Richmond Council is urging TfL to reconsider proposals for a ‘student-only’ bus from Roehampton University to Barnes – and make the route open for everyone.

Since Hammersmith Bridge closed to traffic, there have been significant changes to the bus network in Barnes, Mortlake and Roehampton.

The council said that as a result of the closure, many people are now unable to "easily get around the area or over to Hammersmith."

In addition, roads such as Lonsdale Road have become a ‘turning circle’ for buses and their return routes.

Cllr Alexander Ehmann, chairman of the transport and air quality committee for Richmond Council, has asked TfL to reconsider their proposals.

“I appreciate that students and staff at Roehampton University are struggling to get to and from their place of work or study each day. However, so are many other people in the local area.

“Rather than amending the network in a piecemeal way, and adding more vehicles on the roads that only serve certain people, I would like to encourage TfL to have a more strategic review of the bus network in the area.

“It is clear that we need improvements. But, having a bus that drives down Lonsdale Road and Barnes High Street that doesn’t stop and isn’t able to pick up local people, seems non-sensical to me."

But a spokesman for the university said the bus is a private service, supplied by a commercial company and not TfL.

"It is offered to students to allow them to travel to and from Hammersmith Bridge, Barnes Station and the university’s campus," he said.

"We launched the service in response to student demand and feedback as no public transport was available on this route.

“Separately the university is continuing to work with local stakeholders to encourage TfL to mitigate the withdrawal of the 72 bus service south of the river, which happened after Hammersmith bridge closed, and to improve public transport in general.”

The proposal by the university would see a regular bus service from the campus to the bridge (the 849 bus).

TfL are currently consulting on the proposals.