Long wait for end to South End Green bus stand row

Published: 18th November, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

A TEN-YEAR battle to move an unpopular bus stand has been resurrected by campaigners who say its current location in Hampstead is an “accident waiting to happen”.

The 168 bus terminus in the centre of South End Green has long annoyed people living and working nearby who say their enjoyment of the area is blighted by noise and pollution from waiting vehicles.

Its location has hit  cafés along South End Road, with complaints that customers have had their view of the green’s historic fountain blocked by noisy vehicles pumping fumes onto the pavement.

The issue has been the cause of heated arguments over the years amid several unsuccessful campaigns to have the bus stand moved to other locations, including Fleet Road and Cressy Road.

Now, members of The Hampstead Heath Business Forum – formerly South End Green Traders’ Association – say they are no longer willing to put up with buses sticking out into Pond Street causing a dangerous obstruction near the Royal Free Hospital.

Petitions in shops and cafés have so far collected more than 500 signatures supporting moving the terminus to outside Morrisons supermarket in Chalk Farm. 

Chairman Amjad Butragueno said: “We don’t want to lose the 168 bus service. All we are asking for is that the buses rest somewhere else. It has become a huge safety issue. You sometimes see three buses waiting there, the third sticking out into the road. The space is supposed to be clear for ambulances to get through to the Royal Free. On top of that it is ugly and ruins business for cafés and restaurants as nobody wants to sit outside in all that pollution.”

Hampstead Conservative councillor Chris Knight, who is backing the campaign, is pressing for the bus stand to be replaced by six pay-and-display parking spaces to en­courage people to shop in the area. He said: “Parking spaces could be used by traders to unload, as there is currently limited space for this. We’re not talking about changing the bus route, as we know it’s vital to bring people to the Royal Free, but there just isn’t space for the stand in South End Green.” 

A spokeswoman for TfL said: “We have no plans to move the stand for route 168 from South End Green.  Having stand-time scheduled at the end of routes helps them absorb the impact of variable traffic delays so they can run reliably.

“Diverting the route via Morrison’s would increase journey time for through passengers and add to the cost of operating the route. Additionally, there is limited space at this location.”

Safety concerns have been mounting following a series of accidents at what has become a busy transport hub. 

In September, 20-year-old Cambridge student Mingwei Tan died after being hit by a bus outside the Royal Free Hospital. Three weeks later a 68-year-old woman was walking across Pond Street when she was hit by a number 46 bus.