ensure that the timetables are better aligned. On the second matter I must apologise for my miscommunication on the action taken regarding the staggering of bus times so that they do not meet and provide unnecessary concentrations of service. Let me assure you that the Network Development team received the correct instruction on your comments. For further information about TfL's services please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/contact. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I hope my comments help. If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
William Sumners Customer Service Advisor Customer Service Centre
20/4/10 Dear Mr Sumners
Thank you for this reply. I can see that you cannot time buses to meet trains all the stations but it seems a nonsense that the service was extended to Coulsdon South where there is nothing except the station and none of the buses allow for train arrivals from London and East Croydon.
Also I was not asking for more buses only a change in timing so that buses from Pollards Hill and Coulsdon South don't meet at the bottom of the hill leading to the Mount. Compared to the issue at the station this is minor!
Regards,
Our ref: 1006275721 Date: 20.04.2010
Dear
Thank you for your feedback concerning the timetable and frequency of route 463 buses.
I was concerned to learn of the situation you describe. I can understand how frustrating it must have been to alight the train only to see your bus drive away. Please accept my apologies for the obvious inconvenience caused.
We aim to provide a reliable service that our passengers can have confidence in. We regularly review the network to determine what changes should be made to improve services. Suggestions from our passengers form an important part of this process, although sadly we are not able to introduce all of the suggestions we receive. When contemplating changes to existing services, or planning a new route there are, as I’m sure you can appreciate, many factors that must be considered. Ultimately, we have to make sure that we use the resources available to provide services that will benefit the majority of passengers using a route.
We attempt wherever possible to match our timetables so buses are scheduled to coincide with the arrival of trains. This is however, as I’m sure you can appreciate a tricky process, buses on route often pass several stations and a delay on either bus or train means the two will not match. I have brought this issue to the attention of the Network Development team who will look into the issue and attempt to make changes to better harmonise the two services where possible.
At present, I am not aware of any immediate plans to increase the frequency of the route 463 service. However, I have highlighted the problems you have been experiencing to the relevant team along with your request to introduce more buses along this route. I have asked that your suggestion be considered as part of any future reviews of the route.
For further information about TfL’s services please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/contact. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I hope my comments help. If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
William Sumners Customer Service Advisor Customer Service Centre
Notes 27.03.2010 10:02:23 WEBLOGIN
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL This is a general point concerning the 463. The route was extended to Coulsdon South Station. Other than the station there is nothing there so the idea must be to collect train passengers. I was on a train from London yesterday and at Coulsdon South was pleased to see a 463 waiting. A young man in front of me actually jumped over the fence to get to the bus but as he did so the bus drove off. I then had a 10 minute walk up hill home. I am approacing 70 and had had a tiring day. At my home the offending bus passed me and was virtually empty. There must have been at least 50 people alighting the train and it was impossible to catch the bus and 20 minutes waiting in the rain is a poor option. This has happened to a lesser degree on previous occasions at Coulsdon and at Woodmansterne Station. Could someone look at the train timetables and alter the bus schedule, please? Also at Coulsdon the difficulty for older people is the hill up to West Coulsdon and the 463 from both directions climb the hill at the same time. If they were staggered there would be a bus every 10 minutes instead of 20.
Direction : pollards hill
Our ref: 1006314531/kg
Date: 23rd of April 2010
Dear
Thank you for contacting Transport for London (TfL) regarding the route 463. I appreciate the time you have taken to write. I am sorry that you are unhappy with the changes to the 463 service. This route has been extended and re-routed to provide new links. Previously unserved areas, such as Tamworth Lane and Recreation Way, now benefit from a bus service. Please see the below weblink on the consultation and new routing: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/11670.aspx
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/13925.aspx
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/13758.aspx
As with any change to our services, we are closely monitoring the effectiveness of the new arrangements to ensure that the service is accurately matched to passenger requirements. Should any adjustments be required, please be assured that the necessary action will be taken.
I am sorry that you feel this has a detrimental effect on your journey and that you are disappointed with the services of the routes 118 and 60. Please be assured that we are continually monitoring to ensure that routes are meeting their performance targets and identify any that are not. Where a problem becomes apparent, our Performance team will work with the operating company concerned to overcome it. If you have any particular instances or concerns with these bus routes please forward me the details and I can investigate these for you.
Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if I can be of further assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Katherine Gotman Customer Services
Notes 20.04.2010 11:33:04 WEBLOGIN
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL
I refer to my complaint dated 31.3.10 about bus route 463 being changed. I have only received a "donotreply" acknowledgment referring me to a download about complaints instead of a reply.
