London Buses announces suppliers for NOx pilot to improve air quality

Posted by Now London on Aug 19, 2011 in Environment, Pollution, Transport | 0 comments

Transport for London (TfL) have announced Eminox and HJS have been awarded a contract to install specialist pollution reducing equipment on some London buses.

The innovative TfL pilot will be carried out on 18 buses that will have NO_x abatement systems called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) fitted, half supplied by each manufacturer.

The abatement system reduces oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) to harmless nitrogen and water. The process involves the injection of urea into the exhaust pipe prior to a catalyst.  The urea decomposes and hydrolyses to ammonia (NH₃) which reacts with NO_x and reduces it to nitrogen and water. The pilot will be carried out over a year on three different marques of buses and the systems tested for their emissions performance and reliability. 

The Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy proposes that, subject to Government support, by 2015 all buses in London will meet the Euro IV standard for NO_x.  While the majority of the 8,500 buses in the Capital’s fleet are already compliant it is estimated that around 2,700 buses will need to be retrofitted this way to meet this standard, which will be a major step towards meeting EU air quality targets in London.

Mike Weston, London Buses Operations Director, said: “London continues to work hard to find ways to improve the emissions and environmental performance of the bus fleet.  Already operating one of the cleanest fleets in Europe, London leads the way by trialling new technology, introducing more environmentally friendly hybrid and hydrogen buses to meet tough EU targets which will protect the health of Londoners.”

TfL has taken considerable steps in the last ten years to reduce the environmental impact of its bus fleet.  All buses achieve Euro IV standard for particulate matter (PM) pollution and, as a result, emissions of particulate matter from the fleet have dropped from over 200 tonnes in 1997 to 14 tonnes in 2010.

This announcement comes in the same week that TfL announced more details on its targeted work to tackle particulate matter pollution in central London, including no-idling measures, green infrastructure and the expansion of an innovative dust suppressant trial.

The best way to get to Notting Hill Carnival: Sunday 28 – Bank Holiday Monday 29 August 2011

Posted by Now London on Aug 19, 2011 in Events, Events & Ents, News, Transport | 0 comments

Europe’s largest street festival – the Notting Hill Carnival – returns to the streets of west London on August Bank Holiday weekend. With the area closed off to traffic, the easiest way to enjoy the sights and sounds of Carnival 2011 is to travel by bus or Tube, on bike or by foot.

In order to travel to and from Notting Hill easily and safely TfL urges visitors to arrive early because this year the Carnival will begin at 9am. By leaving early before it finishes at 7pm, you will have a great day, but reduce your travelling time by avoiding queues and crowded buses and Tube trains.

 

Transport for London advises all visitors to ‘check before they travel’ and plan their journey to and from the Carnival on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, 28 and 29 August. This can be done at: www.tfl.gov.uk and www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner which will have up to the minute information about planned improvement works on the Tube. The TfL website also has real time travel news, as well as maps, first and last train times and details of weekend engineering works.

 

Alternatively call the London Travel Information 24 hour help line 0843 222 1234. Information is also available on posters, leaflets and “Good Service” boards at Tube stations.

 

Travelling by London Underground

 

For safety reasons Ladbroke Grove station, located on one of the busiest sections of the Carnival route, will be closed on both Sunday 28 and Monday 29 August.

 

Some stations around the Carnival area will close early or be ‘exit only’ at certain times on both days to help ease congestion.

These include:

·Latimer Road – station will close at 23:30 on both Sunday 28 and Monday 29 August.

·Notting Hill Gate – on Sunday 28 the station will be exit only between 12:00 and 19:00. On Monday 29 August the station will be exit only between 12:00 and 18:30.  On Monday 29 August between 12:00 and 19:00, Circle and District line trains will not stop at the station.

·Royal Oak – on Sunday 28 and Monday 29 August, the station will be exit only between 11:00 and 18:00 and will close at 18:00 on both days.

·Westbourne Park – on Sunday 28 and Monday 29 August, the station will be exit only between 11:00 and 18:00, and will close at 23:30 on both days.

 

Suggested Alternative Tube Stations

 

• Bayswater – on Monday 29 August between 12:00 and 19:00 you are advised to use this station if you are travelling on Circle or District line trains, as neither will stop at Notting Hill Gate.

