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Post by matthieu1221 on Oct 17, 2023 16:27:34 GMT
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Post by joefrombow on Oct 18, 2023 6:44:25 GMT
Marketing was appalling to non existent, compare how well known the vintage trams in Melbourne are for example, and often when a Routemaster pulled up at a stop many people seemed uncertain as to whether they could use the service or not. Conductors often just did the bare minimum and were more likely to be dressed in trainers and a baseball cap rather than a traditional uniform which would have befitted such a vintage service. I think we know TFL didn't really want it to be successful and they operated purely so they could say Routemasters were still running. Melbourne and Lisbon trams and San Francisco cable cars are all protected and well marketed and vital parts of those City's. Same with the Blackpool heritage trams. This is how conductors used to dress though baseball cap and trainers 😂 I would imagine a lot of the conductor's who worked the heritage routes were original conductor's who had worked on some of the Original RM routes and came out of retirement but I agree could of been marketed a lot better , but let's hope the T15 is a success it needs to be advertised and marketed properly though to hotels on train stations and even if tfl could give it some publicity and maybe have a tour guide giving out leaflets etc at Tower Hill , or Trafalgar Square similar to what Ensign do or did with Route 68 .
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Post by va59 on Oct 19, 2023 15:31:02 GMT
Having now seen a photo on FB I think these buses look far too much like regular TfL buses right down to the bus blinds. I am probably being cynical here but wonder if they are hoping people board the buses in error and just pay the far. The service is far too irregular to be successful IMO.
Sorry for a negative post.
I have to agree. Many visitors just want to ride on a red London bus. This was why the 15H route failed. And this is what annoys me. So say back 20 years ago when we still had around 1000 routemasters on the road, visitors from all over would come and want to ride an RM. Just like many go to New York and want to ride yellow cab etc. Nowadays, what? Get the same boring bus types we're lumbered with now as anywhere else in the country but just because it's red people want to jump on? Really? "Oh look red bus, let's get on. Oh look, same bus operator moquette as our ones up north, far south" (Arriva, Go-Ahead), Stagecoach) .... barring the few with old school London Bus moquettes. This service needs to be promoted hard and needs to be successful so people from all over the work and country can enjoy them as much as we did when they were in frequent public service. Those buses are iconic and showed London how buses used to be and not now.
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Post by SILENCED on Oct 19, 2023 16:39:55 GMT
I have to agree. Many visitors just want to ride on a red London bus. This was why the 15H route failed. And this is what annoys me. So say back 20 years ago when we still had around 1000 routemasters on the road, visitors from all over would come and want to ride an RM. Just like many go to New York and want to ride yellow cab etc. Nowadays, what? Get the same boring bus types we're lumbered with now as anywhere else in the country but just because it's red people want to jump on? Really? "Oh look red bus, let's get on. Oh look, same bus operator moquette as our ones up north, far south" (Arriva, Go-Ahead), Stagecoach) .... barring the few with old school London Bus moquettes. This service needs to be promoted hard and needs to be successful so people from all over the work and country can enjoy them as much as we did when they were in frequent public service. Those buses are iconic and showed London how buses used to be and not now. It is up to the operator to promote it ... You hope they would so that for their business offering.
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Post by greenboy on Oct 19, 2023 17:12:44 GMT
I have to agree. Many visitors just want to ride on a red London bus. This was why the 15H route failed. And this is what annoys me. So say back 20 years ago when we still had around 1000 routemasters on the road, visitors from all over would come and want to ride an RM. Just like many go to New York and want to ride yellow cab etc. Nowadays, what? Get the same boring bus types we're lumbered with now as anywhere else in the country but just because it's red people want to jump on? Really? "Oh look red bus, let's get on. Oh look, same bus operator moquette as our ones up north, far south" (Arriva, Go-Ahead), Stagecoach) .... barring the few with old school London Bus moquettes. This service needs to be promoted hard and needs to be successful so people from all over the work and country can enjoy them as much as we did when they were in frequent public service. Those buses are iconic and showed London how buses used to be and not now. Indeed and this is why the 15H failed, TfL apathy!
