Wandsworth Council has reportedly cancelled its agreement to allow Putney residents free use of the University of Roehampton shuttle bus, ending a costly experiment that is believed to have cost taxpayers £200,000.
The council-funded initiative, launched in September 2024 as part of the Alton Renewal Plan, was designed to address chronic reliability issues with Transport for London bus services serving the Putney-Roehampton corridor.
However, the 849 University shuttle service struggled from the outset with poor communication, erratic scheduling, and fundamental operational problems.
A Service That Never Quite Worked
Despite months of operation, many potential users remained unaware the service was available to the general public, not just university staff and students. Unlike regular TfL buses, passengers had to actively flag down the University buses at designated stops, a requirement that was poorly communicated to residents.
The service was plagued by the same traffic delays that affected regular TfL buses, with one driver admitting that buses were often “more than half an hour later to stops than scheduled” despite promising to run every 20 minutes. The University’s own tracking app was only accessible to staff and students, leaving the general public unable to plan their journeys effectively.
“The problem is I never know when it’s coming,” said one regular bus user. Even those who had app access, found the service unreliable, with routes changing without notice.
Background: A Response to Transport Crisis
The University bus partnership was introduced after Wandsworth Council “listened carefully to all the Roehampton residents who’ve been in touch with us about the problems with the bus services, including all the residents at Putney Vale who depend on the buses”.
Regular TfL services, particularly the 265 route between Putney Bridge and Tolworth via Roehampton, had become notoriously unreliable. A bus driver for the shuttle service explained that “TfL buses get stuck in traffic, despite having 25 services often running and still not able to be on time”.
The council’s solution was ambitious: part-fund a University shuttle bus service alongside a separate community minibus service, both free for public use. The University bus operated between Roehampton Vale ASDA, Barnes Station, and Putney Bridge Station during term time only.
The service suffered from a fundamental communication problem: the general public – who the council was specifically trying to help – had no reliable way to know when buses would arrive.
Added to that, limited communication about the fact that they could flag down the bus – which was still branded a university bus and is coloured green rather then the London bus’ red – left most residents unaware or uncertain if they could legitimately use it.
As a result, the very residents the council sought to assist were least able to use the service effectively.
Wider Transport Challenges
The failed University bus experiment highlights broader transport challenges in the area. In November 2024, residents launched petitions calling TfL bus services an “absolute shambles,” with reports of passengers waiting up to an hour for overcrowded buses that often had no space for additional passengers.
The closure of Hammersmith Bridge has compounded these problems, forcing buses onto alternative routes through Putney Bridge and increasing journey times. As recent official stats have revealed, Putney’s buses are now the most complained about in the whole of London – and for good reason.
Council’s Dilemma
The reported £200,000 cost of the University bus partnership represents a significant expenditure for a service that never achieved its potential. While Wandsworth Council has not officially confirmed the cancellation or disclosed the exact cost, the experiment appears to demonstrate the challenges of using local authority funding to supplement failing TfL services.
The council continues to operate the Roehampton Transport Club minibus service, which provides door-to-door transport for residents with mobility difficulties. However, this requires advance booking and serves a different demographic than the failed University shuttle.
The University bus saga illustrates the complexity of addressing transport poverty through local initiatives. Despite good intentions and significant investment, the service failed to overcome fundamental operational challenges: traffic congestion, poor communication systems, and the difficulty of integrating supplementary services with existing transport networks.
For Wandsworth taxpayers, the estimated £200,000 cost represents a substantial investment in a service that many residents never knew existed and couldn’t effectively use when they did. The experiment’s apparent failure raises questions about the viability of council-funded alternatives to TfL services and the need for more fundamental transport infrastructure improvements in the area.
Unanswered questions
In keeping with the council’s poor communication, it’s unclear whether the service has already ended or will end at some point in the future. Or what form the agreement/contract with the University came in. Or exactly how much money was spend on the failed scheme, and on what. We will be asking for greater clarity and will report back.
