London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been urged to intervene to improve safety at Walthamstow bus station after another serious accident there.
Labour MP Stella Creasy has written to the Mayor to raise concerns from local residents about the bus station, which she describes as "unsafe". The Walthamstow MP acted after an incident earlier this week in which a person was "seriously injured" at the station in north-east London.
MP's year-long campaign
In her letter, Ms Creasy stressed that she has been raising worries about safety at the bus station for more than a year. She said: "I know that you are committed to improving the safety and comfort of all those who use public transport in London, and will recognize residents in Walthamstow have understandably been shaken by these incidents.
"Their correspondence to my office in the last week, and in the light of the most recent incident, has again raised concerns with me that the bus station is unsafe because of the layout."
Prosecution and previous death
Transport for London (TfL) is already facing a criminal prosecution over alleged safety failures at the bus station, where a pensioner was struck by a double-decker and died in 2023. The Health and Safety Executive has accused TfL of breaking the law over a 20-year period at the station.
The charge relates to an alleged failure between January 1 2004 and December 15 2023 to ensure that traffic routes, specifically at the northern crossing, were suitable for persons and vehicles using them. The criminal charge follows the death in December 2023 of 74-year-old retired nurse Grace Mecaley, who was fatally injured when struck by a route 212 double-decker bus.
Safety measures and response
Ms Creasy emphasised that she had previously been told a camera had been installed to monitor "pedestrian and driver behaviour" on the southern side, a sensor had been put in to collate "near misses", and steps had been taken "as a priority" to explore extending a pedestrian guardrail. TfL also said it was working with Waltham Forest Council to address safety concerns on the Selborne Road side of the station. Ms Creasy urged Lord Khan to update her on these measures.
Responding to the MP's intervention, Lorna Murphy, TfL's Director of Buses, said: "Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Grace Mecaley. Every death on the transport network is devastating, and we're determined to end the trauma caused by loss of life and injury.
"We're committed to ensuring our bus stations are safe and our comprehensive safety programme continues to drive improvements, including changes to infrastructure, increased monitoring and close working with operators to ensure compliance with the rules at bus stations." She added that works were completed in December 2024 to "permanently improve pedestrian safety" at Walthamstow bus station. Bus drivers were meeting on Thursday to discuss the safety situation.