I repeat below my original message:
"The new routing of the 463 bus via Pollards Hill has inconvenienced me and I'm sure many others. Previously I had the option of using 2 buses (routes 118 and 60) to connect with the 463 service, thus minimising my travelling time. Now the only option is the 118 bus, which is a hit or miss service owing to traffic conditions.
The excellent service provided by route 463 (always spot on for time-keeping) apparently cannot be matched by either the 60 or 118 buses - I wonder why!
I would like to know why the 463 route has been changed and whether in the light of the above, you might consider reverting to the previous route: Coulsdon/Mitcham. After all if it aint broke, why fix it!"
I await your considered reply as soon as possible (knowing how bureaucracy works, another month?)
Dear
Thank you for your recent email regarding service 463 from Polards Hill to Wallington.
I have contacted our Network Development Team about the difficulties you have been encountering with this service, along with your request for the type of bus used to be amended. They have informed that due to the route having been recently extended, there is very little data on which to base an investigation.
As we are now approaching the end of the academic year, surveys for this service will be carried out following the return of school children in September from their summer vacation period.
I would like to thank you for contacting London Buses, and hope this helps to clarify the situation regarding the operational setup of service 463.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Benjamin Lyon Customer Services
7/5/11
Dear Sir,
I have a complain again about your 463 bus lane from Polards Hill to Wallington. The bus has been okey for about 2 month so my son and his friends who goes to Wallington Grammar School have got the standing place so far. But yesterday (Thursday 6 of May) again the bus did not stop at Tommworthlane road at 7.27 the second bus stop in Mitcham even there were few standing spaces. I believe only one of your driver does not stop where my son and 2 more students waiting. My son and his friends was late for his lesson yesterday.
There is always a problem in the early moring service. I hope you would exchange for a longer bus or ask the driver to stop and make the bus full and do not ignore one or 2 kids waiting at bus stop. Today again the bus at 7.27 am at tomworth lane road in Mitcam coming from Polards Hill did not stop and I was also there witnessing the bus.
With regard
Our Ref: 1006750495 Date: 10.06.2010
Dear
Re: 463 and 166 services
Thank you for your correspondence regarding the recent performance of the 463 and 166 services. I appreciate how frustrating delays can be, so please accept my apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.
I would like to assure you that London Buses are committed to providing an excellent bus service for all our customers. We understand the importance of our services to our passengers, and appreciate the need to ensure that a comfortable, convenient and reliable service is provided at all times.
Our Route Controllers work hard to ensure that services operate as scheduled. When our bus services are devised, our Network Planners take into account normal congestion levels within the timing of services. However, delays can occasionally arise due to circumstances outside of our control such as increased traffic congestion, illegal parking, emergency roadworks and bus incidents. When ongoing issues are identified, we do all within our power to remedy the situation.
Having contacted Quality Line, the bus operator for this service, I have been informed that on the day in question the junction of London Road and Manor Road was closed to allow the installation of a new bridge at Hackbridge train station. This caused severe delays to the 463 of up to one hour. This delay meant that the route controller decided to ask the drivers of two buses to terminate their routes ahead of their usual destination. This action enables the driver to turn around and return the bus to its usual timetable in the opposite direction. This was done for the benefit of our passengers to maintain a regular, even service across the route and avoid increasing delays.
We expect controllers only to terminate buses early as a last resort and this should only occur when there is a bus covering the full length of the route close behind to prevent our passengers from being inconvenienced further.
With regard to the performance of the 166, unfortunately minor delays caused simply by traffic can accumulate and lead to the 5-9 minute delays that you mention. Upon examination of the performance charts for this service it would appear that the vast majority of buses operate on time along the length of the route, although circumstances outside of our control can impact on reliability. Nearly 98% of buses have run the full length of the route over the past three months, so it would appear that curtailments, although regrettable, are rare. I would like to assure you that we continually monitor the bus network to ensure that routes are meeting their performance targets or identify any that are not. Where a problem becomes apparent, our Performance team will work with the operating company concerned to overcome it. I have passed your comments for both services across to our Performance team, who have noted these issues and will consider in future reviews of these routes.
Thank you again for informing us of this issue, and for your continued patience.
Yours sincerely
Rebecca Jones Customer Service Advisor
Notes 29.05.2010 19:20:50 WEBLOGIN
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL What the hell is going wrong with your bus services?
