- Southwark is the most dangerous London borough for bus travel, with a casualty rate of 25.36 per 100,000 residents.
- Haringey and Westminster rank second and third, respectively.
- Bromley had the lowest rate of bus casualties in London, at 4.83 per 100,000 residents.
A new study has revealed London’s most dangerous boroughs to ride the bus, with Southwark taking the top spot.
Bus travel experts GetByBus analysed data from the Department for Transport to find the number of bus casualties per London borough in 2023. This figure was weighted against the area population to calculate the number of casualties per 100,000 residents. The boroughs with the highest rate of bus casualties determined the ranking.
Southwark ranks top, with 25.36 bus casualties per 100,000 residents. The borough recorded a total of 80 bus casualties in 2023 from a population of 315,519 residents – 28 more than the 52 recorded in 2022.
Haringey ranks second, with 23.20 bus casualties per 100,000 residents in 2023. From a population of 262,895 residents, Haringey recorded 61 casualties during the year – 30 more than the previous year, at 31.
Third in the ranking is Westminster, with a rate of 21.75 bus casualties per 100,000 residents. In 2023, the borough recorded 46 casualties (22 fewer than in 2022) from a population of 211,508 residents.
Hackney comes fourth, with 19.75 bus casualties per 100,000 residents. Hackney recorded a total of 52 bus casualties in 2023 from a population of 263,282 – 20 more than the 32 recorded in 2022.
In fifth comes Lambeth, with 19.32 bus casualties per 100,000 residents in 2023. From a population of 315,706 residents, Lambeth recorded 61 casualties during the year – 13 more than the previous year, at 48.
Lewisham comes in sixth, with a rate of 17.74 bus casualties per 100,000 residents. In 2023, the borough recorded 53 casualties (the exact same recording as 2022) from a population of 298,708 residents.
Seventh on the list is Islington, with 17.23 bus casualties per 100,000 residents. Islington recorded a total of 38 bus casualties in 2023 from a population of 220,584 residents – 12 more than the previous year, at 26.
In eighth place is Kensington and Chelsea, with 14.92 bus casualties per 100,000 residents in 2023. From a population of 147,460, Kensington and Chelsea recorded 22 bus casualties during the year – five more than the 2022 recording of 17.
Camden ranks ninth, with a rate of 14.49 bus casualties per 100,000 residents. In 2023, the borough recorded 32 casualties (16 more than in 2022) from a population of 220,903 residents.
Landing the tenth spot is Brent, with 13.06 bus casualties per 100,000 residents. Brent recorded a total of 45 bus casualties in 2023 from a population of 344,521 residents – two fewer than the previous year, at 47.
Top 10 London boroughs with the highest rate of bus casualties per 100,000 residents
|
Rank |
London borough |
Population |
Bus casualties (2023) |
Bus casualties per 100,000 residents |
|
1. |
Southwark |
315,519 |
80 |
25.36 |
|
2. |
Haringey |
262,895 |
61 |
23.20 |
|
3. |
Westminster |
211,508 |
46 |
21.75 |
|
4. |
Hackney |
263,282 |
52 |
19.75 |
|
5. |
Lambeth |
315,706 |
61 |
19.32 |
|
6. |
Lewisham |
298,708 |
53 |
17.74 |
|
7. |
Islington |
220,584 |
38 |
17.23 |
|
8. |
Kensington and Chelsea |
147,460 |
22 |
14.92 |
|
9. |
Camden |
220,903 |
32 |
14.49 |
|
10. |
Brent |
344,521 |
45 |
13.06 |
Ante Dagelić, CEO of GetByBus, commented on the findings: “London’s buses are a vital lifeline for millions, but our findings reveal significant safety concerns in certain boroughs. This data isn’t just about identifying the most dangerous areas—it’s a call to action for improved security measures and investment in safer public transport. Every passenger deserves to feel safe, no matter where they’re travelling.”
Featured Photo by Anne Morris on Unsplash.