Councillors rail against cuts to ‘one of London’s busiest’ bus routes

Hackney representatives have now joined counterparts in Haringey and Enfield in questioning changes to the 149 route and the axing of the 67 reports Josef Steen, Local Democracy Reporter

A list of stops on the 67 and 149 bus routes, alongside proposed changes — The proposed changes to the 149 routes after the withdrawal of the 67 – (Credit – TfL)

Politicians from across north London are lobbying against Transport for London (TfL) plans to change several bus routes travelling through a Tube network dead zone.

Labour councillors in Hackney have joined calls issued by council leaders in Enfield and Haringey against TfL proposals to re-route the 149, axe the 67 between Wood Green and Dalston Junction, and scrap the 254 from Aldgate to Holloway.

The changes currently under consultation until 20th September would mean passengers using the 149 route between London Bridge and Edmonton Green are set to lose direct links to stops as TfL seeks to divert part of the service from Stamford Hill towards Wood Green instead.

The new 149 route would retain all connections currently provided by route 67 between Wood Green and Dalston Junction, with the exception of Dalston Junction Bus Station (Stop N). TfL has explained the proposed changes are designed to “match capacity with passenger demand and to provide a clear and reliable service”, having identified a “surplus capacity” between Edmonton Green in Enfield and Stamford Hill straddling Hackney and Haringey.

However, the changes have stoked the ire of passengers and politicians over the loss of transport links and possible overcrowding. An e-petition launched after the consultation went live stressed the 149 link between London Bridge and Edmonton Green was “vital”, and the changes would force passengers to change buses multiple times as other routes also face the chop, such as the 349.

After Haringey and Enfield councils’ Labour leaders joined the fray and wrote to City Hall to criticise the proposals coinciding with cuts to other routes, Hackney’s Labour party sent its own letter questioning TfL’s rationale.

“It is not clear how this would reduce duplication, or why,” stated Hackney’s opposition leader, Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, in a letter seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). “We have always held that the more buses residents have in a non-tube borough like Hackney, the better, as at least one in four Hackney residents rely on buses to get them to work and elsewhere […] In a borough like ours, with people struggling with the cost of living, a reduction in the bus service will hit people who rely on the bus network for work and other use,” she stated.

Labour lost control of Hackney Council to the Green Party at the May elections and now serve as the largest political opposition group in the borough with nine councillors. Cllr Bramble, formerly Hackney’s deputy mayor, also criticised TfL’s plans for the 253, 254 and 106 buses.

Further proposals to restructure these routes linking north and east London would see the 106 extended to run to Aldgate, while the 254 would be withdrawn altogether.

Cllr Bramble argued the scheme would reduce space on the remaining buses, and found contradictions in the proposal itself – which stated that bus frequency would change to accommodate the loss of the 254 but also that frequency changes were outside the consultation’s scope.

“In rush hours, the 254, 253 and 106 buses are usually filled with passengers. To take away one whole bus route will result in further pressure on passenger space for the remaining buses,” Cllr Bramble said, asking TfL to “definitively” state the new bus frequencies on the record.

She also called on TfL to hold a public meeting and further consultation meetings along the routes affected to “give more people a chance to discuss the consultation proposals directly with TfL officers and make a more informed decision”.

Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s Director of Public Transport Service Planning, said: “We are committed to providing the best bus network possible for Londoners and regularly review our services to ensure they continue to meet customer demand and make the best use of available resources.

“As part of this work, we are consulting on proposed changes to routes 67, 106, 149, 253 and 254. We believe these proposals would better match services to current customer demand while maintaining the capacity needed across the affected corridors.

“Consultations are now open and we encourage local residents, businesses and stakeholders to have their say through the number of ways highlighted in the consultation. Feedback is hugely important to us and will help inform any final decisions on these proposals,” he said.

Consultation for 67 and 149 can be found: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/67-149-proposals

Consultation for 106, 253 and 254 can be found: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/routes-106-253-254-restructure

Both consultations close on Sunday, 20th September 2026.

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