An Accident Involving a New Bus For London
There has been a lot of reports, like this one on the BBC, about a serious accident involving a New Bus for London.
It is still too early to ascertain the cause of the accident, but some interests will probably blame Boris and the new bus.
I think that no-one should speculate until we know what happened.
In Six Days Tourists And The Posh Get New Buses for London
On the 21st of September, route 11 gets converted to New Buses for London.
This to me, is a good choice of route, as it runs along the very crowded Kings Road. So perhaps it might tempt people to hop on and off to get up and down the road, rather than use the Chelsea tractor.
But the newbusification of the route will not be popular with the tour bus operators, if this statement from the route’s Wikipedia entry is correct.
The journey from the top deck is a cheap means of sightseeing in London.
I don’t think bendy buses ever had any attractions for visitors to London.
I shall be there on Saturday.
Do We Have Too Many Site-Seeing Buses In London?
On Friday, I needed to get from Piccadily Circus to the Aldwych, which is a simple one bus journey on a 6, 13 or 23. But the whole area was in chaos because of large numbers of site-seeing buses. This one was even parked so that it blocked the Haymarket.
Do We Have Too Many Site-Seeing Buses In London?
Hopefully, when more New Buses for London are delivered and take over routes in the centre, the economics of taking of the annoying tourist-ripping-off site-seeing buses will take a well-deserved nose-dive.
I’m also getting rather fed up in some places in London by the annoying ticket touts for these buses, who I keep telling to Foxtrot Oscar.
Proof That LT7 Is Back On The Job
I’ve seen it a couple of times, since it appeared on Top Gear, but today was the first time, I managed to photograph it.
Proof That LT7 Is Back On The Job
A driver did tell me it’s all pristine now, although it didn’t return that way from Top Gear.
When Are The Hackney Eight Going To Be Reinforced?
The latest news, as reported here, that London bus routes 9 and 390 are the two next routes to be taken over by New Buses for London is good news for some. The trendy areas beloved of the chattering classes, like Notting Hill, Hammersmith and Archway, will now be targeted by the Boris buses.
But as East London is one of the areas of London with the highest level of bus use, isn’t it about time, that another route in the East was converted, or the much-loved Hackney Eight were reinforced?
At least though LT7 is back on the day job after it’s few days as a television star on Top Gear.
And what about my friends in South London, who have no routes, either converted or scheduled to be so?
One Of The Hackney Eight Appears On Top Gear
The seventh New Bus for London,LT7 has appeared on Top Gear tonight, driven by James May.
This link points to a picture of the actual bus, waiting at Victoria.
This is probably the only time, I’ve ever sat in an actual vehicle featured on television.
Are The New Bus for London’s Overheating Problems Fixed?
According to this article in the Standard, Sir Peter Hendy says that the overheating problems on the New Bus for London are fixed.
But don’t just take his word for it.
Today I went with a friend from Trafalgar Square to Warren Street on one of the new buses on Route 24.
It was very pleasant despite it being a very hot day.
I do have a slight reservation about route 24, in that, when the Hackney 8 on route 38 were running double-crewed, the atmosphere did sometimes catch a bit of a party mood. But probably, that’s because Hackney is the East End with all its bustle and humour and Hampstead is a lot more posh and sedate. I’ve even been chatted up by a widow some years older than me on a 38! That certainly wouldn’t happen on a 24!
Can The Posh In Pimlico And Hampstead Count?
Tom Edwards on the BBC was reporting, that the Hackney 8 are now running without tail-gunners, as to have two different buses on the same route, might confuse the passengers. So they shut the rear door to make it simpler!
But here in Hackney, when it matters we can count to three and generally have a few fingers to spare. I was on a New Bus for London last night and everybody was behaving as they should and the driver was opening the rear door to ease passengers off and on the bus. I didn’t see any problems! So to the good people of Hackney a selection of buses, just adds to life’s rich pageant.
What we’d really like is a few more New Buses for London, preferably with some wannabee comedians as tail-gunners!
Is No News Good News For The New Bus For London?
I have a Google Alert for the New Bus for London.
I haven’t had a story; pro, anti or neutral for about two weeks now.
So is this good news for the New Bus for London?
As to the Hackney Eight, who are now running single-manned, they seem to be performing well without their tail-gunner. I’ve ridden one of them a few times since they changed to driver-only and everything seems to be working well, with the passengers using all three doors to enter and leave the bus.
There has been no reports at all on how they are now performing!
Every New Bus for London Has A Make-Up Mirror
A couple of times, I have seen the female of the species using the destination display of a New Bus for London as a make-up mirror, whilst they are standing in the wheel-chair space. So I took this picture of the display.
Every New Bus for London Has A Make-Up Mirror
That clever Mr. Heatherwick thinks of everything.
The Anonymous Widower 