A £1million bus lane funded by Sadiq Khan is being ripped out just three months after it was installed, following widespread complaints that it made the road more dangerous.
The lane, added to Regent’s Park Road in Finchley in August, was designed to speed up bus services by giving them dedicated space. It formed part of the Mayor’s “25x25 bus priority programme”, which aims to deliver 25km of new bus lanes by December.
But residents and local politicians argued the road simply wasn’t wide enough to cope. They said it created “unnecessary risks”, especially where the lane’s width varied, forcing some bus drivers to move onto the wrong side of the road.
A petition opposing the scheme attracted more than 1,700 signatures, with locals complaining that only a small number of people were consulted beforehand.
Barnet Council, run by Labour, has now confirmed the scheme will be withdrawn - a move welcomed by Conservative councillors as a “win for common sense”. The council says only around a third of the £1m budget has been spent, with the remaining funds set to be used to improve the overall experience for bus passengers and other road users.
Jonathan Barr, of local estate agency Godfrey & Barr, called the decision a “wonderful victory” but questioned how so much public money could be wasted. He criticised Transport for London and the Mayor for pushing the 25km bus lane target “at any cost”.
The original road markings are due to be reinstated between 21 and 24 November, with all remaining works finished by 28 November.
Conservative councillors Jennifer Grocock and Josh Mastin-Lee said the decision showed the impact of residents speaking out. They argued the bus lane disrupted daily life and created hazards, and called for full transparency over why the scheme was approved and then abandoned.
Barnet Council confirmed the project had been halted after listening to community feedback. Councillor Alan Schneiderman, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said that while independent engineers had deemed the design safe, the council had promised to take residents’ concerns seriously.
He added that new bus lanes remain part of the borough’s long-term transport strategy, but future plans will be shaped by lessons learned from this failed scheme.
A council spokesman stressed that most of the allocated £1m remains unspent and will stay in Barnet for other transport improvements.
Transport for London said bus lanes are essential for improving reliability and keeping public transport affordable and accessible. It confirmed that discussions with Barnet Council are ongoing.
According to TfL’s 25x25 programme, the authority is still on track to add 25km of new bus lanes across London compared with April 2021.
