New Routemaster (London Bus) Aston Martin Designed

[thecritix]

Apologies if this has been posted already (I'm suprised it hasn't) but the search won' find anything for me so here is my link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7790082.stm

For our American friends, the newly elected Mayor of London Boris Johnson promised in his election campaign to bring back the Routemaster bus and to scrap the Bendy Bus (18m long death trap for anything that isn't another bus or lorry)

Whilst an 18m long articulated bus may work well in America, running through some of Londons narrow high streets with vans unloading and cars illegally parked is a nightmare, (the 207) they are awful!

I say congratulations to Aston Martin and their partners on developing what looks like a grand bus, hopefully a new icon.

I guess the public don't mind their governments spending money when they actually see something happening, all of these other learning partnerships and generally waffle don't tend to be a tangible as getting on a nice new bus!

 

[geese]

bet you it'll never be made.

 

[.dan]

bet you it'll never be made.

That's a safe bet. Those buses would require a conductor which is a frivolous expense considering the current financial climate and the fact that most of the people that regularly use London public transport will have a pass or Oyster card.

 

[thecritix]

That's a safe bet. Those buses would require a conductor which is a frivolous expense considering the current financial climate and the fact that most of the people that regularly use London public transport will have a pass or Oyster card.

I don't see how it is any different to a bendy bus, you can get on the side doors and not pay, you rely on people's good nature... or more likely the threat of an inspector appearing..

(I'm assuming that the new routemaster would have a little oyster panel on the back of it for you to swipe your card on)

therefore its the same as a bendy bus, but taking less footspace on the road, will be more fuel efficient, quicker (Bendy buses have a job getting down high streets at times) The only negatives i see is muggers grabbing someones phone and jumping off the back, and the crowded way London is, I can see more and more people trying to get on the back as the bus is trying to pull away.

 

[steviem]

Exactly, there should be a conductor on the bendy buses, but there aren't so fare evasion has been another problem that the bendy buses have posed.

 

[mkrishnan]

So the way bendy (and non bendy) buses work here is that entry is only via the front entrance adjacent to the driver, with egress preferred through the rear exit but also permitted at the front exit. This way, all users must pay on entry in front of the bus driver (no conducter).

Do they still let people jump on the rear of the bus and so on in London? Why?

 

[steviem]

Yeah, this is how it works on regular double deckers, but the bendy buses are made for you to buy your ticket first or for you to use your Oyster card (travelcard). The driver doesn't have the facility to take payment on the bendy buses in London. Really it was a bad idea put in by Ken Livingstone.

 

[mkrishnan]

Yeah, this is how it works on regular double deckers, but the bendy buses are made for you to buy your ticket first or for you to use your Oyster card (travelcard). The driver doesn't have the facility to take payment on the bendy buses in London. Really it was a bad idea put in by Ken Livingstone.

Ahh, I see. Our system works the same for the bendy and non-bendy buses (we don't have any double-deckers, though). Riders pay via cash (rare), paper rail card, or Chicago Card (same system as Oyster) in front by the driver on entry.

That kind of system does sound like a disaster....