 

• Paddington (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines) – on Sunday 28 and Monday 29 August you are advised to use this station instead of Notting Hill Gate or Royal Oak as both these stations will have entry restrictions.

 

Other stations near to the Carnival are:

 

• High Street Kensington (Circle and District lines),
• Holland Park (Central line),
• Queen’s Park (Bakerloo line)
• Shepherd’s Bush (Central line).

 

For safety reasons some stations may need to close temporarily to prevent overcrowding and ease congestion.  It may be worthwhile waiting until the station reopens rather than finding an alternative station – please listen for announcements from staff and police.

 

Travelling by London Overground

 

London Overground stations near to the Carnival: Queen’s Park, Kensal Rise, Kensal Green and Shepherd’s Bush.

 

Travelling by bus

A number of bus routes run close to the Carnival area: 7, 18, 23, 27, 28, 31, 36, 52, 70, 94, 148, 228, 295, 316, 328, 390, and 452.

 

TfL will be running many extra buses especially on Monday evening to get you home quickly and safely.

 

Three special express routes– 2X, 36X and 436X – will run between south London and the Carnival on both days. The 2X will run from Norwood Garage to Hyde Park Corner, then non-stop to Notting Hill Gate. The 36X will run from Peckham to Vauxhall, then non-stop to Harrow Road ‘Prince of Wales’. The 436X will run from Peckham to Hyde Park Corner, then non-stop to Notting Hill Gate.

 

Special bus route 205X will operate between Aldgate station and the Carnival.

 

Additionally buses within a comfortable walking distance include: 6, 46, 159, 187, 205, 220, 274, 302, 332, 414, and 436.

 

Bus routes running 24 hour services are: 6, 23, 27, 36, 94, 148, 159, 205, 220, 295 and 390.

 

Night Bus routes: N7, N18, N28, N31, N52 & N207 will operate throughout Sunday and Monday night.

 

Some bus routes will be on diversion due to local road closures. Diversions will be in place from the first bus on Sunday morning 28 August until around 05:00 on Tuesday 30 August.

 

Travelling by bike

 

Five docking stations for Barclays Cycle Hire bikes will be suspended in the Notting Hill area from 8am on Sunday 28 August until 8am on Tuesday 30 August at Turquoise Island, Pembridge Villas, Chepstow Villas, Notting Hill Gate Station and in Bayswater at Hereford Road.

 

Ken Davidson, Head of Bus Operations for Transport for London, said: “The Carnival is a great annual event and we want everyone going to enjoy themselves. We do advise visitors to plan their journeys to and from the event, so they arrive and leave early and get home safely.

 

“The easiest ways to travel are by bus, Tube, on bike or by foot and we advise all Carnival goers to be aware that crowds and road closures could slow you down. People should also check options for their return journeys as these may be easier from an alternative station or bus stop.”

Be Safe Week at London Transport Museum

Posted by Now London on Aug 18, 2011 in Campaigning, Events & Ents, News, Transport | 0 comments

For the seventh year, London Transport Museum is hosting five days of safety workshops for children during Be Safe Week. The five days of workshops between 22- 26 August will cover safety awareness for travelling by bus, road, river and rail. The week of events is aimed at families with young children, aged five and above.

Some highlights of the activities on offer this year are two interactive vehicles with free access on the Covent Garden Piazza outside the museum. Here, children can simulate driving a bus, or learn about rail safety on an inflatable train. Inside the museum, children can get to grips with personal safety for cycling and learn about safely responding to animals from the Dog’s Trust amongst other educational activities.

TfL’s Safety and Citizenship team are being supported by other safety training providers across London for this latest safety initiative, including the London Ambulance Service, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the London Fire Brigade, the Metropolitan Police and the Dog’s Trust.

Be Safe Week attendees are also welcomed to take part in the Young London Navigators’ challenges included in the museum admission fee – where kids go free, while adults pay £13.50 for unlimited entry for 12 months.

Young London Navigators summer family fun is part of the Sense and the City: smart, connected and on the move exhibition which explores how technology is changing the way we access and experience London and looks at past visions of the future.

