There was a period between these two where distance-based fares returned, especially for fares on buses which left London and on night buses. When I visited London in the late 90s and 2000, these fares could be over £3 and Day and Weekend Travelcards were not valid on night buses.
Before the Oyster card was launched Ken Livingstone introduced two fares, 70p outside Zone 1, £1 including Zone one (though cheaper packs of "saver" tickets were available). Oyster card was launched to the public in 2004 and those using it paid 70p for any ticket. The price increased substantially to £1 in 2005, but didn't go above that until 2010 and went down to 90p for 2008 only).
That does sound familiar.
They were, as were all letter prefixed routes for a few years, excepting the N prefix night services.
Returns certainly weren't available on any routes that I used as a boy in the 60s.
I'm as certain as you and Roger1973 that the Central area (i.e. red buses) never had return fares, but I'm not sure about the Country Area (green buses.) From my reading, the Gibson ticket machine that became the norm for bus conductors from 1953 onwards did have a code 'R' for return tickets, but that might have been provided 'just in case.' The Gibson was the invention of the man of that name who was boss of the L.T. Effra Road, Brixton Ticket Machine Works
The original “modern day” (!) Red Arrow bus - Route 500 - was introduced in 1966, running between Victoria and Marble Arch during the peaks and over a circular route (via Grosvenor Square) returning to Victoria, at other times. The concept was extended and by 1972 there were eight routes:
I am absolutely certain that return fares were not offered on London's red routes. They were offered on Green Line coaches but I'm not sure about London Country routes as I rarely, if ever used them.
Hounslow West, rather than Hatton Cross, surely?
Returns were not generally available on LT Country Buses, or London Country buses when the Gibson machine was used . There were exceptions on certain sections of outlying Country bus routes (for instance in the Brentwood-Ongar area and I think Tring-Aylesbury ) which lay outside the designated LT area and other operators farescales and conditions applied. Returns were issued on Green Line Coaches, but conductors on these never used the Gibson. (Speed Setrights were used to mechanise). Red buses never had returns.
Whoops, yes, Hounslow West.
Didn't they extend the Piccadilly line first to Hatton Cross before it went all the way to Heathrow? My recollection is that they did then run the A1 from Hatton Cross to Heathrow. And it would have been flat fare!
Sources are correct. Hatton Cross opened on 19th July 1975. It marked the high water mark for the number of stations on the network. This is quoted at 279 but, try as I may to get to that number (and I've worked forwards from the opening of the system and backwards from the current total of 272) I make it 280. However, I digress.
It was the London Borough of Bromley which led a successful challenge against GLC Leader Ken Livingstone's "Fares Fair" policy:
ourhistory-hayes.blogspot.com
I have a memory of the Red Arrows being farebox buses rather than turnstyle. Am I mis-remembering?
I'm pretty certain that both the MBA's and the SMS's had fareboxes in later life. I'm pretty certain the SMS's would have been farebox fitted by the time they transferred to Red Arrow work. The turnstiles were pretty unreliable, and I think may have been replaced during their lives by fareboxes. The driver was able to release the turnstiles from the cab - again due to their general unreliability in the main. The LS's had fareboxes from new.
