Liberal Democrats warn Bakerloop Bus could be “distraction”
Southwark Liberal Democrats have formally responded to the public consultation on the new bus service dubbed the “Bakerloop”.
The Bakerloop Bus, formally known as the BL1 service, is a proposed new bus route that would mimic the hypothetical route of the Bakerloo Line Extension (BLE), running from Waterloo to Lewisham.
Whilst welcoming any addition to public transport, the Liberal Democrats repeat their criticism that it risks being a “rail replacement bus service without the rail”, and serves as a political distraction from the Mayor of London’s failure to secure the Bakerloo Line Extension, which could unlock up to 100,000 homes across London.
Their response also urges TfL to ensure that the new route is genuinely additional, and does not pull resources away from any existing bus services in Southwark or the rest of London. The “Superloop” bus scheme, which the Bakerloop forms part of, has been criticised for merely rebranding or redirecting currently existing services.
The public consultation on the route closes on the 14th March, and can be found here.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader of the Opposition Cllr Rachel Bentley said:
“Residents are getting tired of excuses and gimmicks – Labour now hold every lever of power, and could get the Bakerloo Line Extension approved today if they really wanted to. There are thousands of genuinely affordable homes waiting to go ahead, and we cannot afford to be held hostage to the Mayor’s failure to secure the extension any longer.
Whilst we support any new bus services, this cannot end up being a rail replacement bus service without the train, that risks derailing focus from getting the Bakerloo Line Extension, and with it much needed homes, built”