Has Anybody Seen the 266 Bus?

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Local bus service is said to be "one of the worst in London"

Local residents say they will continue to lobby Transport for London to improve the 266 bus route after years of poor service.  

At a recent residents’ association meeting, Askew Ward Councillor Gill Dickenson said she received a lot of complaints about the 266. “I find the service is very mixed,” she said.

Residents said the 266, which is the only bus to run along Askew road, was a much-needed service, but said it was often quicker to walk to Hammersmith than wait for it.

A Wendell Park Community Group spokesman said his organisation had been campaigning to improve the service for 3-4 years. “It’s such a long route and there are many holdups,” he said.  

According to Transport for London, changes were made to the 266 schedule in February to improve the service. “We also changed the route so it now starts and ends in Hammersmith Bus Station (instead of Hammersmith Grove). This should reduce delays, particularly in peak periods,” a spokesperson said. TfL said it was too early to tell whether these changes had made a difference.

But the few people who were waiting for the 266 along Askew Road last Thursday said they hadn’t noticed any recent improvements. “The early buses often go out of service and then it’s a half hour wait until the next one,” one elderly man complained.

Although it was 8 o’clock in the morning, the 266 bus stops were as good as deserted. By contrast, there was a small crowd waiting at the 94/237 bus stop just around the corner on Uxbridge Road. Many people walked past the 266 stop at the top of Askew Road, briefly turning around to see if there was a bus coming and then continuing on foot.

“I usually go to Ravenscourt Park Tube station because there’s no point,” a man from Percy Road said. “It’s better to walk through the park than wait for 15-20 minutes. I usually don’t stop here but am taking the bus today because I have a lot of things to carry,” he said.  

Cllr Paul Bristow, who complained on his blog in January about having to wait 40 minutes for a 266 bus in Hammersmith, agreed that the new starting point had not made a noticeable difference: “To passengers, it appears that a bus is actually there (in Hammersmith) but they wait for 20 minutes before allowing anyone to board,” he said. “This service has a reputation as one of the worst in London,” he added.

Residents’ groups say they have repeatedly called for the route, which runs from Brent Cross to Hammersmith, to be split into two, possibly terminating at either Acton Depot or Willesden from Hammersmith.  

But TfL told ShepherdsBushW12.com that such a move was not on the cards: “We currently have no plans to split route 266, but will continue to monitor the route closely to determine whether additional changes are required to further improve the service," a spokesperson said.

Yasmine Estaphanos

9 May 2008