1 September - It is an Express Bus after all

With no Council news to report I was expecting to repost the Kevin Taylor excuses today but two other bloggers have come to my rescue.

I used to walk to New Road for a bus to Bexleyheath but for several months past I have taken a different and only slightly longer route to Abbey Wood station which gives the choice of B11, 301 or SL3. I rarely see the ultra-slow B11 but the 301s are reasonably frequent and take a more direct route than the SL3.

Nevertheless I simply take whichever comes first and gradually formed the impression that the SL3 is too big for Bexley’s narrowed roads - there is far too much kerb mounting going on - and parking issues in Pickford Lane can seriously impede progress.

I was on a Thamesmead bound SL3 last Thursday afternoon and the driver gave up on trying to stop near the Bexleyheath station stop while another SL3 was trying to get by in the opposite direction. A car driver thought that hazard lights excused parking at the bus stop.

TfL has written to Bexley Council requesting that they do something about it.

Overall I have formed the opinion that the Sl3 should not be regarded as an Express Service, but not for the first time I am wrong.

A Freedom of Information response reported by The Diamond Geezer on his blog reveals that the SL3 is the fastest Superloop service. An average of 14·8 m.p.h. It must be down to the very limited stops (i.e. none!) between Bexleyheath and Sidcup and Bromley’s far more sensible road planning,

Photo stolen From The Murky Depths. He too mentions the kerb mounting and the congestion.