I arrived at the Wallington Town Centre bus stop at 17.40 today (29/5/10 )to catch the 463 bus to Coulsdon advertised on your website timetable. At approximately 17.46 a 463 went past without stopping showing Wallington Station! The next scheduled bus should have been at 18.06, but at 18.00 another 463 passed showing it was not in service. Finally, another 463 arrived at approximately 18.20.
This is fairly typical of the poor service those of us who live in the suburbs have to put up. For my sins I catch the 06.42 166 from Rickmanworth Hill, Coulsdon 4 days a week. If the bus arrives within 3 minute of its scheduled time I can catch my S1 connection at Banstead. If it is late I have a 20 minute wait. For the last month, 3 out of 4 buses arrive between 5 and 9 minutes late, at 06.44, a time when there is hardly any traffic. Also on 26/5/10 Arriva even cut out one of my return buses.
In a civilised country directors who provided such a consistently poor service would be charged with fraud, or, would at the very least resign.
Given that we are forced to pay the same precept as inner London who have far superior services perhaps I should write to the Mayor suggesting that he adopt a Japanese mangement style viz force the directors to commit hari kiri , or should I just accept that your bus services will never get better and buy a car?
Direction : Coulson South
28 June 2011
Customer Ref: 1207898 / 1007610148
Dear ,
Reference: 463 Poor Service
Thank you for your feedback concerning the 463 route.
I can assure you we do not take your complaint lightly. Drivers are phoning us every morning informing us of the amount of passengers left behind on the route 463. All this information is sent to Transport for London.
I hope you can understand we are only the Operator that operates in this area, and any decision to have more buses on this route is not down to us. This must come from Transport for London.
I totally understand the frustration you must be feeling when waiting for a bus, but unfortunately we incur major delays with general traffic everyday, and it doesn’t make it any easier by the extension of the 463 both ends of the route, and the new route added to the 463 behind Asda at Beddington Farm Road.
We have added a Double Decker bus for the school run hoping this would ease the route, but only time will tell.
Thank you for your comments.
Yours sincerely,
Jayne Cracknell Duty Manager
Notes 29.09.2010 08:52:03 BANORA
Customer has been waiting since 0800 and only one has gone past which was packed to capacity about 0830.
I have spoken to the controller who said services are running behind by 20mins and the next one will be about 10mins.
Controller said it is general traffic affecting the services.
Customer said she has made complaints about this services before and there has been no improvements.
She has been there since 0800 this morning with one bus at 0830 packed to capacity and nothing since and it is now 0845.
Customer would like an explanation as to what the services seem to be poor within the last few week and what measures the operator are taking to improve this.
She said this is affecting her as she leaves in plenty of time to get to work and this is now affecting her work.
Regards
Our ref.: 1007825231 /DG Date: 10.11.2010
Dear ,
Re.: Service on bus route 463 on November 2
Thank you for your e-mail of November 2 that reported to us at Transport for London (TfL) the difficulties you had experienced attempting to make a northbound journey from Beddington Lane tram stop on bus route 463 earlier on the same day. I am most sorry that you had experienced inconvenience, and can appreciate the frustration you may have felt at the time.
Please be advised that I have requested an explanation for the gap in service you encountered from the company that runs route 463 on our behalf - Quality Line. They have reported on the matter.
It would appear that you had been the unfortunate victim of a coincidental set of circumstances. Kindly note that the service operates one minute later after 1600, which will account for the small discrepancy in timings with your e-mail. The vehicle operating the service that should have arrived at Beddington Lane at 1630 developed a mechanical fault and had to be taken out of service. Unfortunately, the vehicle operating following service - due to arrive at 1650 - had been seriously delayed on its previous southbound journey by heavy traffic in Beddington Lane. To maintain the timetable, the decision was taken by the operators to curtail it, northbound, at Wallington Station. This is not a course we like to take if it can be avoided, because we are aware of the inconvenience it can cause. However, sometimes it is the least worst option, and guarantees the best service under the circumstances to the greatest number of passengers. I regret that you were not fortunate on this occasion.
I sincerely hope you shall not encounter anything similar again, but I am grateful to you for having drawn the matter to our attention. Please revert to me if you have any further queries, and please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/contact for additional information about TfL’s services.
Yours sincerely,
David Goudge Customer Service Advisor – London Streets Transport for London Surface Transport Customer Services 4th floor, Zone B5 14 Pier Walk London SE10 0ES
Notes 02.11.2010 18:52:00 WEBLOGIN
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL
Having checked the TFL website to find out the best way to get from East Croydon to Edgehill Road, Mitcham, CR4. I took a tram from East Croydon towards Wimbledon and alighted at Beddington Lane at about 16.08. As I turned the corner I saw the 463 at the bust stop but it was too far to run. The timetable at the bus stop stated that buses were due at 29 and 49 minutes past the hour. The next bus arrived at 17.09, which meant that I was too late for my appointment and had a wasted 2 hours this afternoon. I am not at all happy about this and look forward to hearing from you.
