Local residents will not have been surprised by the recent news that the W3 is the most complained about bus in the whole of Greater London. It’s been terrible recently with huge gaps in service – even during peak hours when it can become impossible to get on overcrowded buses.  Katherine and I went to speak to bus users last week and found a 14 minute gap in service when buses were supposed to running every 5 minutes (see photo).
Our local MP Lynne Featherstone has raised her concerns with senior Trandport for London (TfL) officers – and is demanding action.  She’s been assured that problems with the bus fleet and the operator are being addressed urgently.
However, in the meantime Ed, Katherine and I are asking local residents about their W3 experiences to make the case for improvements to the service.  We’ve put questions about the W3 into a survey we are delivering across the ward and into our next Focus leaflet.  Please do take the time to tell us what you think about the W3 – and we’ll help Lynne to demand improvements.
March 12th, 2012 at 11:03 am
Im delighted you are doing something about it. Having moved to the area I am constantly pulling my hair out over this pathetic service. Im often waiting longer than 14 mins, I wait to go and get my kids from their nursery in Finsbury Park and I get there and it says 13 mins for a bus so I wait 13 mins then it sayd DUE then not one bus comes, then it changes and says somethng like 11 mins for the bus – it is totally UNBELIEVABLE – it is like someome is having a joke, and this happens all the time. I cannot believe how bad this bus route is. Even at Finsbury Park there can be two W3s and they just sit there with their doors closed while there is a queue back to the station. In the meantime the W7s are coming and going (this is a great service). It is totally incredible how bad this bus route is. We have taken to booking taxis to get us from Inderwick Road to Finsbury Park as the W3 is so unreliable, my husband won’t use it any more. When it’s raining you have huge queues and 14 min waits at peak times and you cannot get on a bus it is really pityful. I totally understand why it is the worse route in London, you have to try and wait for one to truly believe how bad it is – espiecially the constant long waits and then no busses turning up and the change of times – literally 30 min waits!