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More than a decade after plans were first put forward, the Silvertown Tunnel (London’s first sub-Thames road tunnel in 30 years) finally opened last April. In order to pay for the upkeep of the structure, drivers have to pay a toll every time they go through the tunnel, but for anyone taking the bus, it’s completely free.
To entice more people to use the Superloop route between Grove Park and Canary Wharf (SL4) and encourage drivers to swap their cars for public transport, TfL made three local bus routes completely free to use along any part of their routes.
The free rides were only meant to last for 12 months, but now TfL has announced that it’ll be extending them by another seven weeks.
That means that everyone will continue to be able to take the SL4 and 129, which both go through Silvertown, and the 108, which uses the Blackwell Tunnel, without paying a thing until Tuesday, May 26. The bike shuttle that safely takes cyclists from one side of the tunnel to the other will also remain free for the foreseeable future.
According to TfL, 10,400 bus journeys are now made on Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels every day, compared to 2,700 prior to the opening of Silvertown Tunnel. Opponents to the tunnel argued that it would create more congestion and pollution in the area, but a few months after it tunnel opened, City Hall said that Silvertown had reduced journey times on approach roads by as much as 70 percent during morning rush hour and had seen a significant boost in people choosing to take public transport.
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