96
Stagecoach London Scania OmniCity at Bluewater Shopping Centre in July 2014
Overview
OperatorStagecoach London
GaragePlumstead
VehicleAlexander Dennis Enviro400H
Peak vehicle requirement24 (Plus one bus from route 601s morning journey)
Began service4 March 1959
PredecessorsTrolleybus Route 696
Former operator(s)Kentish Bus
Bexleybus
London Regional Transport
London Transport Executive
Night-timeNo night service
Route
StartWoolwich
ViaPlumstead
East Wickham
Welling
Bexleyheath
Crayford
Dartford
EndBluewater Shopping Centre
Length13 miles (21 km)
Service
LevelDaily
FrequencyAbout every 8-15 minutes
Journey time40-77 minutes
Operates04:30 until 01:08

London Buses route 96 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Kent, England. Running between Woolwich and Bluewater Shopping Centre, it is operated by Stagecoach London.

History

A Dennis Trident 2 double-decker bus operated on route 96 at Bluewater bus station, November 2002

Route 96 was a tram line running between Woolwich and Dartford. On 10 November 1935, it was replaced, along with several other tram routes, by trolleybus route 696 operating out of Bexleyheath garage.[1] Route 696 was replaced by motor bus route 96 on 4 March 1959.[2][3] It was extended from Dartford to Bluewater Shopping Centre on 16 March 1999. Because this stretch is outside Greater London, it runs express between these points, only stopping at Darent Valley Hospital in between.[4]

On 31 July 2006, a vehicle operating route 96 bound for Bluewater caught fire in Dartford.[5] In 2013, a report from the London Assembly found the route to be among the ten most crowded in London.[6]

There were proposals as early as 2011 to alter the route to run via Darent Valley Hospital.[7] However, this change was delayed as it was deemed necessary to use the Fastrack Bus Lanes, and Kent County Council had refused to allow route 96 to use it.[8][9] The route alteration was finally implemented on 16 December 2017.[10][11][12][13]

Having been operated by Bexleybus and Kentish Bus, it has been operated by Selkent out of Plumstead garage since January 1999.[14][15]

Current route

Route 96 operates via these primary locations:[16]

Between Dartford and Bluewater, route 96 operates as an express service, only stopping at Darent Valley Hospital in between.[17]

Previous use

The 96 route number has also been used for a non-related route in Chelsea. This route was withdrawn in the late 1950s.[18][19]

References

  1. ↑ "60 miles of trolleybus routes". Daily Mirror. 26 October 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Routes 696 & 698". Trolleybus. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. ↑ The London Bus (5 ed.). Stamford: Key Publishing. 2018. p. 116.
  4. ↑ Moth, David (2019), Buses in Outer London Since 1990, Amberley Publishing, ISBN 9781445687858
  5. ↑ Teenagers wanted over bus blaze News Shopper 1 August 2006
  6. ↑ "Overcrowding on London's buses set to get worse". ITV News. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Councillors, democracy and elections". Dartford Borough Council. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Rescheduling bus route 96 to include Darent Valley Hospital". Mayor's Question Time. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  9. ↑ TfL to serve Fastrack for first time Buses issue 752 November 2017 page 23
  10. ↑ Improving route 96 Transport for London 11 December 2017
  11. ↑ Porter, Toby (20 December 2017). "96 bus route to serve hospital". South London News. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Bull, Tom (19 December 2017). "Bus route 96 to run to Darent Valley Hospital". News Shopper. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  13. ↑ Bus service changes Transport for London 1 December 2017 page 7
  14. ↑ Large TfL tender round sees Arriva scoop new service Coach & Bus Week issue 1357 28 August 2018 page 7
  15. ↑ Latest tendered service awards Buses issue 763 October 2018 page 23
  16. ↑ Route 96 Map Transport for London
  17. ↑ Marius, Callum (12 August 2021). "The 19 London bus routes that take you outside the M25". MyLondon. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Council protest over bus services". Chelsea News and General Advertiser. 6 March 1959. p. 2. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "'Waiters'". Fulham Chronicle. 12 June 1959. p. 6. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

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