The London Transit Commission is giving bus riders more time to complete their trips this summer because of road construction causing delays.
Starting July 1, bus transfers will last for 2 hours instead of 1 hour and 30 minutes. This will be in place until the end of August.
This extra time applies to people who pay with cash, tickets, or stored value cards but only if they ask for a paper transfer when they get on the bus. Transfers loaded automatically onto smart cards will still only last 90 minutes.
The City of London is spending about $170 million on road work this year, including fixing the Highbury Avenue bridge and building parts of the bus rapid transit system.
One bus rider told the longer transfer time helps when they need to get somewhere on time.
“I don’t take the bus often, but when I do, it’s usually because I need to get somewhere on time,” the rider said. “Extending the transfer time helps — especially when I’m paying for my card.”
Another person said the extra time makes sense because of all the construction delays.
“Honestly, with all the road work going on, buses are running late,” the rider said. “So having more time on the transfer just makes sense. It gives people a bit of a break.”
The transit commission also reminded riders not to tap their smart card again when they have a paper transfer, or they might be charged twice.
