Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed the next phase of the Lane Rental expansion, with Camden and Merton becoming the latest boroughs to introduce the scheme to reduce road disruption and cut congestion for bus passengers and road users. This follows the launch of schemes in Enfield and Lambeth earlier this year.
The expansion marks a key milestone in the Mayor’s pledge to widen the scheme across the capital, helping to reduce road disruption and keep London moving.
Lane Rental allows TfL and boroughs to charge utility companies for carrying out works on the busiest roads at the most disruptive times, encouraging better planning, closer collaboration and providing funds for innovative new ways to reduce delays on the roads.
The expansion of the scheme forms a central part of TfL’s London on the Move strategy, which sets out how the capital’s road network will be transformed over the coming years by cutting congestion and making use of new technology to better manage roadworks. A key benefit of expanding Lane Rental across London is creating a more consistent approach to managing streetworks on the capital’s roads. As more boroughs join the scheme, companies carrying out works can better coordinate works, improving planning and reducing disruption across borough boundaries. This approach helps keep London moving while providing a more consistent experience for road users, bus passengers and local communities across the capital.
The next phase of the scheme continues to build on boroughs already part of the Lane Rental movement. A further eight boroughs have recently had their lane rental applications approved: Barnet, Hammersmith & Fulham, Havering, Kingston upon Thames, Redbridge, Southwark, Sutton and Tower Hamlets. Their addition from autumn 2026 will mean a third of all London Boroughs have signed up to the Lane Rental scheme, helping to improve millions of journeys.
TfL and partners are also using Lane Rental surplus funding to support innovation across the network, helping to improve safety while reducing the disruption caused by streetworks. This includes investing in new technologies that transform how works are monitored and managed in real time. For example, trials are underway using smart barrier systems that can quickly detect faults, ensuring defective or unsafe barriers are identified and repaired faster to better protect road users and workers.
Lane Rental funding has supported the ‘Dig Once’ approach, encouraging organisations to work together when carrying out streetworks and helping to minimise disruption for road users. It has also funded pilots of camera and AI technology on buses to identify unsafe or unpermitted roadworks and obstruction hotspots, enabling quicker intervention and helping to keep the network moving. More recently Lane Rental funding has been used to trial advanced drone and AI technology to inspect key infrastructure, reducing the need for disruptive road closures while delivering more detailed and efficient data collection. Alongside this, it is helping to expand programmes such as “Road to Net Zero”, which provides updated design guidance, enhanced training, and improved tools to minimise the traffic impact of works while cutting carbon emissions.
The continued investment in London’s roads and streets follows a major milestone in new legislation, with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill being passed earlier this year. Subject to further updates to regulations, this legislation will give the Mayor the power to determine all new London borough Lane Rental scheme applications, accelerating the rollout of schemes across London from autumn 2026.
As part of London on the Move and our collaborative work with boroughs, TfL is also expanding the use of BusSense, a partnership with boroughs that reduces the impact of high-impact streetworks on bus routes through better coordination. Early results showed a 3.5 per cent improvement in bus journey times where it has been deployed, and TfL is planning to partner with all boroughs by autumn 2026.
Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: “The Mayor and I are determined to improve bus journey times and cut congestion for all road users, which is why we’re delighted the capital’s Lane Rental scheme continues to expand across London. By encouraging streetworks to take place collaboratively and outside the busiest hours, we’re minimising disruption while generating funding for further innovation that keeps the capital moving.
“This scheme is a key part of our new approach to managing London’s streets more effectively – using technology and smarter infrastructure to cut congestion, improve safety and speed up journey times on the bus network, as we continue building a greener, better London for everyone.
Carl Eddleston, TfL’s Director of Streets and Network Operations, said: “Expanding Lane Rental is a key part of our work to cut congestion and make journeys for bus passengers and road users more reliable across London. It encourages companies to plan and carry out works in a way that reduces disruption, while also supporting the use of new technology and innovation on our road network.
“We are pleased to see Camden and Merton joining, and many more boroughs preparing to follow. We look forward to continue building on our London on the Move strategy to make our streets safer and more efficient for the future.”
Councillor Stuart Neaverson, Merton Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Cleaner Streets, said: “I’m delighted that Merton is leading the way in London by becoming one of the first councils to implement a lane rental scheme.
“It is incredibly frustrating when utility companies take up vital road space for days or weeks on end, causing disruption for Merton residents.
“These new powers will help us hold these utility companies to account by charging them each day they carry out roadworks. Trials elsewhere in the country show this can have a significant impact on reducing the length of roadworks. It will also allow us to invest even more into our road network for use on the things that matter to local residents, like fixing potholes.”
Councillor James Slater, Cabinet Member for Planning and a Sustainable Camden said: “I understand the disruption and inconvenience that roadworks can at times cause our residents and businesses, along with commuters – especially in a busy central London location such as Camden.
“We have undertaken considerable work to prepare for the lane rental scheme, which alongside our existing permit scheme, will apply to the most traffic-sensitive parts of Camden’s road network, covering around one in five of our roads, reducing disruption, improving journey reliability, and supporting cleaner air and healthier streets.”
