Silvertown Tunnel cycle shuttle service: innovative or greenwashing?

More details have been released about the cycle shuttle service starting April 7 through the new Silvertown Tunnel… but will cyclists use it?

Transport for London has confirmed further details for the cycle shuttle service that would allow cyclists to use the new Silvertown Tunnel, opening on 7 April.

The tunnel, designed to alleviate congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel, does not permit walking or cycling due to safety risks. Instead, TfL have created the zero-emission, electric bus service to ensure cyclists have a safe connection through the tunnel.

Critics of the tunnel have argued it’s insufficient in dealing with demand, impractical for cyclists to use, and treats cycling as an afterthought.

The shuttle service, which will operate every 12 minutes from 06:30 to 21:30 seven days a week, will be free for at least the first year. The service connects between the ‘north’ stop on Seagull Lane close to Royal Victoria DLR station and the ‘south’ stop on Millennium Way near the junction with Old School Close.

TfL confirmed pedestrians without a cycle will not be permitted to use the service, but said they will benefit from other improved cross-river bus services launching with the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel, including the new SL4 Superloop route.

The service will have silver and blue branding to distinguish it from regular buses. It can carry a range of cycle designs, including pedal cycles, tricycles, folded cycles, adaptive and cargo cycles, and E-bikes

There are some restrictions on what the bus will take; cycles must be no longer than 2.14 metres, no wider than 0.76 metres and no higher than 1.4 metres at the handlebars, and weigh less than 300kg including rider and any property carried by the cycle.

However, there are those who aren’t excited for the new ‘bike bus’. Simon Munk, the Head of Campaigns and Community Development at the London Cycling Campaign, said it’s clear TfL are treating cyclists as an ‘afterthought’, and doesn’t think the service will provide a meaningful difference to those who want to wheel to work.

Munk told the Slice: ‘There is a real lack of good quality walking, wheeling or cycling crossings of the Thames in east London. The choice between braving Tower Bridge, carrying your bike into the Greenwich foot tunnel, or waiting for a ferry isn’t a good one. The Mayor promised a bridge from Canary Wharf to Rotherhithe, but hasn’t delivered any good river crossings for active travel since – instead we get a billion-pound crossing for cars, lorries and buses that goes directly against the Mayor’s own transport targets.’

Munk also questions the practicality of the shuttle; ‘There are thousands of people cycling across the Thames in the peak hours on either side of the Silvertown tunnel – which means there is a huge potential for cycle crossings here. But how many cyclists will brave horrible roads to reach the shuttle bus stops at each end, then wait for a bus?’

Munk continued: ‘The Mayor, TfL and local councils as well as government urgently need to deliver a really strategic approach to crossing the Thames – where do the lorries go, where do commercial vehicles go, where do buses go and where does walking, wheeling & cycling go? The answer to that should not be waiting for a low capacity shuttle bus to carry cyclists through a road tunnel, obviously.’

The tunnel itself hasn’t gone without controversy, with critics disagreeing with the user charge of up to £4 per journey when using the new Silvertown Tunnel or the pre-existing Blackwall Tunnel. 

A petition, which reached nearly 50,000 signatures, claimed: ‘The tolls announced in July (a couple of days after the General Election results) for these tunnels threaten to disrupt ordinary peoples’ way of life. An imposed toll system would hurt families, individuals, and businesses who depend on these routes. The financial burden these tolls will place upon residents of South East, East, North East London and Kent is very concerning.’

Lorna Murphy, Director of Buses at TfL, said: ‘We’re pleased to share the final details of our innovative cycle-shuttle service, which will provide important cross river connectivity for a range of cyclists through the Silvertown Tunnel. This free service will help people cycling in east London cross the river safely and encourage more active travel across the area. 

‘We have designed this service to support as many different cycle designs as possible within the physical space available, and we look forward to seeing Londoners using it once the Silvertown Tunnel opens on 7 April.’

If you liked this, read Silvertown Tunnel to open in April in bid to improve Thames crossing