How should I travel to London?

Transport for London plans bus routes, specifies service levels and monitors service quality. The actual bus services are operated by a number of bus operating companies which work under contract to London Buses. Although most of the operating companies are private-sector organisations, one (East Thames Buses) is owned by Transport for London, and managed at arm's length so as to avoid conflicts of interest. Although this originally came about due to the default of a private sector operator, it seems now to be deliberate policy, possibly partly to act as an exemplar for other operators as to how TfL wishes bus services to be run. Transport for London is also directly responsible for the management of bus stations and bus stops and other support services. It provides passenger information in the form of timetables and maps at bus stops, and produces leaflet maps which passengers can obtain at Travel Information Centres, libraries etc.