A long-planned public meeting on bus services in Putney has been cancelled after both Transport for London (TfL) and the Putney Bus Garage refused to attend—prompting renewed criticism over transparency and public accountability.
The meeting, organised by the Putney Society and scheduled for Monday 23 June at the Community Church on Werter Road, was intended to give residents the chance to question officials directly about ongoing problems with local bus routes. These include timetable cuts, delays, and concerns about so-called “ghost buses” failing to arrive.
But despite weeks of outreach, neither TfL nor the local bus garage—run by Go Ahead—agreed to send a representative, forcing the event’s cancellation. “Ultimately unable or unwilling,” said the Society in a public notice, summing up their failure to secure participation from either organisation.
The news was not taken well by Putney residents with one noting online: “This is the contempt TfL treat us with… A disgrace.”
The cancellation is being seen as part of a wider pattern of evasion by TfL. A recent Putney.news article highlighted that Transport for London was repeatedly misrepresenting service data in Putney, under-reporting missed services and providing misleading statistics to both the public and elected representatives.
We also dug into the mysterious case of the 85 bus being listed in the official stats as the most efficient bus service in Putney while also being the most complained about.
Now, critics say, TfL’s refusal to engage directly with local residents only deepens the accountability gap.
The Putney Society—a registered charity and non-partisan community group—had hoped the meeting would provide a much-needed opportunity for residents to share frustrations and suggestions. Instead, the absence of key decision-makers has left those questions unanswered.
TfL and Go Ahead have so far issued no public response.
Correction: This story incorrectly stated that Abellio runs Putney Bus Garage. It has been updated to reflect the fact it is Go Ahead.
