TfL extends free bus trial on three routes by seven weeks

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that its trial offering free travel on three bus routes linked to the Silvertown Tunnel has been extended by seven weeks.

Passengers will now be able to travel on routes SL4, 108 and 129 free of charge until Tuesday 26 May.

The trial was originally introduced by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, as a 12-month initiative following the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel in April 2025. The aim was to encourage greater use of public transport and boost demand for the Superloop SL4 service between Grove Park and Canary Wharf, while offering an alternative to car travel through the tunnel.

TfL says the scheme has already contributed to a sharp increase in bus use across the Thames crossings. Around 10,400 bus journeys are now made through the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels each day, compared with 2,700 journeys before the Silvertown Tunnel opened.

Alongside the free bus routes, TfL confirmed that the cycle shuttle service between the Royal Docks and North Greenwich will remain free for the foreseeable future, continuing to support sustainable travel options across the river.

The decision to extend the free bus trial follows earlier comments from the Mayor in January that TfL would review the performance of the SL4 service before determining whether the initiative should continue.

While the trial extension offers passengers temporary free travel on the selected routes, bus and tram fares across the rest of the TfL network remain frozen at £1.75 until 5 July.

Sadiq Khan said he remains committed to keeping public transport as affordable as possible amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

“I remain committed to keeping TfL fares as affordable as possible because I know how the cost-of-living crisis is still hitting many Londoners hard,” he said.

“That’s why I’ve frozen bus and tram fares. This is the seventh time I’ve frozen bus and tram fares, which will particularly benefit those on the lowest incomes in our city.”

However, the Mayor has confirmed that some Tube and rail fares increased from 1 March, including higher off-peak and peak fares across several zones and a rise in Elizabeth line fares between Zone 1 and Heathrow Airport.