Santa’s In Charge
I rode back from the Angel today on a New Bus for London. The driver/conductor was dressed for Christmas. And for the weather!
Santa’s In Charge
At least the red is compatible with London buses’ iconic colour.
A New Bus for London To The Rescue
This afternoon, it was all chaos in Islington. There appeared to have been a serious accident on the Essex Road and all of the buses were diverting by Highbury Corner.
I was trying to get home by getting a bus down St. Paul’s Road, but the normal 30s and 277s couldn’t get past the jams. A couple of 38s went past without stopping, although it wasn’t their normal territory. And then a New Bus for London hove into view!
It stopped and quite a few including myself got aboard.
The conductor was marshalling people on and off and the hop-on/hop-off capability meant that quite a few got to their destination, despite it not being the regular route.
When it did get to its regular route, I got off and walked home.
It was all a superb demonstration of the advantages of doubled-crewed buses with a hop-on/hop-off platform.
Roll on the next six hundred.
The Friendly Bus
New Buses for London get little criticism, except from those on the left, who think Boris should be running a whelk stall.
I travelled to the Angel today and wanted to get a 30, so I could go for breakfast at Carluccio’s. As I was waiting I got talking to a mother, with two young children, who were waiting for a 38. She said that her kids liked the new buses and often waited for one.
Does this mean that these buses are creating a whole new generation of bus travellers, just like the original Routemaster did in the 1960s. Let’s hope so, as we all know what is the greenest way to travel. And in cities like London, buses are often quicker from point to point.
After breakfast, whilst walking to Waitrose, a New Bus passed and I thought I’d go to the bigger shop at the Brunswick Centre. So I jumped on at the lights. After a couple of stops, several of us were sharing bus stories of our childhood with the driver/conductor.
Only New Buses for London get people talking like this.
The Cheeky Conductor
I got a New Bus for London home from the Angel this morning. I’d not seen him before or the route and I suspect, he could have been someone training to do the job.
He was certainly enjoying himself balancing on the platform watching the street.
I used the expression cheeky in the title, as at one set of lights, whilst the bus was stationary and waiting for the green, he dismounted and went and looked in a shop window, before getting back on the bus well before it moved away.
A couple of conductors on New Buses for London have said to me how much they like the job and the interactions with the public. He was only demonstrating this in a direct way.
Looking Backwards
I took this video this morning backwards from a New Bus for London.
On the way home, I got another of the new buses. The driver/conductor said that they are debriefed about road safety and the incidents they see. Now that’s a good idea.
Red Bull Strike At A New Bus for London
Or that’s what it looked like!
Red Bull Strike At A New Bus for London
The bus made a quick turn and got away safety down the Essex Road.
Boris’s Plot To Get Londoners Fit!
A few days ago, at the Angel, I came out of the Tube station and after picking up my paper, I needed any of a 30, 38 or 56 bus to get myself home.
I was crossing the road, when I became aware of people running in all directions, including down the middle of and across the road. Luckily the lights were with us, so I followed the force.
The rushing was all because a New Bus for London, running on the 38 route had appeared and was waiting to get on the stop to suck in its load of passengers.
I got on at the rear platform and sat immediately and safely in one of the rear facing seats by the platform, just as the bus moved away.
This morning returning from the Angel after a coffee and doing some shopping, I followed a rather puffing much younger man onto the bus.
I then remarked to the driver that these buses seemed to be a plot to get Londoners fit.
She laughed and didn’t disagree.
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.
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.
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 Anonymous Widower 