New RM conductors to go

[Mikey C]

I think it's a real shame the "conductors" are going; I have benefitted from the open platform boarding on a number of occasions and I also think they are excellent buses to travel on from a customer point of view because of this function.

However if the financials don't add up and also I can understand that it's a bit confusing for the masses that some routes have open boarding, others don't, and also that it depends on the time of the day whether they have it or not; I once saw a 390 on Tottenham Court Road that had the rear door closed, and the one behind it had the rear door open!

I used to use the 9 and 10 regularly, and while during the day the majority would have the platform open, occasionally I'd get on the "wrong" one and fume as I wasn't able to jump off when I wanted!

Incidentally, one of the reasons for abolishing the heritage 9H was that having open platform Borismasters on the normal 9 reduced the number of people using it...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I used to use the 9 and 10 regularly, and while during the day the majority would have the platform open, occasionally I'd get on the "wrong" one and fume as I wasn't able to jump off when I wanted!

Incidentally, one of the reasons for abolishing the heritage 9H was that having open platform Borismasters on the normal 9 reduced the number of people using it...

One of the reasons.... the main one being the cost

 

[Mikey C]

One of the reasons.... the main one being the cost

The number of people using the 9H did drop after the conversion of the 9 to Borismasters, which made its cost harder to justify.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think it's a real shame the "conductors" are going; I have benefitted from the open platform boarding on a number of occasions and I also think they are excellent buses to travel on from a customer point of view because of this function.

I find it fun (and two fingers up to modern-day health and safety) - but it wouldn't be needed at all if the design and layout of stop infrastructure in parts of London wasn't so terrible. For years, bus stop locations were ignored in central London (Oxford St being one good example) because of open boarding. Now TfL need to pay attention and fix the problem properly.

 

[Antman]

The number of people using the 9H did drop after the conversion of the 9 to Borismasters, which made its cost harder to justify.

Yes that was without doubt the main reason, by contrast the 15H still continues, the extra capacity to and from the Tower of London being very welcome at busy times.