Parents in Sutton are demanding action over the 213 bus, saying children travelling between Sutton and Kingston are struggling to get to school as packed buses pass stops without picking them up.
A petition calling on the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) to intervene claims the problems are affecting children’s sleep, education and family life.
Parents behind the petition say children can wait for more than an hour, during which two or even three buses may pass without stopping because they are already full. They claim younger pupils have struggled with the uncertainty.
The petition says: “Year 7 children are becoming distressed, and some have been reduced to tears by the stress of trying to get to school. Older children have become resigned to the daily uncertainty.”
It claims some pupils have even received detentions for arriving late despite delays being outside their control.
Families say the problems are forcing children to leave home much earlier simply to increase their chances of getting onto a bus. According to the petition, this means some are going to bed earlier and losing time they would otherwise spend doing homework, hobbies or with their families.
Parents also claim they have been forced to rush out and drive their children to school when buses fail to arrive or are too full, disrupting their own working hours and adding more cars to the roads.
Even getting onto a bus does not necessarily mean the end of the disruption, the petition claims. Families say some buses change destination partway through their journeys, leaving children to get off early and either walk longer distances or wait for another service. The petition also complains of lengthy gaps followed by two or three 213 buses arriving close together. It says: “This is not a reliable or evenly distributed service.”
Some children are now reportedly arriving at school half an hour early because their families do not trust the service to get them there on time. Parents have warned that this could become increasingly concerning as mornings become darker and colder.
The petition says the problems are also undermining families’ attempts to encourage youngsters to travel independently on public transport. It adds: “We want our children to grow up feeling confident, safe and independent using London’s public transport network. Instead, the current experience is putting children off public transport altogether.”
Campaigners are calling for the frequency and capacity of the 213 between Sutton and Kingston to be increased during school travel times. They also want TfL to improve the spacing and reliability of buses, review how late-running services are managed and monitor the route specifically during school commuting periods. The petition is additionally asking TfL and the Mayor of London to work with schools, parents and communities to understand the scale of the problem.
It concludes: “Our children should not have to lose sleep, miss lessons, receive detentions, or depend on their parents, who have to delay starting work, simply because they cannot rely on their bus. The 213 is an essential service for the children and families who depend on it. Our children deserve a bus service that gets them to school safely, reliably and on time.”
Transport pressure is being felt elsewhere too: Southeastern has urged passengers to avoid Blackheath station on Bonfire Night, while lift foundations are now done at Wandsworth Town station as its step-free project moves forward.
