Transport for London (TfL) last week published a summary of its Central London Bus Review, a public consultation on proposed changes to a number of bus routes across the capital. You can read the TfL decision summary and next steps report here.

Responding to the consultation report, London Councils’ Executive Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, Mayor Philip Glanville, said: “London’s buses are a hugely important and affordable way to get around our capital, and more people use them than any other form of public transport.

“In our submission to the TfL bus consultation, we emphasised the changes put forward this summer would have made buses a far less attractive option and disproportionately affected lower income, older, and disabled Londoners. It is right that the Mayor and TfL listened to us, boroughs and residents and scrapped most of these proposals. Going forward, it is crucial that TfL continue to work with boroughs and other stakeholders to ensure the new proposals don’t negatively impact lower income and more vulnerable Londoners.

“It is positive the Mayor has committed funding for buses as part of this review. Boroughs will continue to listen to our communities and work with TfL to bring more buses to the whole of London, improve bus prioritisation and achieve a zero emission bus fleet. It is essential to our capital’s future that all Londoners can benefit from cheap and green public transport.”

The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) has announced an innovation fund of £200,000 to support London boroughs design and test new approaches to improving adult social care.

The fund, which will provide up to £100,000 to two projects, is open to submissions from the 24 London boroughs who are LOTI members. Project submissions will need to address one or more of the themes of: better residential and care homes; better care at home; better community support models.

The winners will also have access to advice and hands-on assistance from LOTI’s expert team and wider professional networks on issues such as information governance, data analysis, and technology development.

Commenting on the launch of the innovation fund, London Councils’ Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing & Adult Care, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “Boroughs are determined to deliver the high-quality adult social care that Londoners deserve.

“Making better use of technology and data is crucial to the future of adult social care in the capital and addressing the challenges the sector faces. It’s great to have LOTI focused on this as a priority issue and encouraging innovation and collaboration between the boroughs.”

The fund is open to submissions until 9 January 2023. More information and expression of interest forms are available on the LOTI website here.

The  annual international campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until 10 December, Human Rights Day.

Tackling sexual and domestic violence is one of the priorities for London Councils grants programme up to 2026, you can read more about the organisations supported by the London borough grants programme here.

And you can read more about how boroughs are tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Domestic Abuse at a local level here.