WOODFORD: "Man loses job over problem bus service"

Regular users of the W14 bus running between Leyton and Woodford Bridge have for months complained of frequent lateness, services stopping short of their destination and some buses not turning up at all.

Transport for London (TfL) initially blamed roadworks in Ruckholt Road, Leyton, before the Olympics for the delays, but five months later the service was still regularly disrupted.

Cllr Gwyneth Deakins demanded answers from a TfL representative Carole Davies at a meeting of the council's Public Transport Liaison Group on Tuesday.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Deakins said: "TfL completely accepted the service was bad. Apparently statistics clearly show the service is one of the worst in the area.

"They have this person called the controller who oversees where buses are in relation to their journey, and one of the people doing that has been removed from their post.

"It's quite clear that somebody who had that job had been a bit reckless and didn't give a damn about passengers who had been stranded."

"This is a qualified victory for residents and councillors. I am very pleased by the reaction that we had."

Bus passenger Roy Dart, 73, of Maybank Road, South Woodford uses the bus almost every day.

He said: "It's very interesting to hear that someone has been removed from the job for this.

"Lets keep our eyes open and watch to see what happens."

It also emerged at the meeting that TfL last year discovered a natural water spring under the subway at Charlie Brown's roundabout, which has been the scene of regular flooding.

TfL installed a pump last week, but say Thames Water is responsible for stopping the spring causing floods.

Cllr Deakins said: "The battle is now on to get Thames Water to deal with their side of things.

"Maybe bottling Maybank spring water and selling it is the answer?".

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