Sutton Council is calling on the government and Sadiq Khan to reinstate GoSutton bus following the announcement of the long-awaited tram link being paused due to Covid-19.
The call comes after Transport for London axed the on-demand bus service in June 2020 after a year-long trial.
Residents and key workers within the borough have considered the bus a 'lifeline' as transport links in Sutton are not as strong as the rest of London.
MORE: GoSutton bus service will not return after the pandemic
And although the announcement saw a large majority of residents left devastated, others remained hopeful due to tram link proposals.
In February, TfL announced that a tram link between Colliers Wood and Sutton was the preferred option.
But after 20-years of the development being on the cards, it was announced that TfL were pausing plans on the scheme last month.
MORE: TfL 'fails to deliver' as tram extension to Sutton put on hold
Leader of Sutton Council, Ruth Dombey said: "Our borough is poorly served by public transport and has not received its fair share of investment over the years to tackle this.
"The GoSutton bus has been a big success with over 81,000 total journeys made since its launch last May, and for many local people with limited mobility, sight impairment and learning disabilities it has been a god-send.
"Since last autumn, Liberal Democrat councillors and residents have been lobbying the Mayor of London and TfL to make this a permanent service.
"I spoke to the Deputy Mayor for Transport recently and made it clear that Sutton urgently needs more public transport investment.
The GoSutton bus would be an easy quick win.
"Now that the Sutton tram has been ditched for the foreseeable future, the Government urgently needs to step in and work with the London Mayor to fund an on-demand bus service for Sutton that covers the whole borough and extends to other transport interchanges like Worcester Park station, Morden Underground and East Croydon station.
"It really is needed more than ever before.”
Residents are being urged to sign a petition to bring back GoSutton.
To sign click here
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