London is busy with visitors, as you might expect. On our travels we have overheard people complaining they were at a bus stop and the bus came but did not stop, or simply did not come.
We’ve talked about this before, but here are some reasons why the bus may not stop, and what you can do about it:
It’s the wrong bus stop
Not all buses stop at all stops.
Look at the top of the bus sign and the routes served will be shown. Any route not listed will never stop there.
Look around for another stop which has the correct route on.
The stop is out of service
Manybe the road is being worked on and stopping a bus would be dangerous or cause a traffic jam.
Often there are temporary stops nearby.
On a similar note, if the bus is not appearing it may be diverted, because of roadworks or some event. Travel apps should highlight this.
Full
A bus will not stop if it is full and no-one wants to get off.
Even if it is full and stops and someone gets off, more people may not be allowed on. The space may still be too limited.
Look for another bus close behind that is probably half empty.
Out of service
A bus will not stop if it is going home to bed. Even if it shows the right number, it should say “Out Of Service” or similar.
Compulsory or request
There are two types of stop, compulsory and request. The meanings for these should be obvious.
When COVID/lockdown happened, buses still ran but stops became all Request stops. Buses would not stop unless you waved at them or rang the bell.
This seems to have continued and most drivers regard all stops as request.
If you are standing on the pavement and see your bus approaching, raise your arm so the driver can see you need it to stop. Give the driver plenty of time to react. If you are on the bus, press the bell once in good time (provided no-one else has already pressed it).
End of the line
If you are at the last stop on the route, the bus may stop to let the last passengers off but no-one can join. Look on the bus stop sign to see what direction buses are heading. You are probably on the wrong side of the road.
This can also happen in the middle of a route as it is possible that not all buses cover the entire route. A bus may be stopped short, so, while the route continues, and individual bus may not. Wait for the next bus which may not be far behind.
The destination of a bus may change while it is en route, eg for bad traffic conditions.