£1m bus lane in Barnet, north London scrapped over safety fears

Barnet Council has announced that it will scrap the £1 million bus lane project on Regents Park Road in Finchley, which was funded by Transport for London (TfL).

The scheme, intended to improve journey times for multiple bus routes, came under scrutiny after safety concerns were raised following work that began earlier this summer. In response, the council conducted a full review of the project.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, Cllr Alan Schneiderman, confirmed the decision to cancel the project entirely. He said:

“Although independent engineers have assured us the scheme is safe, we made a commitment to engage closely with residents and listen to their concerns – and that is what we have done.

These proposals will not go ahead.

“One of the long-term goals in our transport strategy is to introduce new bus lanes to encourage public transport use and reduce journey times. We will take the lessons from this scheme to inform future bus lane projects elsewhere in the borough.”

The decision follows a petition signed by 1,772 residents, launched two months ago, which described the scheme as “dangerous” and raised concerns that the road was too narrow to accommodate two lanes of traffic, bus lanes, and parking.

Earlier, on 21 October, Cllr Schneiderman told a council meeting that a “full independent safety audit” had been carried out and that a series of amendments were under consideration.

While many residents have welcomed the council’s U-turn, questions remain over the fate of the funding allocated to the project. Local campaigner Josh Baron, who has opposed the scheme since the start of the year, suggested that the decision may have involved factors beyond public feedback.