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Post by cl54 on Oct 19, 2023 17:14:22 GMT
I have to agree. Many visitors just want to ride on a red London bus. This was why the 15H route failed. And this is what annoys me. So say back 20 years ago when we still had around 1000 routemasters on the road, visitors from all over would come and want to ride an RM. Just like many go to New York and want to ride yellow cab etc. Nowadays, what? Get the same boring bus types we're lumbered with now as anywhere else in the country but just because it's red people want to jump on? Really? "Oh look red bus, let's get on. Oh look, same bus operator moquette as our ones up north, far south" (Arriva, Go-Ahead), Stagecoach) .... barring the few with old school London Bus moquettes. This service needs to be promoted hard and needs to be successful so people from all over the work and country can enjoy them as much as we did when they were in frequent public service. Those buses are iconic and showed London how buses used to be and not now. Sorry 20 years ago they didn't come ride on an RM as a red bus is like a yellow cab in New York. Different models over the years. When the 15H was operating I witnessed some Americans in Fleet Street who chose to use a doored bus on the 15 when an RM pulled up first. There will have to be a lot of passengers on every bus if the service is to be promoted hard. A prime example is that some RMs were converted to open top to run on the Original London Sightseeing Tour in the hope of attracting people who wanted to ride on a "real" London bus. Heavily promoted. They didn't last long. The World is not full of bus enthusiasts. The recent 38 running day proved a real success for enthusiasts and the general public but that was a single day on busy streets with a frequent service. RT1 and an STL were just as popular as the RMs.
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Post by greenboy on Oct 19, 2023 17:18:55 GMT
And this is what annoys me. So say back 20 years ago when we still had around 1000 routemasters on the road, visitors from all over would come and want to ride an RM. Just like many go to New York and want to ride yellow cab etc. Nowadays, what? Get the same boring bus types we're lumbered with now as anywhere else in the country but just because it's red people want to jump on? Really? "Oh look red bus, let's get on. Oh look, same bus operator moquette as our ones up north, far south" (Arriva, Go-Ahead), Stagecoach) .... barring the few with old school London Bus moquettes. This service needs to be promoted hard and needs to be successful so people from all over the work and country can enjoy them as much as we did when they were in frequent public service. Those buses are iconic and showed London how buses used to be and not now. Sorry but when the 15H was operating I witnessed some Americans who chose to use a doored bus on the 15 when an RM pulled up first. There will have to be a lot of passengers on every bus if the service is to be promoted hard. A prime example is that some RMs were converted to open top to run on the Original London Sightseeing Tour in the hope of attracting people who wanted to ride on a "real" London bus. Heavily promoted. They didn't last long. The World is not full of bus enthusiasts. The recent 38 running day proved a real success for enthusiasts and the general public but that was a single day on busy streets with a frequent service. Doored buses are all much the same to a non enthusiast, I'm pretty sure most people would prefer something different. Maybe those Americans in Fleet Street didn't realise they could travel on the Routemaster?
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Post by fabiott on Oct 19, 2023 17:35:45 GMT
They'll be replacing route A with the new T15 between Trafalgar Sq. and Tower Hill, with some journeys starting/terminating in Waterloo. Starts this Saturday apparently, with some comms done via social media but still without a complete timetable or any detailed information on their website.
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Post by matthieu1221 on Oct 27, 2023 15:22:19 GMT
Seems to be doing better in terms of passenger numbers than route A from anecdotal observations.
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Post by cl54 on Oct 27, 2023 16:09:46 GMT
Seems to be doing better in terms of passenger numbers than route A from anecdotal observations. Not on the bus I saw at Aldwych this morning. Heading for Piccadilly Circus with 6 or 7 people on board.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Oct 28, 2023 10:18:03 GMT
I have to agree. Many visitors just want to ride on a red London bus. This was why the 15H route failed. And this is what annoys me. So say back 20 years ago when we still had around 1000 routemasters on the road, visitors from all over would come and want to ride an RM. Just like many go to New York and want to ride yellow cab etc. Nowadays, what? Get the same boring bus types we're lumbered with now as anywhere else in the country but just because it's red people want to jump on? Really? "Oh look red bus, let's get on. Oh look, same bus operator moquette as our ones up north, far south" (Arriva, Go-Ahead), Stagecoach) .... barring the few with old school London Bus moquettes. This service needs to be promoted hard and needs to be successful so people from all over the work and country can enjoy them as much as we did when they were in frequent public service. Those buses are iconic and showed London how buses used to be and not now. This is a myth circulated by enthusiasts. It is more the case of a "red double decker" or as the Americans call a two storey bus. The majority did NOT know what a Routemaster was, the same way the majority of the UK public could not tell a RT from an RM. I have seen it many times in various press any rear platform; front engined double decker described as Routemasters. Over the years driving a standard low floor double decker heard described as a Routemaster by tourists and even tour guides.
