TfL is trialling a batch of modernised bus shelters at 27 locations across the capital, in a bid to make waiting for the bus safer, more comfortable and more consistent for the millions of people who use the network every day.
Tfl introduces new shelter designs at these London bus stops
TfL is rolling out new shelter designs at existing bus stops in 27 locations, chosen based on how busy they are, the condition of current shelters and whether they sit in higher-crime areas.
The year-long trial, which began at the end of January, spans a broad mix of boroughs, including Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Camden, Croydon, Hackney, Havering, Hillingdon, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and the City of Westminster.
Rather than ripping everything out and starting again, TfL will upgrade or replace individual features at shelters to test what works before deciding what should be rolled out more widely.
Across the trial sites, two different shelter designs and four different feature configurations will be used, allowing TfL to compare how people use them and how well they stand up to daily life in London. The aim is to develop a standard, sustainable design identity that still feels unmistakably part of the capital’s iconic red bus network.
TfL’s Bus Action Plan – key features of the new shelters
Passengers using the trial stops should notice a more welcoming and practical environment, with several changes aimed squarely at comfort, visibility and safety.
- Better lighting: Shelters will benefit from brighter lighting to help people feel safer while they wait and to make the stop itself easier for bus drivers to see, especially after dark.
- Improved seating: New seating is designed to be more comfortable and easier to use, particularly for people with mobility impairments who may struggle with older perch-style benches.
- More robust materials: The shelters use tougher materials that are less vulnerable to vandalism and easier to maintain and clean.
- Updated roof design: A reflective red vinyl roof strengthens the visual link with London’s red buses and helps shelters stand out from further away and in low light.
- Priority spaces: There will be clearly marked priority seating and dedicated waiting space, with signage and moquette indicating they are intended for those who need them most.
- CCTV at selected stops: Cameras will be installed at 10 of the trial locations to boost public safety and help assess how on-shelter CCTV supports police investigations and influences crime levels.
Together, these changes are intended to give bus users a more consistent, modern and reassuring place to wait, particularly in areas where older shelters have become tired or patchy in quality.
Accessibility and safety at the forefront of TfL’s Bus Action Plan
TfL’s Bus Action Plan sets out a clear ambition to make bus travel more attractive and inclusive, and these shelter trials are a tangible part of that. More than five million journeys are made on London’s bus network each day, and bus stops and shelters are the most used waiting points across all public transport modes in the city, so improving them has a large potential impact.
In shaping the new designs, TfL has worked closely with disability focus groups, the RNIB, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and London TravelWatch, among others. These groups have provided feedback on everything from seating and layout to sightlines and feelings of personal security, with TfL stressing that incorporating these perspectives is essential to meeting the needs of all bus users.
Throughout the 12‑month trial, feedback from passengers will be gathered and used to refine what eventually becomes the standard design for London’s bus shelters.
Safety has also been a strong theme in TfL’s recent work on shelters. In 2024, a separate trial saw CCTV installed in 20 shelters across London in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, focused particularly on giving women and girls more confidence to travel.
Initial survey results from around 1,000 women showed that 80 per cent said CCTV made them feel safer and 73 per cent said it would make them more likely to use the bus, and these findings are feeding into the latest trial.
20 new “Landmark London” shelters are being installed at bus stops
Alongside testing new designs, TfL is also increasing the number of stops that have any shelter at all. Around 20 new “Landmark London” shelters are being installed at some of the busiest parts of the network, many of which previously had no cover. A further 11 refurbished shelters are being redeployed to other unsheltered locations, improving waiting conditions for passengers who until now have had to stand in the open.
TfL maintains the majority of London’s roughly 14,000 bus shelters, with dedicated teams working around the clock to keep them clean, repair damage, tackle graffiti and ensure customer information is accurate. The trial provides an opportunity not just to upgrade individual stops, but to test designs that are more sustainable and economical to maintain in the long run.
If the trials prove successful, elements of the new bus shelter designs could become a familiar sight across many more parts of the capital in the years to come, making the humble bus stop a more integral and considered part of London’s transport experience.