Smallest Bus

[martinsh]

Oracle, that is considerably more elegant that today's mini-mini-bus options!

Greenback, I know the ones you mean. Can't say I've seen anything like them anywhere in the UK (and can't immediately think of anywhere that would dictate the need for such a thing in quite the same way that Rome's <i>centro storico</i> does. I guess in the UK the most likely use for something similar might be on very sparsely-used rural routes, rather than historic town centre ones.

Merseytravel had some of these for a centre service in Birkenhead. Not very reliable - they later went to Liverpool Airport as airside buses. Not sure if they are still there.

There were also some "larger" (3 axles, 11seats !) ones in St Helens which were still there last year.

Don't sure if this thread is about vehicles travelled on, but I've been on these vehicles in Rome, Positano (Italy), Birkenhead and St Helens. Otherwise the smallest I've been on in normal service is an Optare Alero.

 

[deltic1989]

Merseytravel had some of these for a centre service in Birkenhead. Not very reliable - they later went to Liverpool Airport as airside buses. Not sure if they are still there.

There were also some "larger" (3 axles, 11seats !) ones in St Helens which were still there last year.

Don't sure if this thread is about vehicles travelled on, but I've been on these vehicles in Rome, Positano (Italy), Birkenhead and St Helens. Otherwise the smallest I've been on in normal service is an Optare Alero.

I started the thread looking for nominations for the smallest bus in the UK, so anything goes you don't have to have travelled on it.

 

[dzug2]

I wonder when it stops being a bus and becomes a taxi - a tuk tuk one is really small.

Suppose it boils down to whether it's a scheduled route or not but somewhere there might be one doing an on-demand shuttle for example. Not in the UK though.

 

[rail-britain]

Stagecoach used to store "strategic use" in Northampton

The smallest they had was the Iveco at 12 seats from 1989
These were used in numerous bus wars across the south of England and eventually the entire fleet was moved to Devon

The Mercedes-Benz chassis conversions were mostly inherited
Access to/from these vehicles was very poor
These were then spread across the entire group, for internal use only (staff movements), taking them out of front line service
However, they remained in use on rural routes where more seats were required
These were replaced by the Mercedes-Benz 709D Alexander body vehicles, which became standard from 1993

During a bus war, the existing fleet was usually surplus to requirement and so would often be deployed to another operator
However, this practice ended in 1991 where new buses were used instead, at the end of the war some of those new buses would then be transferred away (surplus to requirement) and to where they were originally intended

 

[Deerfold]

I wonder when it stops being a bus and becomes a taxi - a tuk tuk one is really small.

Suppose it boils down to whether it's a scheduled route or not but somewhere there might be one doing an on-demand shuttle for example. Not in the UK though.

The tuk tuks in Brighton are registered as buses which is why they're not allowed to divert off the route. You can also get long queues if they're having a popular day.

You're going to struggle to find smaller. Are they for 2 pax?

EDIT: hadn't realised they were withdrawn 3 years ago! Apparently after being fined (£16500) for not operating as a bus but trying to be taxis.

 

[Ivo]

W-on-Sea could give a better explanation of these I imagine, but the Dengie routes in Essex (South Woodham Ferrers, Burnham-on-Crouch, Maldon; inside that triangle) used to use 7-seater Sprinters. Then they were upgraded to 12-seat (complete with flashy Essex CC livery), and finally, upon re-tendering, to 16-seater Optare Solos.

Until last summer, the local bus for Royal Holloway (part of the University of London, based in Egham) used to use converted ambulances! Now it uses Dennis Darts. Real original (!)

 

[Stonesourscotty]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38156936@N02/3996708930/ What about these horrible St Helens buses.

 

[90019]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38156936@N02/3996708930/ What about these horrible St Helens buses.

Tri axle!

Loving how they're not even RHD

 

[bus man]

Leyland National

 

[Deerfold]

Leyland National

What?

 

[bus man]

What?

Thought it was very clear Leyland National


Well this one any way

Taken at a open day at Yorkshire Woolen Bell Isle depot around 1984 ish .

 

[185]

FirstGroup claim that passengers have to much room so have developed a new economy space-saver option:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdq2L9bdZLY&feature=related

 

[Deerfold]

Thought it was very clear Leyland National


Well this one any way

Taken at a open day at Yorkshire Woolen Bell Isle depot around 1984 ish .

That makes rather more sense!

 

[northwichcat]

This Mercedes vehicle is still quite common: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5245/5339075444_f7b2ce822b.jpg

 

[Ivo]

Honestly, that's huge compared to some of the vehicles in this thread! Those things sit 23-27 typically.

 

[The Decapod]

I can't find a reference to it but during the 80's or 90's a Peugeot 405 Estate car was used as a bus, i.e. on a fixed route, with a timetable, in a remote part of Scotland.

 

[bus man]

Remember Lincoln CT used normal taxis on some routes they called them Lincoln Limo's