Hackney Council has asked Transport for London (TfL) to rethink proposed changes to six inner-London bus routes, raising particular opposition to the suggested withdrawal of route 254. The council will object to aspects of the package as set out in TfL’s consultation, and it will call for further consideration of alternatives for route 254.
TfL’s consultation proposes withdrawing route 254, extending route 106 to Aldgate and increasing the frequency of route 253, alongside proposed changes affecting routes 42, 67 and 149. TfL estimates that, if the withdrawal of route 254 proceeds as proposed, around 2,430 daily 254 journeys would require passengers to interchange.
Council response and the case over route 254
Hackney Council will oppose the proposed withdrawal of route 254 and will ask TfL to rethink the wider package of changes affecting routes 42, 67, 149, 106, 253 and 254. The council will set out its stance in representations to TfL during the consultation period and will argue that the proposed removal of 254 should be revisited.
As part of its position, the council will suggest that route 254 could become an inner-London Superloop route rather than being withdrawn. That suggestion will form part of the council’s request for TfL to explore alternatives that would retain or replace the connections currently provided by the 254 route within inner London.
What TfL is proposing
The consultation published by TfL will propose a package of route changes across the six services named by the council. Specifically, the consultation will propose withdrawing route 254, extending route 106 so that it will run to Aldgate and increasing the frequency of route 253. The consultation will also include proposals affecting routes 42, 67 and 149, details of which will be set out by TfL in its consultation documents.
TfL will present its proposals as part of a public consultation process and will provide estimates of the likely passenger impacts. The authority will estimate that about 2,430 daily journeys currently made on route 254 would be likely to need an interchange if the withdrawal is implemented, and TfL will invite comments on that assessment as part of the consultation.
Passenger impacts and consultation timetable
The consultation will remain open until 20 September 2026, during which time local authorities, passengers and other stakeholders will be able to respond to the proposals. TfL will continue to present its forecast figures and modelling as part of the consultation material, and it will invite views on the potential consequences for passengers who currently use the affected routes.
Hackney Council will have the opportunity to submit representations before the consultation closes, and TfL will indicate next steps once it has considered responses and finalised its decisions. Any changes will be subject to TfL’s subsequent decision-making processes and will not be confirmed until that process has concluded.
The proposals will remain at consultation stage until TfL publishes its response to the exercise and any subsequent decisions. The council’s request that TfL rethink the package, and its suggestion that route 254 could be repurposed as an inner-London Superloop route, will form part of the material for TfL to consider ahead of any final determination.