Direction : Eastfields
Our Ref: 1008178266 Date: 26.01.2011
Dear
Re: Route 463
Thank you for your email dated 12 January 2011. I am sorry to hear of the delays incurred on route 463 and apologise for any upset or inconvenience caused as a result.
We do our utmost to ensure that bus services operate according to scheduled times. Buses are one of the modes of public transport that is more susceptible to a wider number of variables than other modes. These variables can include (but are not limited to), increased road congestion, mechanical failures, adverse weather, roadworks, and road traffic incidents. All of the above can cause considerable delays to the operation of some services, or require service operation to change at short notice.
I have passed your comments onto Quality Line who operate routes 463, and they have confirmed the reason for the delay to the service 463 of late has been traffic congestion.
Below I have listed the times the bus was delayed by traffic:
11/01/11 the 09:02 arrived 10 minutes late
10/01/11 the 09:02 arrived on time
12/01/11 the 09:02 arrived 14 minutes late
I would like to assure you that we review the entire bus network on a regular basis, reviewing frequency and capacity of all services to accommodate public demand, and ongoing monitoring and changes are implemented to make sure that we are giving our passengers the best possible service.
Transport for London (TfL) will continue to work with our operators Quality Line to strive to monitor the service and adhere to our published timetables as best possible.
Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. Should you have any further queries, please feel free to write to me again.
Yours sincerely
Miranda Crabtree Customer Service Advisor
DO NOT DELETE...... {ticketno:[1432676]}
Notes 12.01.2011 14:09:39 WEBLOGIN
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL Please copuld you tell me why for the last 2 days the 09.02 service has not been coming. It is most annoying when we are trying to get to work and the bus never comes!!
Direction : towards wallington
Notes 06.04.2011 14:46:32 JOANNEHA no customer details, case completed ______Notes 06.04.2011 14:39:45 WEBLOGIN
I was walking on the footbridge over the railway line near Mitcham Eastfields train station at 16.39 and saw the 463 bus waiting at the next stop. This bus should have been the 16.44 at the St Mark's C of E Academy Playing Fields. So it was 5 minutes early! They are only every 20 minutes and the next bus was late! I've noticed that recently this bus has been on time whereas before it was always a good 10 minutes late and once the 16.44 didn't arrive at all, but I would appreciate it if it didn't arrive too early!
Direction : Towards Coulsdon
Our Ref: 1008784295 Date: 10.05.2011
Dear
Re: Route 463
Thank you for your correspondence regarding repeated delays on route 463. I am very sorry to hear of the experience you have had with this route. I understand how frustrating it can be when a bus is repeatedly delayed. Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.
We are committed to providing a first class bus service for our customers, and our timetables are planned to ensure that we provide a regular and even service. Our route controllers work very hard to maintain this, but road conditions can change unexpectedly. Delays caused by traffic accidents, roadworks and traffic congestion can mean passengers may have to wait longer than expected for their bus.
We are aware that there have been some issues with this route, and are working with the operating company to find a solution.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, and once again I would like to apologise for the frustration and inconvenience this has caused.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Allison Biggs Customer Service Advisor
DO NOT DELETE...... {ticketno:[1708915]} DO NOT DELETE......
-----Original Message----- From: Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 16:16:08 To:
To whom it may concern
I wish to express my disappointment and inconvenience caused due to the 463 bus either never arriving on time or failing to show up at all.
For example, this morning I waited for the 463 for half an hour before one showed. It was supposed to leave Pollards Hill at 8.55am, hopefully failed to show up, which meant I was late for work.
Now, I am waiting for the bus at Marlow Way and it was supposed to arrive at 5.04pm, so it is late already by over ten minutes.
I do understand that from time to time buses will run late and sometimes this is due to no fault of their own. However, this is a consistent problem with this service and it is extremely unsatisfactory.
The 463 bus was also voted the worst service in Mitcham by the local Guardian newspaper and I clearly see why now.
I await to hear from you with reasons why this service is so poor.
Kind Regards
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Our Ref: 1008905299 Date: 26.05.2011
Dear
Re: Route 463
Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding delayed and altered service on route 463.
I am very sorry for the inconvenience this incident caused. I know how frustrating it is when your bus is delayed, and then one arrives that does not continue all the way to your destination. Please accept my sincere apology.
