The Designers of the New Bus for London Missed a Trick Here
This picture shows the roof detail downstairs on the New Bus for London.
Roof Detail on a New Bus for London
The strip is just a moulding and design detail, but on some buses in the sixties and seventies, this strip was soft and if you pressed it the bell rang to stop the bus.
London Uses The Train Model For 600 New Buses for London
London has just ordered 600 New Buses for London from Wrightbus, according to this article on the BBC website.
Boris’s political opponents say he is wrong, but they would anyway, wouldn’t they?
On the other hand, what Transport for London (TfL) are using is exactly the same purchase model, as that used for trains in this country.
The trains are ordered by the Department of Transport, owned by leasing companies or ROSCOs and then hired by the train companies like Virgin. In many cases, the maintenance is arranged by the manufacturer or ROSCO and they guarantee to provide so many trains each day.
When applied to London’s buses, this must give similar advantages.
- Although, TfL are buying 600 buses, I suspect that this package includes maintenance and guarantees a specific number of operational buses. In fact, on the 38 route, there are nine in service, but usually one is kept as a spare, in case of failure.
- Are TfL selling the leases on to a third party? How many of those, who are against the deal, have never bought something on hire purchase or a lease?
- The buses can be used, where and when they are needed. Most routes need about 20-30 buses, so batches of the New Buses can be moved around, according to need. For instance, the passenger pattern may be very different according to the seasons, so buses might run on one route in summer and another in the winter.
- These buses will change as time goes on and owning them outright, gives TfL the opportunity to update the older ones to the new specification.
- I think too, that the single ownership, should mean that the buses will have a longer service lifetime, just like the old Routemasters and the Inter City 125 trains.
- It will also give TfL time to do a full analysis of bus design, operation patterns and costs.
So all things being well, I think this could be a good decision, that saves money in the long term.
Waiting For A New Bus for London
I was waiting for a 38 or 56 bus at the Angel, this afternoon and as I had a couple of moderately-heavy bags from Waitrose and the stop was busy, I waited about twenty metres away from the stop, in case a New Bus for London arrived. I wasn’t the only one and when a bus did arrive, we all formed a secondary queue and got on at the back door, when the conductor beckoned. If one hadn’t have arrived, we’d have all waited until the main queue had shortened and then joined the first bus.
I think we’re just going along with the designer’s plans, as the New Bus was quickly on its way. It will be interesting to see how much New Buses for London save on journey times.
A Missed Picture!
I waited by the Angel Building for a New Bus for London to trundle up the hill to the stop, so that I could photograph one with Lauderdale Tower and The Shard in the background.
Lauderdale Tower and The Shard
But one didn’t come!
Jessica was on the bus-stop opposite!
Jessica At The Bus Stop
She must have the most displayed midriff in history.
Lifts and Crossing The Road At Euston Square Station
I had to go to University College Hospital this morning and took a train to Euston Square station.
The new lifts from the westbound platform to street level aren’t as well signposted as they should be and I met a young lady, who had got rather harassed trying to get to the street.
Coming back, I wanted to get a 30 bus to either Islington or home, so I decided that the quickest way was to take a train to Kings Cross and get the bus from there. I got to the stop just before one arrived.
Public transport from the hospital isn’t as good eastbound as it might be.
Both Ways By New Bus For London
I did a quick trip to the Angel and it was both ways on a New Bus for London. In both cases I saw the bus coming and waited a couple of minutes to catch it. I wasn’t the only one either.
On the way up, I heard a rumour that another ten buses are on their way and they will be on route 73.
Whether this is true, I would have no idea, but it is another route like route 38, that is operated by Arriva.
It’s Grim Up North
The Campaign for Better Transport has just published their report on car dependency in England.
Wigan is the worst, with London and Brighton at the top.
I don’t agree with all their findings, but read the report and make your own.
My argument with their report, is that they don’t talk much about the information systems in the various cities.
To me, this is very important.
An Excursion South Of The Sewer
I ventured well past the big sewer this morning, travelling underneath it on the Overground, through the Thames Tunnel to New Cross Gate station. The other side though, was far from dry.
Rain and Few Bus Shelters South of the Sewer
You can tell too, it’s South London, as the bus stops don’t generally have shelters. It also always rains, when I go there.
My destination was the cafe called With Jam and Bread.
With Jam and Bread in Lee Green
It was good and the gluten-free orange, chocolate and almond cake, I had with my coffee was excellent.
From my point of view, the cafe has another advatange. It has its own bus stop both ways, so is easy to get to.
A New Bus for London Reflected In The Angel Building
I took this picture yesterday from a New Bus for London.
A New Bus For London Reflected In The Angel Building
The Angel Building was nominated for the Stirling Prize in 2011.
The Totally Flat Floor Of A New Bus For London
As someone who travels on buses a lot, all buses should be like this on the lower deck.
The Totally Flat Floor Of A New Bus For London
The picture was taken from the back looking forward.
I think only the New Bus for London has such a flat floor. The conductor told me, it makes things a lot easier for both himself and the passengers.
Incidentally, I had to run and catch this bus. In the end I jumped onto the rear platform after a forty metre sprint. Not bad for a sixty-five year old after a stroke, with a dicky heart.
try doing that on any other bus.
The Anonymous Widower 