- Some 28,114 collisions in capital in 2023 versus 26,384 a year in the decade prior
- This comes despite a seven per cent drop in the total distance of bus journeys
London‘s buses are ‘more dangerous under Sadiq Khan because of 20mph zones which put pressure on drivers to go faster when they can to keep up with their schedules’, critics have claimed.
In 2023 there were a whopping 28,114 bus collisions in the capital compared to an average of 26,384 per year across the decade prior.
This is despite a seven per cent drop in the total distance of bus journeys in London from 492 million km (306 million miles) in 2016/17 to 457 million km (284 million miles) in the financial year between 2022 and 2023.
And transport experts and campaigners have attributed the increase in accidents to the mayor’s introduction of lower speed limits during his eight-year administration.
They say the 20mph zones, which now apply to more than half of London’s roads, cause bus drivers to fall behind schedule, which means they end up increasing their speed when they can to catch up.
In 2023 there were a whopping 28,114 bus collisions in the capital compared to an average of 26,384 per year across the decade prior
And critics have claimed London ‘s buses are ‘more dangerous under Sadiq Khan because of 20mph zones which put pressure on drivers to go faster when they can to keep up with their schedules’
They say the 20mph zones, which now apply to more than half of London’s roads, cause bus drivers to fall behind schedule, which means they end up increasing their speed when they can to catch up
In 2016, TfL‘s largest bus contractor Go Ahead told drivers to maintain a regular gap between themselves and the bus in front with the company facing potential fines of ten per cent of the contract price if this was not achieved, The Telegraph reports.
TfL admitted that it does not routinely hand over information on bus driver speeding despite allegations that many drive over the limit, Questions to the Mayor shows.
Leader of the City Hall Conservatives Neil Garratt said that bus drivers struggled to balance driving at lower than 20mph and keeping up with an intense schedule.
He added: ‘Despite his many promises and strategy documents, the stark fact is that London’s buses are getting more dangerous under mayor Khan.’
The latest official figures spell bad news for the mayor’s Vision Zero project, which aims to end bus-related deaths by 2030.
TfL data shows that 61 people have been killed in bus accidents since 2016.
Michael Liebreich, who oversaw health and safety while on TfL’s board from 2012 to 2018, said: ‘It’s becoming more and more difficult to meet the schedule. So the pressure on drivers is only increasing.
‘People should be scared. We have a really unsafe system in London. There are hundreds of victims here.’
MailOnline has previously revealed the frustration of drivers dealing with new 20mph zones across the country, including in the capital.
From Yorkshire and London to Wales, hard-working drivers are contending with laws that force them to crawl from A to B.
Critics told MailOnline that the restriction is ‘stupid’, and claim the speed reductions have clogged roads with gridlock and doubled commuting times, and that some drivers are simply ignoring the law to tear along streets at 50mph.
Others questioned how the limit will be enforced – as drivers seeking a faster way to their destination turn side-streets into ‘rat-runs’, potentially increasing the risk of accidents.
In Eltham, south-east London, residents said the new 20mph zones have created gridlock and branded Mr Khan an ‘idiot’ for imposing them.
The latest official figures spell bad news for the mayor’s Vision Zero project, which aims to end bus-related deaths by 2030
MailOnline has previously revealed the frustration of drivers dealing with new 20mph zones across the country, including in the capital (pictured: police officers with a handheld speed gun)
In Eltham, south-east London (pictured), residents said the new 20mph zones have created gridlock and branded Mr Khan an ‘idiot’ for imposing them
Police are even trying to fine pensioners across the country for travelling just 2mph above the speed limit in 20mph zones, it has been claimed.
The aggressive approach to enforcement in some areas in recent months has seen motorists in Britain face a record number of fines for 20mph offences last year.
More than 216,000 fines for travelling between 20mph and 30mph were handed out by forces across the UK in 2023 – quadruple the number issued compared to 2018.
Mr Khan previously asked Scotland Yard to be ready to enforce up to one million speeding tickets amid his strategy to lower speed limits across the capital.
The Met has issued the equivalent of one ticket for every four cars registered in the capital, with 595,000 given out since 2018.
MailOnline has approached the mayor’s office for comment.
TfL and Go Ahead have also been contacted for comment.