Travelling on London bus route 15H

[Be3G]

Whilst reading up about TfL's contactless payment rollout yesterday, I made a surprising discovery that CPCs don't work on the heritage routemasters on route 15. Presumably it has something to do with the use of handheld readers rather than ones fixed to the bus, but I assume that could have been overcome if TfL really wanted it to. Seeing as TfL don't accept cash on their buses, does that mean that unless you hold a valid ticket already (e.g. travelcard), the only way to pay for a journey on the 15H is to use an Oyster? This strikes me as particularly bizarre considering it's a route designed for tourists, and TfL are suggesting tourists use CPCs:

If you're visiting London and have a contactless payment card issued in the UK, using it could save you time, because you won't need to stop to get or top-up an Oyster card, and it's cheaper than paying cash.

I don't suppose there's some secret, unpublicised acceptance of cash on route 15H is there? Otherwise it does seem to me as though TfL are shooting themselves in the foot a bit re. the heritage routemasters. Then again, I suppose they probably would rather not run the service at all…

 

[Robertj21a]

Whilst reading up about TfL's contactless payment rollout yesterday, I made a surprising discovery that CPCs don't work on the heritage routemasters on route 15. Presumably it has something to do with the use of handheld readers rather than ones fixed to the bus, but I assume that could have been overcome if TfL really wanted it to. Seeing as TfL don't accept cash on their buses, does that mean that unless you hold a valid ticket already (e.g. travelcard), the only way to pay for a journey on the 15H is to use an Oyster? This strikes me as particularly bizarre considering it's a route designed for tourists, and TfL are suggesting tourists use CPCs:



I don't suppose there's some secret, unpublicised acceptance of cash on route 15H is there? Otherwise it does seem to me as though TfL are shooting themselves in the foot a bit re. the heritage routemasters. Then again, I suppose they probably would rather not run the service at all…

Your assumptions are all correct and there's no acceptance of cash on the 15H.

 

[Busaholic]

Your assumptions are all correct and there's no acceptance of cash on the 15H.

Does that include the assumption in the last sentence?

 

[Deerfold]

Does that include the assumption in the last sentence?

It looks to be the case amongst some of those at TfL.

 

[Busaholic]

It looks to be the case amongst some of those at TfL.

I'd imagine while Peter Hendy and Leon Daniels hold sway it'll continue, but after they've gone ....

 

[Robertj21a]

I'd imagine while Peter Hendy and Leon Daniels hold sway it'll continue, but after they've gone ....

Agreed. I reckon it will survive for a few more years and then gently fade away. Don't forget that the 'Borismasters' are already officially known as 'New Routemaster' - they only have to put those on the route with the rear door left open most of the time. Foreign tourists won't really know the difference.

 

[Be3G]

Your assumptions are all correct and there's no acceptance of cash on the 15H.

Thanks Robert. I generally think TfL have got the right ideas, but every so often they make my eyes roll, and this is one of those occasions. :roll:

 

[jon0844]

Foreign tourists won't really know the difference.

Other than being extremely impressed with the quality of British engineering from so long ago!

(Or not, as the case may be!)

 

[neilmc]

Then it's about time all these purveyors of London-based tat (money boxes, place mats, chocolate, etc) were informed that only Borismasters are allowed on their products since those are now the "real" traditional London bus. Apart from the hundreds in preservation and hauling wedding parties and the like!

 

[Deerfold]

I'd imagine while Peter Hendy and Leon Daniels hold sway it'll continue, but after they've gone ....

And yet the 9H is already gone.

 

[radamfi]

And yet the 9H is already gone.

They probably don't mind too much because the normal 9 is New Routemaster.

 

[Busaholic]

They probably don't mind too much because the normal 9 is New Routemaster.

The 9 and 9H were always run by different companies - London United were always the most keen to get rid of their original Routemasters and did so without ceremony. While the 9H was run by First from Peter Hendy's old domain at Westbourne Park it may have been relatively safe, but Tower Transit were possibly far less keen on operating them, and supervision on the occasions when I either saw or travelled them in the last few months seemed very lax, with an 'end of term' feel about the whole thing.

The 15 and 15H are a different kettle of fish: both always run by the same company, and since that became Stagecoach again one with an ethos of bus preservation and regard for the RM in line with its early days in Scotland. The buses themselves always gave me an impression of being better cared for than on the 9, even the conductors occasionally stirred themselves! That is my impressionist take on it, though others will no doubt disagree.

Leon Daniels's comment when asked why the 9H rather than the 15H was being withdrawn was that the latter was used more (he may even have said that more CASH was taken on it, which of course now would have to be unsaid), particularly citing having an empty bus to pick up a busload of passengers at Tower Hill, an argument in favour of scheduled short workings if ever I'd heard one!

 

[Deerfold]

The 9 and 9H were always run by different companies - London United were always the most keen to get rid of their original Routemasters and did so without ceremony. While the 9H was run by First from Peter Hendy's old domain at Westbourne Park it may have been relatively safe, but Tower Transit were possibly far less keen on operating them, and supervision on the occasions when I either saw or travelled them in the last few months seemed very lax, with an 'end of term' feel about the whole thing.

The 15 and 15H are a different kettle of fish: both always run by the same company, and since that became Stagecoach again one with an ethos of bus preservation and regard for the RM in line with its early days in Scotland. The buses themselves always gave me an impression of being better cared for than on the 9, even the conductors occasionally stirred themselves! That is my impressionist take on it, though others will no doubt disagree.

Leon Daniels's comment when asked why the 9H rather than the 15H was being withdrawn was that the latter was used more (he may even have said that more CASH was taken on it, which of course now would have to be unsaid), particularly citing having an empty bus to pick up a busload of passengers at Tower Hill, an argument in favour of scheduled short workings if ever I'd heard one!

I can believe the 15H was more popular. It's the one I've taken my nephews and neices on.

However I'm not sure it's relevant that the same company runs the 15 and 15H - they're seperate contracts so this isn;t guaranteed to continue to be the case - they're run out of seperate garages in any case.