We are committed to providing a first class bus service for our customers, and our route controllers work very hard to ensure that our buses are reliable and convenient. But road conditions can change at any time, and routes may be affected by unexpected delays or planned roadworks, meaning passengers may have to wait longer than expected for their bus.
If a bus is severely delayed, and some buses of the same route are bunched together, the route controller may ask a driver to stop the bus short of its usual destination. This bus can then turn around and return to its usual timetable in the opposite direction. Whilst this inconveniences those needing to journey to the end of the route, it is done for the overall benefit of users. Nevertheless, I appreciate the frustration caused to those users negatively affected.
Once again, I apologise for the inconvenience this caused you. I have made the route operator aware of this incident, and together we will work to continue monitoring delays on this route.
If you have any further comments or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Allison Biggs Customer Service Advisor
Notes 24.05.2011 16:01:18 WEBLOGIN
PREFERRED MEANS OF CONTACT: EMAIL The 15.01 and 15.06 buses did not show at Coulsdon Library. Two buses did pass towards abot 15.08 and 15.12 towards the terminus at Coulsdon South Station but did not reappear in good time. The first bus went directly up Lion Green Road, missing all apssengers waiting in Coulsdon High Street. The second bus did come down the correct route at 15.20 and picked up passengers. Whe i asked the driver what happend to the two previous buses he said they has been delayed and the previous bus to him was instructed to miss out Coulsdon High Street to catch up time.
This is not an acceptable way of working and this 463 service in cinstantly late or no- show at regular intervals.
This bus operator needs to be sharply reminded of their contractural duties and to run a much improved, timely service.
Direction : towards Wallington
From: Miles Andrew (ST) Sent: 18 January 2011 13:11 To: Cc: Members Correspondence; James Hayley (ST) Subject: FW: PLEASE TREAT AS URGENT ANDREW, TKS - 463 Bus Route
Thank you for your note and I do apologise that it has not been possible to reply until now. We’ve investigated and I’m now in a position to reply, having investigated the reasons for the disruption to the 463 with Quality Line, who operate the service.
Quality Line confirmed that the 463 was disrupted on a number of occasions in late November and early December by the effects of heavy snow fall (particularly 30 November and 1, 17 and 18 December). There was a further incident on 16 December, during which buses were unable to serve The Mount due to the presence of a broken-down lorry. This caused delays of around 45 minutes.
While it is difficult to comment on the specific reasons for the disruption without further details of the dates and times of the delayed journeys, TfL would expect the 463 to perform well, completing the usual route. TfL would expect the 463 to perform normally now that the snow has cleared, accepting that there may be occasions when events beyond our control (a lorry breaking down, for example) disrupt services.
I hope this is useful but if you have any other questions please let me know,
Andrew Andrew Miles I Government Relationship Manager Transport for London Strategic Relationship Centre Floor 11 - Zone G3, Palestra 197 Blackfriars Road LONDON, SE1 8NJ tel / int mob e andrew.miles@ w http://tfl.gov.uk
From: [mailto: ] Sent: 16 December 2010 15:25 To: Miles Andrew (ST) Cc: James Hayley (ST); Members Correspondence Subject: PLEASE TREAT AS URGENT ANDREW, TKS - 463 Bus Route Importance: High
Dear Andrew
Please find set out below fyi an e-mail sent earlier today by regarding the extremely poor service local residents have been suffering recently on the 463 bus route in Coulsdon.
As you will note, passengers in Coulsdon have had to wait for an hour for a bus, which as has pointed out, is extremely unpleasant in severely cold weather. This has apparently been caused by buses running late and then being diverted from Coulsdon South Station down Lion Green Road (and missing out Clockhouse in the process).
I would therefore be grateful if you could please investigate this as a matter or urgency and revert to me as soon as possible.
Many thanks
Best regards
PA/Caseworker to Steve O'Connell Assembly Member for Croydon & Sutton Tel: Fax:
------Forwarded message ------From:
Date: 16 December 2010 08:48 Subject: 463 To:
Cc:
I have just been harranged by local residents who are bitterly complaining about the recent 463 service. Apparently people have had to wait an hour for a bus down in Coulsdon. I understand this is because of buses running late and are then diverted from the Coulsdon South Station down Lion Green Road and then miss out Clockhouse completely. They seem to use us as the soft option.
I think this is totally out of order, and this practice should cease,
I would be grateful if you can take this up with the appropriate persons, regards
It's no joke standing around at any time but far worse in the bitterly cold wind etc.