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TfL — London Buses

The most used bus network in Britain, and the model everywhere else is copying

London's buses are franchised: Transport for London specifies every route, frequency and fare, then contracts private operators — Arriva, Go-Ahead, Stagecoach, Metroline and others — to run them. That is why every bus is red regardless of who operates it, and why fares are identical across the network.

Fares

London buses are pay-as-you-go only — no cash. Tap a contactless card, phone or Oyster on boarding; there is no need to tap off. A single flat fare applies however far you travel, the Hopper fare allows unlimited further bus journeys within an hour of the first tap at no extra charge, and a daily cap limits what you can spend.

What makes it different

Because TfL plans the network centrally, routes connect rather than compete, night buses run extensively, and every stop has a unique code for live departures. It is the only part of the UK where bus use per head comes close to major European cities.

Tracking London buses

London has the best live data in the country. Our departure boards for London stops use TfL's own arrival predictions — the same data as the countdown signs at the stop — rather than estimating from timetables.

See TfL — London Buses on the live map How our tracking works