Havering Ranked Near Bottom for Public Transport Access in London.

Havering has weaker public transport links than many other London boroughs, particularly compared with inner London areas. Large parts of the borough have low public transport accessibility levels (PTAL), meaning many residents are not close to frequent rail, Tube or other rapid transit services. Much of Havering outside key centres like Romford and Upminster scores low on access scales, reflecting limited options for walking or public transport and a reliance on cars.

Data from the Healthy Streets Scorecard highlights that Havering is near the bottom of London rankings for access to sustainable transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport. In the 2025 scorecard, Havering was placed 31st out of 33 boroughs, showing poorer performance on key indicators of public transport use and walk/cycle share compared with most of the capital.

Part of this reflects how Havering is built and used. The borough has high car ownership, one of the highest in London, and many areas are suburban in nature, meaning residents often drive to major stations or destinations instead of using local services.

There are some rail links, particularly on routes into central London from Romford, Gidea Park, Harold Wood and Upminster, but beyond these corridors much of Havering has modest bus coverage and no Underground access at all except at Upminster and Elm Park. That contrasts sharply with boroughs deeper in inner London, where large parts of the area are within easy reach of multiple Tube lines and frequent rail services.

Transport campaigning and research also show that outer London boroughs such as Havering rank among the least connected in Greater London by public transport according to a broader connectivity metric, with Fox example borough‑level indices suggesting Havering is among the lowest‑scoring London boroughs when it comes to overall transport connectivity.

In practical terms, this means many Havering residents face longer journeys, fewer service options, and heavier reliance on cars for everyday travel than their counterparts in better‑connected boroughs. This makes policies like the Freedom Pass especially vital here, because alternatives to car travel are relatively limited compared with many other London areas.

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