The line directly connects two neighbourhoods where many Jewish families live. It had long been demanded by Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan, who made it a campaign promise for his re-election.
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The bus is intended to reassure Jews travelling in the British capital. The line, set up by London Transport and accessible to any Londoner, links two neighbourhoods in the north of the city where large Jewish communities live. Until now, these families had to transfer in a neighbourhood that regularly exposed them to anti-Semitic insults, the BBC reports.
“Families have told me that when they change buses between Stamford Hill and Golders Green at Finsbury Park they are frightened by the abuse they receive.”London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan told British broadcaster. “They were frightened because of the massive rise in anti-Semitism since October 7 last year.” It was also a campaign promise for his re-election.
Such a measure was demanded “for 16 years” by the Jewish community, Sadiq Khan said. “The drivers of this new bus line have been sensitized to anti-Semitism, so Jewish families can rest assured: it is a safe line,” says Danielle Myers, director of the London Jewish Forum, which advocated for the bus.
The announcement comes amid a sharp rise in anti-Semitism in the UK. Between July 2023 and July 2024, London police recorded 2,068 anti-Semitic acts, the BBC reports. This represents an increase of 278.9% compared to the previous year. In a report published in early August, the charity Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 1,978 anti-Semitic acts in the first half of 2024 in the country, a record figure.
The bus service will run daily between 7am and 7pm and will be trialled for at least a year while London Transport conducts a public consultation.
