London bus Crawl: Walker Beats C10 Route in Race Against Congestion
London, UK – A recent journey across London revealed a startling truth about the city’s bus network: it’s possible to walk faster than take the C10 route from Victoria to Canada Water. Travel journalist Simon Calder completed the trek on foot in one hour and 14 minutes, arriving together with the bus – despite the C10’s scheduled journey time of 75 minutes.
Calder’s experience highlights growing concerns about bus speeds in the capital, exacerbated by road congestion. Had the C10 adhered to its timetable, it would have arrived a minute after Calder, who began his walk from Victoria. The bus was, in fact, five stops short of its destination and five minutes delayed due to roadworks on the Rotherhithe peninsula.
The C10’s sluggish pace prompted Calder to question the value of a £1.75 bus fare when a pedestrian can complete the journey more efficiently.He noted alternative, faster routes via the Underground – two stops on the District line to Westminster, then a transfer to the Jubilee line, taking under 20 minutes.
Transport for London (TfL) acknowledges the issue. Phil Gerhardt, TfL’s head of bus performance management, stated the C10 “plays an crucial role in connecting communities between Victoria and Canada Water to local shops and services, as well as to Tube, Overground and National Rail services.” He added that TfL is “continuing to look at ways of improving the service, with a new schedule now in place to improve its performance and plans for new vehicles to improve reliability,” alongside the completion of 15 miles of new bus lanes by the end of the year.
The incident raises broader questions about the efficiency of London’s bus network amidst increasing traffic and the potential for prioritizing pedestrian and alternative transport options for certain routes.
