New Routemaster tested by Boris at Milbrook

[nctx]

I think most bus seats are Faux Leather , I know that Nottingham City Transport new 43 buses have them.

http://www.nctx.co.uk/news/2011/05/bakersfield-buses-just-got-better/

The Enviro 400 seats are to close , thats what people said about them when Nottingham City Transport tested one on the route 48.

 

[Snapper]

Funny isn't it. The Borismaster has multiple doors which mean that people can get on/off without having to pass the driver.

Something that people like Andrew Gilligan chastised the bendy buses for - labelling it a 'thieves charter'.

Amnesia sets in very quickly it seems...

 

[daikilo]

Funny isn't it. The Borismaster has multiple doors which mean that people can get on/off without having to pass the driver.

Something that people like Andrew Gilligan chastised the bendy buses for - labelling it a 'thieves charter'.

Amnesia sets in very quickly it seems...

Amnesia is what is left when all other methods to avoid the truth become invalid.

What I note is that the total capacity seated and standing seems to be below what a 12m decker has achieved seated for as long as it has existed.

 

[jon0844]

The bendy buses made it easy to fare evade, and given how few revenue officers TfL have, it was well known bendy buses were effectively free.

If this new bus has loads of doors, it will very quickly become a much loved bus! It's far easier to jump on one of these and not pay than sneak by the driver, or board through the middle doors (as many do, especially at busy times). Even if the driver notices, it usually results in him/her saying 'get off', the person refuses and the doors close and the bus moves on.

 

[daikilo]

The bendy buses made it easy to fare evade, and given how few revenue officers TfL have, it was well known bendy buses were effectively free.

If this new bus has loads of doors, it will very quickly become a much loved bus! It's far easier to jump on one of these and not pay than sneak by the driver, or board through the middle doors (as many do, especially at busy times). Even if the driver notices, it usually results in him/her saying 'get off', the person refuses and the doors close and the bus moves on.

The Bendy's pax limit made it very easy to justify a fare management crewmember. That the person may have had difficulty moving around due max or overload is another issue.

 

[LE Greys]

I take it the stairs at the back will have a door when in service. The main thing I miss about Routemasters is the ability to get on or off between stops (I could get on at 10 mph and get off at 20 - but usually waited for traffic lights). Other than that, it's a case of "nice idea, but..." People have already said they are pricey. They could have cut back on that by omitting air-con and putting ventilators in all the windows, especially the top-deck front windows, where old RMs used to have them. They could still reintroduce conductors to help with the fares issue, but that is pricey as well.

My opinion. It's a nice idea.

 

[SS4]

We have some in Birmingham which are still ok (excluding the rips, graffiti and blood stains) after 3 years. Plus side is they are really comfy.

Agreed. The newest 638s have excellent padded seats, the softest I've been on!

 

[Mike395]

I take it the stairs at the back will have a door when in service. The main thing I miss about Routemasters is the ability to get on or off between stops (I could get on at 10 mph and get off at 20 - but usually waited for traffic lights). Other than that, it's a case of "nice idea, but..." People have already said they are pricey. They could have cut back on that by omitting air-con and putting ventilators in all the windows, especially the top-deck front windows, where old RMs used to have them. They could still reintroduce conductors to help with the fares issue, but that is pricey as well.

My opinion. It's a nice idea.

According to the Evening Standard the hop on/hop off door will only be open when a conductor is on board, to limit fare evasion anyway Apparently the vehicle will have a conductor on board between 8am and 8pm

I really like the concept, it's just a shame I think they're ugly....might grow on me though

 

[gordonthemoron]

87 (seated & standing) seems a low capacity as recent NCT double deckers have a seated capacity greater than that

 

[nctx]

Yeah but Nottingham City Transports Scania's are 12 metres , most London buses are only 10.8 metres.

 

[Pumbaa]

So they cost more per vehicle, cost more to run as they require 2 staff with all 3 sets of doors in use, and when they're not fulfilling their optimum service, they're running around with 2 sets of doors and doing the job of a normal double-decker, for err, twice the price.

****ing hell. Vanity project, daft, impractical and expensive. Much like the CableCar project which is a truly horrendous waste of time and money.

 

[bb21]

According to the Evening Standard the hop on/hop off door will only be open when a conductor is on board, to limit fare evasion anyway Apparently the vehicle will have a conductor on board between 8am and 8pm

I really like the concept, it's just a shame I think they're ugly....might grow on me though

Twin staircase, so what is the point of a conductor? Hardcore fare-dodgers will just play hide & seek with him/her anyway.

 

[jon0844]

Will one staircase be made for going up and the other for going down? If not, why exactly are there two?!

Naturally, without some sort of gate or turnstile, you're not going to stop people going up and down the wrong set of stairs anyway.

I really don't know what the advantage is of having two stairs, at the expense of a number of seats.

 

[bb21]

Naturally, without some sort of gate or turnstile, you're not going to stop people going up and down the wrong set of stairs anyway.

But then that slows things right down.

 

[BrummyBoy]

Agreed. The newest 638s have excellent padded seats, the softest I've been on!

Indeed they are, as are the ones on the 952/997 routes.

 

[vectra33]

Anyone have a idea of what chassie and engine it has.

It cannot be a Scania as theres no Hybrid , he says its all made in Uk , so must be a Dennis ?

If its just a ADX Enviro 400 with a new body I don't see the point.

Or is it a Volvo.

Its none of the above,its a custom design,using an integeral Wrigths shell,


It has a series hybrid drive,

Theres a 130kw siemens elecric motor under the offside lower seats,
Under the rear staircase is a Euro 5 cummins 4.5 litre engine and a generator.
the batteries are under the lower deck seats on the nearside.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Personally, I think the bus looks disgusting without any form of paint. Its design doesn't look modern, it looks tatty. Just my opinion though, I suppose.