Months-long bus diversions in North London have left elderly residents feeling unsafe at night and struggling to cope in hot weather, according to local residents and politicians. The diversions, in place since July 20, are due to Thames Water works on Highbury Grove in Islington, which have forced Transport for London (TfL) to re-route several bus routes until at least November 2, 2026.
Routes affected and duration of works
Routes 4, 19, 236, and N19 are all diverted, while route 263 has been curtailed to start and end at Nags Head and Camden Road. The 393 between Chalk Farm and Clapton Pond is also on diversion until Wednesday, September 2. TfL says bus users can still plan their journeys using its dedicated TfL Go app, but the changes have reportedly made travel more dangerous and cumbersome for local women and the elderly.
Resident Leslie Lee told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she had written to TfL weeks ago to explain how the diversions meant women were facing having to walk through Highbury Fields in the “pitch-dark.” She described the situation as “heart-breaking” and argued that the public should have had more of a say.
Safety concerns and lack of consultation
“The number of places and opportunities to go wrong is massive,” she said, flagging that other older people and mums had also been left to wheel suitcases or push buggies in the 30-degree heat. “I get on the buses at night and they are almost disproportionately older women, women of colour, and older men. There are people with casts on their feet. I talk to older people and they also are clear they don’t fancy doing this walk at night,” she added.
Ms Lee continued: “I just can’t believe there was no consultation for something that major. You’re effectively cutting off transport for a large part of this community. Their argument is that it's only temporary, but more than six months without this essential service for a large part of the community who depend on it without prior consultation or alternative routes, is wrong.”
TfL's position and council response
TfL says it is allowed to make changes, including temporary diversions at relatively short notice, because the road and bus networks are flexible in nature, meaning public consultation is not required. Transport for London declined to comment further.
Local councillors for the area said they understood the need to replace pipework after “years of underinvestment” and its knock-on effect on public transport in their ward, which they added was already “so disconnected.” Ward councillor Benali Hamdache, Leader of the Opposition (Green), said: “Replacing the pipes now is unavoidable, but the disruption has been made worse by the 236 and 393 being diverted by water leaks.”
“As Islington councillors we’ve worked hard to get the council to look at the safety of the walking routes in the wake of the closures,” he added. The Green leader told the LDRS that Islington Council was looking at potentially using measures such as new lighting and tree-trimming to address safety concerns on the affected walking routes.
