343
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Overview | |
Operator | Abellio London |
Garage | Walworth Road (WL) |
Vehicle | Volvo B7TL 10.6m / Wright Eclipse Gemini |
Peak vehicle requirement | 23 |
Predecessors | Route P3 |
Night-time | Night bus N343 |
Route | |
Start | New Cross Gate |
Via | Brockley Peckham Elephant & Castle London Bridge |
End | City Hall |
Length | 7 miles (11 km) |
Service | |
Level | Daily |
Frequency | 6-12 minutes |
Journey time | 37-53 minutes |
Operates | 05:10 until 00:33 |
London Buses route 343 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between New Cross Gate and City Hall, it is operated by Abellio London.
History
Route 343 commenced operating on 3 February 2001 between New Cross garage and London Bridge station via Brockley, Peckham Rye and Elephant & Castle. It was initially operated by London Central's New Cross garage with Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs.
It was not a new route, but a renumbering of flat fare route P3, which had commenced on 24 January 1970 as a circular route from Peckham garage via Peckham Rye and Nunhead, being extended to London Bridge station on 28 April 1984.[citation needed]
On 25 September 2002, it was redirected withdrawn from London Bridge station and rerouted from Borough High Street via Tooley Street, Druid Street, Crucifix Lane and to stand at St Thomas Street for Guy's Hospital.[citation needed]
When re-tendered, the route passed to Travel London's Walworth garage on 21 September 2005 with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TLs introduced.[1][2]
Route 343 was included in the May 2009 sale of Travel London to Abellio London.[3][4] Abellio London successfully tendered to retain the route with a new contract commencing on 5 May 2011.[5]
In June 2010, the route was revealed to be amongst the ten worst performing in London.[6] Two additional morning peak journeys were introduced on 12 June 2010 with the intention of solving the problems; performance improved as a result, although the route continued to receive complaints.[7]
A proposal to increase the frequency of the route was announced by Transport for London in November 2010.[8]
Route 343 also has a night service in the form of route N343, which runs parallel to the day route and then continues to Trafalgar Square via route N381, Waterloo and Aldwych.[9]
At 08:22 on 17 March 2012, a route 343 caught fire on Pepys Road, New Cross. The fire was put out by 09:20 and there were no injuries.[10]
Current route
- New Cross Gate Jerningham Road
- Brockley
- Peckham Rye station
- Elephant & Castle station
- Borough station
- London Bridge station
- St Thomas Street for Guy's Hospital
- City Hall Queen Elizabeth Street
References
- ^ Bus tender results Route 343/N343 Transport for London 9 March 2005
- ^ Aldridge, John (May 2005). "Another change as NatEx gains the 188". Buses (Ian Allan Publishing) (602): 20.
- ^ National Express Group plc agreement to sell Travel London National Express Group 21 May 2009
- ^ NedRailways acquisition reinforces long term commitment to UK transport market NedRailways 9 June 2009
- ^ Bus tender results Route 343/N343 Transport for London 2 June 2010
- ^ 262 London's worst performing bus route - top 10 revealed London Daily News 11 June 2010
- ^ Val Shawcross: TfL insist 343 improving as passengers still left waiting
- ^ C10 retains its place in league table of most complained about bus routes in London London-se1 26 November 2010
- ^ London Bus Routes - 343/N343 timetable
- ^ Passengers escape double decker bus fire BBC News 17 March 2012
External links
Media related to London Buses route 343 at Wikimedia Commons