Signs for a bus lane in Ilford which prompted public backlash have been covered over whilst the scheme is reviewed.
Transport for London's (TfL) 24/7 bus lane in Woodford Avenue has had its signs covered over whilst it collects data about traffic journey times.
The bus lane was put in place along the north and southbound carriages of the A1400 in February, as part of TfL's target to introduce 25km of new bus lanes on London's roads by March 2025.
The Woodford Avenue lane created 1.6km of new bus lane alone, intended to improve the journey times for the 123, 679, 179 buses.
It was also expected to benefit the Superloop SL2 route between Walthamstow Central and the Royal Docks, according to TfL.
But the lane sparked backlash from residents and road users in the surrounding area who expressed their surprise by the addition on social media.
One person wrote: "I didn’t understand it, there’s not enough buses passing through to make sense for them to do it.
"It’s just going to create a massive tailback during rush hour?"
Responding to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on March 15, TfL confirmed there had been no public consultation over the move.
They wrote: "TfL did not carry out a public consultation in relation to the 24 hour bus lane on Woodford Avenue.
"Rather, we undertook local engagement with residents close to the scheme via a letter drop, distributing 1,400 letters.
"The letter explained the scheme and included a drawing of the proposals as well as an email address to get in contact with TfL about any issues."
It carried out a second letter drop in February to more than 4,000 addresses.
A spokesperson confirmed signs have been covered whilst traffic journey times data continues to be collected.
RELATED: Concerns over new Ilford Woodford Avenue Superloop bus lane
A TfL spokesperson said: “To support the Superloop express routes, we are working closely with London boroughs on the development of a robust set of complementary measures, including new bus lanes, to improve bus journey times on the routes.
"The scheme on the A1400 will support passengers travelling on all bus routes in the lane, including the SL2 and the 123, 179 and 679.
“This scheme is not yet operational and we continue to collect data on bus and general traffic journey times. The signs will remain covered while we collect this data.”
They denied that the scheme has been suspended, claiming the bus lane was not operational.
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