Christopher Nix, Head of Learning Development at London Transport Museum said: “It’s great to get children engaged with safety issues in the capital at an early age. Be Safe Week is an opportunity for London’s younger generations to have fun and learn how to get involved in building a safer London.”

Traffic around Hyde Park Corner on diversion as world’s best triathletes race this weekend

Posted by Now London on Aug 2, 2011 in Sport, Triathlon | 0 comments

Due to the International Triathlon Union World Championship Series taking place in London on Saturday 6 August and Sunday 7 August 2011, a number of road closures and bus diversions will be in place around Hyde Park Corner to facilitate the cycling route.

The event, which is also part of the testing programme for the London 2012 Games, will see the world’s best triathletes compete on the 2012 Olympic Triathlon Course, while the following day, 4,500 amateur triathletes will get the chance to race on the route their Olympic heroes will compete on next year.

Hyde Park Corner will be partially closed to traffic on Saturday 6 August from 05:00 to 12:00 and then again on Sunday 7 August from 05:00 to 16:00. Other closures during these times will include Park Lane in both directions from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner, Spur Road and access to Birdcage Walk from Parliament Square. Hyde Park will also be closed to vehicular access from 00:01on Friday 5 August until 05:00 Monday 8 August 2011.

London buses which normally use these routes will be placed on local diversions or curtailed to common departure points at Marble Arch, Portman Square, Sloane Square and Victoria Station. Posters will be placed at bus stops that will not be served by buses and Customer Information Assistants located around Hyde Park to assist customers on the day.

Because of the road closures within Hyde Park, the Triangle Car Park Barclays Cycle Hire docking station on Serpentine Road will be suspended from 20:00 on Friday 5 August until 08:00 on Monday 8 August. However, docking stations around Hyde Park will remain in operation.

Alan Bristow, Traffic Director for London Streets at TfL, said:

“With many major events taking place in London every year, the Capital and TfL are used to hosting successful international sporting events. However, we advise both spectators and people travelling through central London across the weekend to plan their travel in advance and, in particular, avoid driving in the Hyde Park area if at all possible.”

TfL has worked closely with the organisers and other external stakeholders to ensure every effort is being made to keep any traffic disruption due to this event to a minimum.  Event coordinators located at TfL’s London Streets Traffic Control Centre will closely monitor the road elements of the event to help ease congestion in surrounding locations.

Keith makes a special delivery on route 145

Posted by Now London on Jul 28, 2011 in Human stories, Local News, News, Off Beat, Transport | 0 comments

London bus driver, Keith Emery, delivered more than his passengers when his bus doubled as a delivery room on Saturday (23 July) for a woman to give birth to a baby boy onboard.

 

The baby was born on a Stagecoach London operated route 145 bus in Hedgemans Road, Dagenham at about 6.50pm.  Driver, Keith Emmery, was on his last run of the day when the woman, who was sitting in a seat at the back of the bus, went into labour.  He was alerted to the woman’s plight by the wife of another Stagecoach London bus driver Sharon Eve who was a passenger on the bus at the time.  He pulled over into the next stop, called for emergency help and ushered the 20 passengers off the bus.

 

Mr Emmery, who has been driving buses for 25 years said: “It really took me by surprise, it all happened so quickly.  It was all very calm and was quite exciting in a way.  The lady who delivered the baby, Mrs Eve, deserves all the credit.  She did an amazing job.  I made the call at 6.35pm and the baby was born at around 6.50pm.  We wrapped the baby in a cardigan, he was quite tiny.  They’re all calling me ‘baby man’ at work now.  I’m waiting for my little granddaughter to be born this week too I think we must have started off a baby boom.”

 

Mr Emmery said the woman had told him the baby was a week overdue.  The ambulance arrived a couple of minutes after the baby was born and transported the mother and baby to a local hospital.

 

It is only the second time a baby has been born on a bus in London.  In October 2009, Emiloju Fatimah Lawal gave birth to a baby boy on a route 394 bus in Hackney.

 

TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport Leon Daniels said: “We would like to extend our congratulations to the mother and her family on the birth of their baby.  It’s not every day a woman gives birth on a London bus, but she was in great hands by all accounts.  Mr Emmery and Mrs Eve both did an outstanding job of helping deliver this new arrival.”