London Assembly Votes to Pause New Floating Bus Stops, London 2026

Key Points

• Assembly Decision: The London Assembly passed a motion by 17 votes to three calling on Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to pause the installation and funding of new floating bus stops.
• Core Safety Issues: Members heard evidence that blind, partially sighted, older, and disabled passengers face significant dangers from cycle traffic when stepping off buses.
• Incidents Cited: Assembly member Keith Prince highlighted a severe August 2025 incident on Haverstock Hill in Camden where a disabled man was knocked down by an e-bike rider.
• Official Experience: Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance acknowledged crossing conflicts, disclosing that he was previously punched in the face by a cyclist who failed to yield at a floating bus stop.
• Non-Compliance Rates: Observational survey data presented during the debate revealed that out of 397 cyclists observed across three floating bus stop crossings, only 33 gave way to pedestrians.
• Legal Weight and Next Steps: The motion carries no binding legal force. Implementation relies on formal responses from the Mayor and Transport for London, as well as cooperation from individual London boroughs.

London, UK (East London Times) November 6, 2026 – The London Assembly has formally called upon Mayor Sadiq Khan to suspend the installation and funding of new floating bus stops across the capital until a safer design can be agreed upon. The decision follows extensive testimony presented to assembly members detailing how blind, partially sighted, older, and disabled passengers are routinely exposed to risk when alighting from buses directly into active cycle routes.

Proposed by Conservative assembly member Keith Prince, the motion was carried by 17 votes to three during a plenary session on 5 November. The motion requests that the Mayor instruct Transport for London (TfL) to halt the ongoing rollout of the infrastructure, which places cycle lanes between the main pedestrian pavement and an isolated bus stop island, requiring passengers to cross a bike lane to reach the pavement.

How do floating bus stops work and why are they causing safety issues?

Floating bus stops, also known as bus stop bypasses, were introduced across London starting in 2013 to establish continuous, protected cycle networks. Under this layout, the bus shelter sits on a dedicated island within the main carriageway. Passengers leaving or joining the bus must use a ramped or level crossing spanning the cycle track that connects the island to the main footway.

While the design successfully removes cyclists from general motor traffic, it introduces a secondary crossing point at the precise location where passengers alight, often creating immediate conflict between cyclists and crowds of pedestrians.

During the debate, Keith Prince detailed a specific collision that occurred on Haverstock Hill in Camden in August 2025. In that instance, a disabled passenger was struck and knocked down by an e-bike rider while alighting from a number 1 bus. Prince informed assembly members that accessibility concerns regarding this layout have been raised repeatedly with City Hall without securing a change in design policy.

Responding on behalf of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance acknowledged the danger present at these junctions. Dance recounted a personal experience in which he was punched in the face by a cyclist who failed to stop for him at a floating bus stop crossing. While Dance did not dispute that persistent conflicts occur at these locations, he defended the underlying engineering principle of separating bicycles from heavy motor vehicles on busy corridors.

What do traffic surveys and campaign groups reveal about cyclist compliance?

Data introduced during the assembly debate highlighted high levels of non-compliance at pedestrian crossings on cycle bypasses. An observational survey tracking 397 cyclists across three separate floating bus stop locations recorded that only 33 riders gave way to pedestrians on the crossing as required.

Campaigners from the National Federation of the Blind of the UK submitted video evidence to the assembly documenting frequent near misses. Notable footage included locations at Lea Bridge in Waltham Forest, where a newly rebuilt bus stop sits directly adjacent to a high-volume protected cycle highway.

Assembly members supporting the motion emphasised that halting the rollout does not represent an opposition to cycling infrastructure as a whole. Instead, proponents argued that the pause is necessary to force the development of street layouts that accommodate all road users safely. Conversely, the three assembly members who voted against the motion argued that halting construction would leave partially built cycling routes incomplete, forcing cyclists back into dangerous mixed traffic alongside heavy goods vehicles and buses.

What will the proposed pause mean for London transport policy?

The motion passed by the London Assembly does not carry legal force to compel an immediate cessation of work. Mayor Sadiq Khan maintains control over TfL’s capital investment programmes, while individual London borough councils retain statutory authority over the majority of local roads where these stops are constructed. Implementing a full pause requires formal alignment between City Hall, TfL, and local local authorities.

TfL has previously stated that removing floating bypasses from planned schemes would break the continuity of protected cycle corridors or force bicycles back into shared lanes alongside buses and heavy lorries.

Concurrently, accessibility advocacy groups have increased pressure for the creation of a binding national design standard rather than localized remedies. Campaigners maintain that current official guidance relies excessively on cycle user behaviour—utilising give-way lines and raised tables that are frequently ignored during peak travel hours—rather than physical design structures that fully isolate pedestrian movement from cycle paths.

Until formal design modifications are approved, passengers using existing floating bus stops must continue to look in both directions for incoming cycle traffic before stepping off the curb. Campaign organizations are requesting the immediate installation of enhanced road markings and warning signage at all current locations to clarify pedestrian priority.

What is the background to the floating bus stop debate in London?

The rollout of floating bus stops began under former Mayor Boris Johnson as part of the 2013 Vision for Cycling initiative, aimed at reducing cyclist casualties by physically separating bike traffic from motor vehicles. The design was adapted from international urban planning models used extensively in the Netherlands and Denmark.

Over the subsequent decade, hundreds of bypasses were constructed across Greater London, particularly along major Cycle Superhighways and Quietways. However, as e-bikes and heavy rental cycles increased in popularity and average speed, disability advocates began recording a rise in collisions and near misses at crossing points.

In 2024, the National Federation of the Blind of the UK submitted a formal petition to the Department for Transport calling for a nationwide moratorium on the design. Subsequent investigations by London transport committees identified that vision-impaired passengers frequently avoided using public bus routes entirely due to the anxiety associated with navigating cycle bypasses, prompting the formal debate and subsequent vote within the London Assembly.

How will this decision affect London transport users and cyclists?

The assembly’s vote signals a potential shift in how urban infrastructure in London balances active travel with universal accessibility. If Mayor Sadiq Khan and TfL adopt the assembly’s recommendation, several consequences will emerge for key transport groups:

• Blind, Disabled, and Older Passengers: A pause in construction prevents the proliferation of high-risk crossing points in upcoming street redevelopment schemes. If safer, physically segregated designs are mandated, vulnerable pedestrians will regain independent access to public bus networks without navigating active cycle paths.
• Cyclists and Active Travel Advocates: Halting construction on current schemes risks creating gaps in protected cycle networks, potentially forcing cyclists back into primary carriageways alongside heavy traffic in areas where designs are put on hold.
• Transport for London and Local Boroughs: Transport planners will face operational delays and potential budget reallocations while existing designs are re-engineered to satisfy accessibility requirements without compromising overall cyclist safety.