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I'd guess (not knowing that spot very well) that your answer may be implicit in this--the bus queues on the approach to the next junction probably get too long (quite a few bus routes use that stretch), quite possibly because they only get a green phase every two phases compared to the York Road/Lambeth Palace Road alignment (if that's the case).
The queue is two lanes of all kinds of traffic, not just buses. There's no bus lane at that point.
All other kinds of vehicles, except buses*, stop downstream of the crossing until they can get all the way across it, leaving it clear for use by pedestrians.
I don't know why that spot is so bad. I've not really noticed buses obstructing crossings regularly in other parts of London.
It's nothing to do with the roadworks - they've always behaved like that. Now the crossing is wider and the railings have been removed it's slightly harder for bus drivers to completely block the crossing, but they do try.
They could solve the problem by buying buses with doors on both sides.
*And a few white vans, but not that many.
inappropriate_bike-
The queue is two lanes of all kinds of traffic, not just buses. There's no bus lane at that point.
Ah, as I said, I don't know that spot very well. I actually rode through there a couple of times recently while roadworks were going on, so couldn't get a good feeling for what was going on. The September 2017 StreetView images still show the bus lane, and I erroneously assumed it was still there. I'd therefore assume that it was removed in the course of the recent footway widening.
All other kinds of vehicles, except buses (and a few white vans, but not that many), stop downstream of the crossing until they can get all the way across it, leaving it clear for use by pedestrians.
I don't know why that spot is so bad. I've not really noticed buses obstructing crossings regularly in other parts of London.
It's nothing to do with the roadworks - they've always behaved like that. Now the crossing is wider and the railings have been removed it's slightly harder for bus drivers to completely block the crossing, but they do try.
It's interesting, there must be another explanation, then. I'll have a look the next time I go past there. In the meantime, it's quite possible that bus drivers are just caught out more often when creeping forward with the queue while the next lights are green. The space under the bridge is really quite peculiar in some of the ways it's laid out.
They could solve the problem by buying buses with doors on both sides.
Very good. I think we should campaign for TfL not to require people to buy tickets for the passage through the bus, though. :)
Oliver Schick
I'd guess (not knowing that spot very well) that your answer may be implicit in this--the bus queues on the approach to the next junction probably get too long (quite a few bus routes use that stretch), quite possibly because they only get a green phase every two phases compared to the York Road/Lambeth Palace Road alignment (if that's the case).
You could certainly try to push this with TfL via the bus driver route, but in my experience that only works for a short while before it gets forgotten again.
The problem for bus drivers is that the bus lane ends close to the junction because there are only two approach lanes left (down from three), seemingly following recent footway widening works to accommodate a stretch of segregated cycle track on the footway. The three approach lanes were rather crammed in before (the nearside lane was most definitely sub-standard in width) and in principle it's a good thing to reduce approach lanes for motor traffic, as it reduces a junction's motor traffic capacity (and motor traffic volumes will adapt over time, which probably hasn't happened here yet), but typically such schemes have knock-on effects further down the line, which may be the case here. It's entirely possible that another scheme is in the works at that pedestrian crossing but just hasn't gone on-site yet, but it also happens that such effects are not predicted (although that would surprise me). Since the bus lane doesn't continue all the way to the next junction, a bus pre-signal scheme might work (although the space may be a little too tight to permit it).
In any case, I'm sure a note to TfL can only help in putting it on the radar, especially if other people have noticed. I wouldn't use the first page skidlidsid linked to, but the second one, or you could use this:
https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-buses
There are also groups like Lambeth LCC or Living Streets that may be able to take it forward. I expect Lambeth LCC would know what's going on in that particular stretch.