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Oct 28, 2023 11:30:03 GMT
And this is what annoys me. So say back 20 years ago when we still had around 1000 routemasters on the road, visitors from all over would come and want to ride an RM. Just like many go to New York and want to ride yellow cab etc. Nowadays, what? Get the same boring bus types we're lumbered with now as anywhere else in the country but just because it's red people want to jump on? Really? "Oh look red bus, let's get on. Oh look, same bus operator moquette as our ones up north, far south" (Arriva, Go-Ahead), Stagecoach) .... barring the few with old school London Bus moquettes. This service needs to be promoted hard and needs to be successful so people from all over the work and country can enjoy them as much as we did when they were in frequent public service. Those buses are iconic and showed London how buses used to be and not now. This is a myth circulated by enthusiasts. It is more the case of a "red double decker" or as the Americans call a two storey bus. The majority did NOT know what a Routemaster was, the same way the majority of the UK public could not tell a RT from an RM. I have seen it many times in various press any rear platform; front engined double decker described as Routemasters. Over the years driving a standard low floor double decker heard described as a Routemaster by tourists and even tour guides. I was going to say, London is more famous for its red double decker bus as opposed to a Routemaster specifically. You could very well dump them on an E40H city or a Gemini 3 and they'd not care very much. Even Londoners themselves probably couldn't distinguish what a Routemaster actually was, at most being able to pin them down to buses with open rear doors.
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Post by SILENCED on Oct 28, 2023 11:34:56 GMT
This is a myth circulated by enthusiasts. It is more the case of a "red double decker" or as the Americans call a two storey bus. The majority did NOT know what a Routemaster was, the same way the majority of the UK public could not tell a RT from an RM. I have seen it many times in various press any rear platform; front engined double decker described as Routemasters. Over the years driving a standard low floor double decker heard described as a Routemaster by tourists and even tour guides. I was going to say, London is more famous for its red double decker bus as opposed to a Routemaster specifically. You could very well dump them on an E40H city or a Gemini 3 and they'd not care very much. Even Londoners themselves probably couldn't distinguish what a Routemaster actually was, at most being able to pin them down to buses with open rear doors. The original poster also mentions people go to New York for the yellow cabs. That maybe the case, but they are not the old iconic cabs, more modern cars painted yellow ... they have moved with the times similarly as to how the London bus has
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Oct 28, 2023 11:57:48 GMT
I was going to say, London is more famous for its red double decker bus as opposed to a Routemaster specifically. You could very well dump them on an E40H city or a Gemini 3 and they'd not care very much. Even Londoners themselves probably couldn't distinguish what a Routemaster actually was, at most being able to pin them down to buses with open rear doors. The original poster also mentions people go to New York for the yellow cabs. That maybe the case, but they are not the old iconic cabs, more modern cars painted yellow ... they have moved with the times similarly as to how the London bus has Completely agree, the fact they were just mentioned here to be a yellow cab as opposed to a Checker Taxi sums up how tourists would think of buses as a red double decker bus as opposed to a Routemaster bus. I think there's very few modes of transport that are iconic enough for the public to be able to differentiate by model type and I think the more common one tends to be aviation related as opposed to anything motor related.
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Post by southlondonbus on Oct 28, 2023 14:15:22 GMT
The original poster also mentions people go to New York for the yellow cabs. That maybe the case, but they are not the old iconic cabs, more modern cars painted yellow ... they have moved with the times similarly as to how the London bus has Completely agree, the fact they were just mentioned here to be a yellow cab as opposed to a Checker Taxi sums up how tourists would think of buses as a red double decker bus as opposed to a Routemaster bus. I think there's very few modes of transport that are iconic enough for the public to be able to differentiate by model type and I think the more common one tends to be aviation related as opposed to anything motor related. Probably only the Blackpool trams would immediately make people aware of a difference between the new and the old.
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