Bus service to be reduced due to "dwindling" users

However, Transport for London now plans to cut back the ELW service between Wapping and Whitechapel, with buses due to arrive every 15 minutes instead of every ten minutes. While no date has been confirmed for this move, the ELC run between New Cross Gate and Canada Water will be withdrawn as planned on September 25.

A spokesman said: "Rail replacement bus services were put in place to minimise inconvenience to passengers while the East London underground line was being upgraded and linked to the London overground network.

"The number of passengers using the replacement buses has dwindled steadily - by 40 per cent - since their introduction and thus providing this service no longer represents value for money to the public purse.

"Destinations on the ELC route are also served by existing services which have been increased to account for rail replacement passengers. The ELW will remain but with services every 15 minutes as opposed to 10 minutes as is the case now.

"A comprehensive campaign advertising these changes to passengers is underway at train and LUL stations, on buses and there is also extensive information online."

TfL added that 10 passengers on average use each ELC bus in the week, and that number drops to eight on Saturdays and seven on Sundays. Since the service costs £120,000 a month to run, TfL expects to have saved around £1million by the time the extended line re-opens in June 2010.

The reduction of the ELW service is expected to save £200,000, as it costs £101,000 per month to run. A total of eight passengers use each bus during the week, with six boarding on weekends.

The decision has nonetheless angered City and East London Assembly representative John Biggs, who criticised TfL for not consulting with users. He has asked it to review the decision.

He said: "What bothers me most is that TfL did not carry out any consultation before taking the decision to reduce it.

"If TfL had invested more time in looking at ways to improve the ELW route, it could have provided a better service. Instead it seems it has taken the easy option by cutting it, justifying it by the low passenger numbers, and not having a proper attempt at improving it."