New service covers a flexible route between Southall and Boston Manor

A new on demand bus service has been launched in Ealing this Wednesday (13 November) for a 12 month trial. Operating seven days a week, 0600-0100, it covers an area from Southall in the west to the North Circular, and from the A40 down to Boston Manor in the south of Ealing.

Slide Ealing is provided by Transport for London (TfL), bus company RATP and German technology firm MOIA.

Passengers can book a ride using an app, or on the phone. The service does not follow a fixed route, picking people up from flexible stops, creating a more personalised service. Once a ride has been secured, TfL claim users will wait no longer than around 10 minutes for a bus.

Fares for the on-demand bus will start at a flat rate of £3.50, with weekly and monthly capping applied. Every tenth journey will be free.

Freedom Passes and the English National Concessionary pass will be accepted. The new buses can accommodate wheelchair users and are fully accessible.

TfL say Ealing has been chosen for the second research trial because there are relatively high numbers of private vehicles in the borough. Figures show that 40 per cent of people living in the area use cars – be they private or for hire – to get to work.

Proposed area of operation

The buses meet the environmental standards used for the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

All drivers on the service will be established bus drivers who have completed enhanced customer training. Drivers will continue to receive the same terms and benefits as when driving a traditional London bus, including the London Bus Driver Minimum Wage and the guarantee of a pay grade equivalent to their level of service and experience if they change operator.

TfL say they will use the lessons learnt from the two trials and different operating environments in Sutton and Ealing to understand the benefits and viability of introducing an on-demand service in the long term.

During the consultation for the service a number of people said they were disappointed that the new buses did not serve the eastern part of Ealing borough which has had significant reductions in bus timetabling recently including a reduction in the regularity of the E3.

November 13, 2019