London buses decide first route to be only run by NBfL

[Deerfold]

TfL have announced that the first route to be run entirely by the New Bus for London (Borisbus) will be route 24 from Pimlico to Hampstead Heath - though no start date has been announced.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/27090.aspx

 

[radamfi]

It seems odd to replace a route which has just had brand new hybrids put on it with hybrids. Why not choose a route that isn't currently run by hybrids? Admittedly, the 24 has some non-hybrid buses on it as well. Obviously the 24 is famous for being a highly visible route, which is why it was chosen for the first route in central London to be run by a private firm in the 80s.

 

[Deerfold]

It seems odd to replace a route which has just had brand new hybrids put on it with hybrids. Why not choose a route that isn't currently run by hybrids? Admittedly, the 24 has some non-hybrid buses on it as well. Obviously the 24 is famous for being a highly visible route, which is why it was chosen for the first route in central London to be run by a private firm in the 80s.

But then the current buses will just cascade to another route so there's no loss of Hybrids in London.

Am I cynical in thinking the 24's never too far from a garage

The 24 is of course one of (or possibly the) longest running unchanged route in London (except for avoiding 1 way systems etc).

This'll account for 27 buses - just another 573 to allocate.

 

[bb21]

Now, let me see: 38, 73, 10, 9, 14, 22, 15, 436, 453, 74, 11, 25, 23, 148, ...

How many buses still left?

 

[bakerstreet]

Now, let me see: 38, 73, 10, 9, 14, 22, 15, 436, 453, 74, 11, 25, 23, 148, ...

How many buses still left?

Please give open platform back to 13 and 139 !

 

[Sprinter]

Please give open platform back to 13 and 139 !

The 13 has just been reawarded to Transdev with normal hybrid double deckers

 

[tbtc]

The cynic in me wonders whether this is partly because the 24 spends a significant part of it's time in Zone One, so the new buses will be very visible (rather than risk running them being all the way out in Clapton where swing voters may not be around to gaze in wonder at all of this investment).

 

[BestWestern]

The cynic in me wonders whether this is partly because the 24 spends a significant part of it's time in Zone One, so the new buses will be very visible (rather than risk running them being all the way out in Clapton where swing voters may not be around to gaze in wonder at all of this investment).

I doubt most people will a: notice, or b: give a toss, to be honest!

NBfL is a shocking waste of public money, verging on scandalous. The debate is irrelevant now of course, but hopefully at least a reasonable proportion of the population will see the folly of these things. Damned ugly too!

 

[jopsuk]

the real fun bit will be when the waste-of-money customer service agent (who won't be checking/collecting fares) has to stop people boarding whilst there's clearly lots of standing room, as the damn thing is so heavy the maximum standee count takes it to the maximum permitted axle load (in fact, has been limited to this)

 

[BestWestern]

the real fun bit will be when the waste-of-money customer service agent (who won't be checking/collecting fares) has to stop people boarding whilst there's clearly lots of standing room, as the damn thing is so heavy the maximum standee count takes it to the maximum permitted axle load (in fact, has been limited to this)

Seriously?!

 

[vicbury]

Very happy that I left London before these ever reached the 29 (if they ever will). Waste of money, ugly, poor travelling experience due to the tiny windows and ineffective air cooling and will only serve to encourage the fare evasion that withdrawing bendy buses was meant to curb. The only thing I like about them is the ride quality, which is comparable to a Gemini 2 integral. I've never been on a bus before that has made me feel travel sick (plenty of coaches have) and the NBfL managed to achieve that!

 

[Deerfold]

the real fun bit will be when the waste-of-money customer service agent (who won't be checking/collecting fares) has to stop people boarding whilst there's clearly lots of standing room, as the damn thing is so heavy the maximum standee count takes it to the maximum permitted axle load (in fact, has been limited to this)

Or even more fun when the driver has to try and do it in an evening when they're on their own.

 

[jopsuk]

Seriously?!

Yup. The things are seriously heavy. Despite being longer, they carry no more passengers than amn Enviro 400 as far as I know. Very few seats on the ground floor, too.

 

[Deerfold]

Accoring to "Boriswatch":

Total Capacity: 87
Lower Deck: 22 seats
Upper Deck: 40 seats
Seating: 62
Standing: 25

According to Alexander Dennis the Enviro 400 can be specifird with between 67 and 79 seats. The 67 figure is for a "coach" specification.

I'd expect to get at least an extra 15-20 people on an Enviro with 17 more of them sat down.

 

[317 forever]

The cynic in me wonders whether this is partly because the 24 spends a significant part of it's time in Zone One, so the new buses will be very visible (rather than risk running them being all the way out in Clapton where swing voters may not be around to gaze in wonder at all of this investment).

Indeed, I now reckon the LTs will be used on routes predominately in zone 1. Route 24 is a surprise choice not just for having just received new buses, but because it was converted to opo as long ago as 1986. I thought LTs would be restricted to routes serving Piccadilly or the main section on Oxford Street.

 

[Deerfold]

I thought LTs would be restricted to routes serving Piccadilly or the main section on Oxford Street.

With 600 of them to allocate they'd have to be spread a bit wider than that.

 

[Deerfold]

The production line is now up and running.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/27746.aspx

Route 24 willl convert from 22/06/2013.

 

[Manchester77]

Will the production vehicles be any different to the current pre production ones on the 38?