Simon Hughes MP discovers P5 bus route is failing to deliver

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 26th Aug 2009

Transport for London has confessed to Simon Hughes MP that the P5 from Drury Lane to Elephant and Castle is unreliable and under-performing. The P5 is an invaluable service which runs closer to people's homes than other bus services and also links with local shops at Walworth and the tube network at Brixton and Elephant and Castle.

Local residents contacted Simon Hughes to complain that pensioners and young mothers have been waiting up to 45 minutes for a P5. The P5 timetable promises a bus every 15 minutes yet, according to TfL's own figures, less than three quarters of P5 buses are departing on time.

Local MP, Simon Hughes, said "The performance of the P5 bus route is unacceptable. Many local people depend on this service and it is simply not good enough at the moment. I have contacted the Commissioner of TfL who has assured me this is being treated as a matter of high priority. I will be monitoring the P5 performance very closely over the next few weeks. I will not give up until TfL provides the P5 bus service which the community deserves."

ENDS