The new Bakerloop BL1 express bus will start service on Saturday 27 September - with free travel for the first week.
It comes after strong support from Londoners and over £5 million of funding allocated by Southwark from Section 106 contributions from developers who have built in the borough.
The electric bus service will provide fast journey times and mirror the route of the proposed Bakerloo Line extension supported by Southwark, neighbouring boroughs and Transport for London.
The bus will operate between Waterloo, Elephant & Castle and Lewisham via Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate, Lewisham station and Lewisham town centre.
The BL1 vehicles will be fully electric and offer enhanced customer features including USB chargers at seats and dedicated priority seating moquettes. The route will run every 12 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 15 minutes during Sundays, evenings and early mornings, increasing capacity along the whole route.
Feedback from the Bakerloop consultation showed there was strong support for the proposed route with 82 per cent of respondents saying the new express bus service would be more convenient and 79 per cent of Londoners stating it would result in faster bus journey times.
Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development at Southwark Council, said:
“The new Bakerloop bus service is an exciting interim step, now providing much-needed additional transport capacity for South London and the increasing numbers of people living along the Old Kent Road. The consultation with the local community showed that this new bus route will make life easier for those commuting now in the area but it will also highlight the urgent need to move on with the Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension.
“I’m proud of the role we’ve played in helping to deliver this new service through developer contributions but our attention will not divert from the ultimate goal of seeing the Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension project become a reality – with the backing of 76 per cent of residents and 89 per cent of businesses, we know this will be the key to unlocking new jobs, new homes and a £1.5bn per year economic boost for the national economy.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“I’m proud to unveil the Bakerloop - a brand-new, express electric bus service linking communities from Waterloo to Lewisham.
“A Bakerloo line extension will take years to build, and I don’t want to wait any longer to improve transport connections for Londoners. That’s why I’ve introduced the Bakerloop now – a faster, greener service, building on the success of the Superloop, that delivers the links people need immediately, while showcasing just how transformative the Bakerloo line extension could be for our city and economy.
“To celebrate its launch – and after overwhelming support in our consultation – the Bakerloop will be free to use for its first week. This is a chance for Londoners to experience first-hand how this service can cut journey times, reduce pollution and transform everyday travel across our capital.”