TfL open consultation on Silvertown Tunnel bus shuttle for cyclists

Transport for London  have announced a consultation on a means of transporting cyclists through the controversial Silvertown Tunnel that will connect the Greenwich Peninsula to west Silvertown beneath the Thames.

The two measures proposed are a bus shuttle service which would transport cyclists and their bikes through the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels and a ferry shuttle service which is a possible future solution.

In terms of the former, TfL say: ‘We are proposing a bespoke shuttle bus service which is capable of transporting cyclists and their bikes across the river. We are looking at options where cyclists can either wheel their bike onto the bus or a minibus with a trailer attached. It is intended that bus stops would be spacious for cyclists to wait with their bikes, with good quality customer information available.’

The consultation is asking cyclists which options they would like to see introduced, whether they would prefer a timetabled or ‘on demand’ service, the frequency of the potential new service and the exact route.

At the moment, there are no suitable piers in the area from which to operate a ferry service but TfL say they are interested in exploring this kind of service further should the consultation establish there is a demand for it.

The London Cycling Campaign urge their social media followers to ‘ask for as frequent, cheap & inclusive a shuttle bus service as possible via this consultation, but also ask for more and proper river crossings across London for walking, wheeling and cycling including specifically at Tower Bridge, Rotherhithe, Greenwich and Woolwich in the east, as per TfL’s own Cycling Action Plan!’