History
The 22 bus route started operation on 17 May 1909, as a daily route between Clapton (Lea Bridge station) and Elephant & Castle via Clapton, Hackney, Dalston, Kingsland Road, Shoreditch. London Bridge and Borough. Quite soon after on 26 July 1909 it was extended to Leyton (Bakers Arms) with a Sunday extension to Epping Forest (Warren Wood House) via Whipps Cross and Woodford replacing route 9.
London's motor bus routes were very "fluid" in the early days of operation and often worked on a "trial and error basis", consequently on 28 October 1909 the 22 was changed again to work as a daily route between Tulse Hill and Leyton (Bakers Arms) via Effra Road, Brixton Road, Kennington Park Road and Elephant & Castle with a Monday - Saturday extension to Whipps Cross. On 3 January 1910, it was cut back again to work Clapton (Lea Bridge Station) to Tulse Hill. The Sunday service to Epping Forest appeared again in March 1910 but the Monday - Saturday service was cut back to run from Hackney Station to Elephant & Castle.
As from 6 April 1911, the 22 was withdrawn between Bank and Elephant & Castle, being replaced by new route 35 over that section. At the same time it was extended to Putney Station via Cheapside, Holborn, Piccadilly, Kings Road and Putney Bridge, thereby becoming the 22 we know today. The daily extension to Homerton (Clapton Park Tavern) commenced soon after on 12 June 1911, but the route was withdrawn throughout on Sundays on 8 October 1911 for just over three years until 8 November 1914, when it became daily once again.
The connection with route 35 became clear once again as from 6 August 1916, when the 22 was diverted daily at Putney Bridge to run to Putney Common (Cricketers), but withdrawn on Sundays between Lower Clapton and Homerton being extended to Chingford (Royal Forest Hotel) via Leyton and Walthamstow, replacing the 35A on that day. This change was very short lived and the 22 reverted back to being a daily Putney Common to Homerton route as from 2 October 1916 and from that time onwards it became a very stable operation.
On 1 December 1924, a new system of route numbering on London Buses came into force under The London Traffic Act of 1924. This made the Metropolitan Police responsible for bus operation and route numbering in London. The new system was designed to make route numbering easier to understand for the travelling public.
For route 22, shortworkings between Tottenham Court Road and Putney were numbered 22A, shortworkings between Tottenham Court Road and Homerton were numbered 22B and shortworkings between Piccadilly Circus and Homerton were numbered 22C. The plain 22 route number being used for journeys for the whole length of the route from Putney Common to Homerton. By 30 June 1925, these had been reduced to 22 Putney Common to Homerton and 22A Piccadilly Circus - Homerton. This situation remained until 3 October 1934, when the newly constituted London Passenger Transport Board instituted its own numbering system, which generally re-instated the situation previous to December 1924, in this case, leaving just the plain 22 to work Putney Common - Homerton.
As part of the reshaping plan of London's Buses which had been proceeding since 1966, increasing numbers of routes were converted to one-person-operation. As from 28 October 1972, part of the 22 allocaton was converted to one-person-operation in the form of new route 22A between Clapton Park Estate and Liverpool Street Station. It had in fact been intended to number this route "128", but opposition from the 22 crews resulted in it being given the 22A number at the last minute.
On 20 October 2012, route 22 was retained by London General. New Volvo B5L Hybrid 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2's and new Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2's were introduced.
Read more about this topic: London Buses Route 22
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