Council claimed buses were faster. TfL is removing a route because of congestion.

Transport for London is planning to remove a bus route from Putney High Street because congestion is causing reliability failures – just days after Wandsworth Council claimed buses in the area are running faster than in 2021.

TfL’s consultation on restructuring bus route 424, published on 19 November, explicitly cites “reliability issues, due to congestion on Putney High Street” as the reason for splitting the route and removing it from the area entirely.

Yet the following day, Wandsworth Council presented Paper 25-398 [pdf] to its Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee covering the controversial changes to Putney Bridge Junction that have caused excessive congestion, and in it claimed that “buses on the main corridor have slightly faster journey times compared to 2021.”

The council did not respond to questions about this apparent contradiction.

TfL: ‘Congestion is impacting operators’

In response to questions from Putney.news, Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s Director of Public Transport Service Planning, confirmed that congestion in Putney is the problem.

“Congestion in Putney is impacting operators’ ability to operate the route reliably to the specified schedule,” TfL said.

Crucially, TfL confirmed that its assessment is based on punctuality – whether buses arrive when scheduled – not speed.

“TfL’s proposals are based on data on the punctuality of route 424 and not on speed,” the response stated.

This distinction matters. The council’s claim that buses are “slightly faster” measures journey times. TfL says speed is not the issue, reliability is. Buses may technically travel faster once moving, but passengers cannot rely on them arriving when expected.

Council knew – but said nothing

TfL confirmed it has been “in discussions with both the London Borough of Wandsworth and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham as part of these design proposals.”

This means the council was aware of TfL’s congestion assessment before presenting its transport to committee. Yet the paper made no mention of bus restructuring or TfL’s reliability concerns – which would have undercut its claims about the improvements – while introducing a specific piece of data – a slight increase in bus speed through the junction – to bolster its case.

Putney.news asked the council four questions:

1. How do you reconcile TfL citing congestion as the reason for restructuring route 424 with your claim that buses are “slightly faster”?
2. Your assessment is based on one survey day (18 June 2025). TfL’s decision suggests sustained problems. Why should residents trust a one-day snapshot?
3. Was the council consulted before TfL’s decision? If so, what was your response to their congestion assessment?
4. Our survey found 92% of bus users report worse journeys. How do you explain the gap between resident experience, TfL’s assessment, and your data?

Questions were sent Thursday to the council press office and Cabinet Member for Transport Jenny Yates. No response was received by the Monday 5pm deadline.

At the recent Transport Oversight and Scrutiny Committee, Wandsworth councillors and staff repeatedly criticised and blamed TfL for congestion problems in Putney and claimed the organisation did not respond to its concerns.

Yet, in the past week, TfL has twice responded in depth to precise questions from Putney.news over Putney transport issues, while the Council has failed to respond to any. The council also ignored requests made directly to its oversight committee to introduce monitoring of Putney Bridge Junction, to provide an escalation path if the proposed fixes to the junction don’t work in alleviating congestion, and to open an investigation into what had gone wrong.

The gap between official assessments and daily experience is stark.

A Putney.news survey of 763 residents about the Putney Bridge junction found that 92% of bus users – 87 respondents – report their journeys are worse since the junction redesign. Just 2.3% said journeys had improved.

TfL’s operational decision to remove a bus route supports what residents have been saying. The council’s insistence that buses are “faster” does not.

What’s changing

Route 424 currently runs between Putney Heath and Fulham Football Club, travelling via Putney High Street and across Putney Bridge.

Under TfL’s proposals:

• Route 424 would be cut back to operate only between Putney Heath and Upper Richmond Road, no longer crossing the bridge
• A new route 454 would serve Fulham, taking over the northern section but avoiding Putney High Street
• Route 424 would run every 45 minutes
• Route 454 would run every 30 or 45 minutes (TfL is consulting on frequency)

For passengers currently travelling between Putney Heath and Fulham, this means losing a direct service. They would need to change buses.

TfL noted that five other routes use Putney High Street – the 14, 39, 85, 93 and 430 – with a combined off-peak frequency of 35 buses per hour. But the question remains: if congestion is causing punctuality problems for the 424, are those routes affected too?

TfL did not provide the specific reliability data requested – Excess Wait Time, Departure On Time percentage, or Scheduled vs Observed Speed figures – instead directing us to online reports. They also did not directly answer whether the five other routes using Putney High Street are experiencing similar punctuality problems.

The bigger picture

This consultation arrives amid ongoing controversy over the redesigned Putney Bridge junction, which cost over £1 million and has been widely criticised for making traffic worse.

The council has consistently defended the scheme, citing Hammersmith Bridge closure as the main cause of congestion. But TfL’s operational decision to remove a bus service because of Putney High Street congestion undermines that narrative.

If congestion were primarily caused by displaced Hammersmith Bridge traffic, removing three buses per hour would make little difference. TfL’s decision suggests the problem is localised and sustained: exactly what residents have been reporting.

Have your say

The consultation closes Sunday 11 January 2026.

Residents can respond at: tfl.gov.uk/bus-424-putney-fulham

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