Research and Reports

London TravelWatch Annual Review 2015

London Travelwatch has continued its push for compensation to be paid to passengers after delays of 15 minutes rather than the current 30 minutes - and for compensation schemes to be widened from the capital’s season ticket holders to those who use an Oyster card. The official “voice of London’s travelling public” argues that even 20 minutes of delay can cause severe disruption when a journey time is only 15-30 minutes. In their foreword to the Annual Review 2015, Chairman Stephen Locke and Chief Executive Janet Cooke say “the present 30-minute threshold for Delay Repay is inadequate for most commuters where persistent delays of 15-30 minutes can be seriously disruptive.” Billions of journeys are made in the UK capital each year - more than 2bn of them on either London Underground or national rail services, with even more (2.4bn) on buses. In the 2014/15 year, London Travelwatch dealt with approaching 6,000 written or telephone complaints. Activities over the year included responding to Parliament’s transport select committee, and consulting over London Underground’s plan to close ticket offices. London Travelwatch has also warned of a difficult time for the city’s commuters, as population growth is matched to upgrades to infrastructure - such as the major rebuild of London Bridge.