Advice on hailing a bus.. the Uno bus way!

[Tetchytyke]

I'm surprised TfL aren't stamping on this. They are usually good at running a tight ship.

I don't think they really care tbh. When I've complained about it before the response from London Buses was underwhelming to say the least.

As Busaholic says, trying to catch a bus in Aldwych is a nightmare. It's not a great deal better outside Kings Cross station or outside Angel.

 

[Busaholic]

I'm surprised TfL aren't stamping on this. They are usually good at running a tight ship.

Neil

Too much autonomy to the bus companies - TfL inspectors on the ground are what is needed with real powers to moderate including the ability to turn buses as in the old days, with reference to control rooms of course, but they'd have the knowledge at first hand. The old Gold Badge inspectors were, in the main, wise, authoritative and vastly experienced. Got to wonder how many at HQ live up to those attributes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Too much autonomy to the bus companies - TfL inspectors on the ground are what is needed with real powers to moderate including the ability to turn buses as in the old days, with reference to control rooms of course, but they'd have the knowledge at first hand. The old Gold Badge inspectors were, in the main, wise, authoritative and vastly experienced. Got to wonder how many at HQ live up to those attributes.

Doesn't CentreComm control all London bus routes, or do they have to liaise with bus company control rooms as well?

Neil

 

[radamfi]

Northern Ireland for Translink,Ulsterbus.
The problem is that our sister side,Metro with their pink buses cover the city....this is where confusion begins.
Any UB service entering Belfast with a service number in the 500's can pick up everywhere and will take all customers into the city...even with a Metro day ticket(purchased from a Metro bus)

Now an UB service not in the 500's will not,so after the outskirts of the city he will only then drop off the passengers he has on board in the city limits and not pick up......to add even more confusion,on the way out of the city,the 500 series will stop at every stop whereas the other service numbers have a first setting down point outside the city limits.....I hope that is clear....not great for a tourist I know.

That used to be standard practice in many places in England especially before deregulation. After deregulation that continued but normally only where local buses are run by the same company as the longer distance routes and where there is no competition. I don't know if some places still adopt that policy, at least informally (i.e. the driver will let you on/off grudgingly).

 

[Deerfold]

Doesn't CentreComm control all London bus routes, or do they have to liaise with bus company control rooms as well?

Neil

No, buses are controlled by their home garage. Cetrecomm *can* contact any bus - and any bus can put in a code red call to Centrecomm but day-to-day this doesn't happen for any given bus.

 

[Liam]

Lothian adopt this practice in Edinburgh, buses WILL NOT overtake at stops unless there is nobody waiting or it is the same service to the same destination (the provision of rear destination screens helping here).

On the contrary of you are at a stop and don't want on it is helpful to wave the driver past to save everyone time!

I find it interesting that in Edinburgh it's customary to stick your hand out, but in Fife it isn't.

 

[Deerfold]

I find it interesting that in Edinburgh it's customary to stick your hand out, but in Fife it isn't.

Go on, what happens in Fife?

 

[Liam]

Go on, what happens in Fife?

Moving from the shelter to the kerbside is enough, but it's usually pretty clear when people want to board the bus (picking up bags, organising kids etc.)