Johnson wants express buses to rival rail in south London

Plans for express buses to link suburban town centres have been unveiled by Boris Johnson.

The Tory candidate for Mayor wants to establish a "London Orb" - a network of direct services as an alternative to rail travel.

He said that at present a passenger wanting to get to Richmond has to travel first into Waterloo East by train, then walk to Waterloo and catch another train out to Richmond.

If elected in May, he would instigate a trial of express buses - with only two or three stops per journey at key locations or transport interchanges. Fares would be held at the current 90p Oyster fare or £2 cash.

He said this would be particularly beneficial across south and south-east London that has no Tube connections and where passengers have to rely on overground trains. Mr Johnson was braving a rush-hour train this morning from Crayford, in Bexley, to Charing Cross to demonstrate the "grim experience" faced by many commuters.

He said: "It is no secret that south London suffers from unacceptable levels of overcrowding. The current Mayor has said it is inadequate.

"Faced with rising fares and no chance of a seat, London's commuters get a raw deal. No wonder we are not persuaded to get out of our cars - there simply isn't a better alternative."

By comparison, Ken Livingstone has used the 2012 Olympics to secure the long-delayed £1billion extension of the East London Tube line, which he hopes eventually to turn into an "outer Circle line".

Mr Livingstone called Mr Johnson's proposal a stunt. A spokesman for the Mayor's campaign said: "Boris Johnson can't even remember the last time he used a bus. Over the last eight years Mr Livingstone has pushed through the biggest expansion of bus services since the Second World War with the Tories opposing the budget to deliver this every year." Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Paddick has promised to use revenues from a £10 congestion charge - that he would levy on all non-Londoners entering the capital - to fund more frequent suburban train services.