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Post by Steve80 on Sept 14, 2014 5:28:12 GMT
I read some of the comments. One driver seems to be appreciated. I know who that driver is. And I think they are right in that he's one of the few that really takes pride in his job. So, Thursday I was on the P13. I beginning to hate this route as its four rounds of constant driving I departed 15 minutes late at Streatham as my bus was late on arrival. The bus I took over was 8065 and it was really slow Strangely, I was told to run after my follower (the bus behind) has left. So, my follower left and picked up all the passengers at the first few stops in Streatham and I picked up the rest but only upto West Dulwich where he overtook me again. I overtook him at East Dulwich and he overtook me back at Peckham. I was told that my leader had terminated at Peckham so they wanted me to run all the way to New Cross even though I was running around 15 minutes late. Anyway, I went straight in and out of New Cross leaving 5 minutes late. I managed to bring the bus to time and managed to get to Streatham two minutes early. My second trip from Streatham to New Cross, I was surprised that I didn't pick up many passengers but it shouldn't be as I caught up with my leader at West Dulwich That bus then terminated at East Dulwich Sainsburys so had to pick up the rest of the passengers. Thankfully, I saw my leader again at Queens Road heading towards Streatham, when I was still making my way towards New Cross. Heading back towards Streatham, I was never going to make up my time as the running times are inadequate in the evenings. I arrived there 8 minutes late and as I only had a scheduled 45 minute break this would mean I would leave 3 minutes late as Im required to take my 40 minutes break. I left Streatham around 2108 but was already running over 10 minutes late by the time I got to Streatham Hill due to the sheer amount of traffic. Maybe the bridge works on Drewstead Road was a factor. I got to New Cross and went straight in and out leaving bang on time. Unfortunately, there was an accident on Old Kent Road and the police were forcing all northbound traffic into Queens Road. It took me over 5 minutes to get from the Sainsburys to the bus garage so was running late all the way but no more than 3 minutes or so. My duty also involved doing the last bus form Streatham and New Cross but thankfully, my last rounder was uneventful. This route sounds pretty bad. Tell me Steve80, what do you think the chances of Abellio retaining the route is whenever the next tender comes up? The running times of the P13 has been reduced. I can't remember where in the timetable exactly but I know before the frequency was increased, I used to crawl along the route. In fact, I used to be annoyed at the amount of running time we got so I always departed the stand 3 minutes late. Now, we are constantly running late and I'm sure that Abellio will makes changes especially after we get the buses off the 100. I also know that the Darts are constantly breaking down. Apparently, there were two last Wednesday which got towed back to the garage. As for losing the route, its a real possibility if Abellio doesn't make any changes especially as they lost the 322 despite putting in a competitive bid. Maybe if they didn't reduce the running times of the 322 then things may have been different.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2014 7:24:20 GMT
If your P11 is following the P13 route, then deckers won't be able to go under the low bridge on Thurlow Park Road and I also think deckers might be a bit wide for Pytchley Road in East Dulwich & Downton Avenue in Streatham Hill. All the ABCD avenues (Amesbury, Barcombe, Cricklade, Downton) are pretty wide, so Downton Avenue should not be a problem for a double decker. The more challenging thing for them would be the residents.
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Post by M1104 on Sept 14, 2014 9:43:05 GMT
If your P11 is following the P13 route, then deckers won't be able to go under the low bridge on Thurlow Park Road and I also think deckers might be a bit wide for Pytchley Road in East Dulwich & Downton Avenue in Streatham Hill. All the ABCD avenues (Amesbury, Barcombe, Cricklade, Downton) are pretty wide, so Downton Avenue should not be a problem for a double decker. The more challenging thing for them would be the residents. Doesn't Downton Avenue have a set of bollards at the top end of the road which may limit the length of a bus that can be used?
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Post by Unorm on Sept 14, 2014 12:24:57 GMT
All the ABCD avenues (Amesbury, Barcombe, Cricklade, Downton) are pretty wide, so Downton Avenue should not be a problem for a double decker. The more challenging thing for them would be the residents. Doesn't Downton Avenue have a set of bollards at the top end of the road which may limit the length of a bus that can be used? Downton Avenue has a big circle (mini-roundabout) that may be a problem for DDs. It has bollards too at the A23 end.
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Route P13
Sept 14, 2014 14:14:49 GMT
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Post by vjaska on Sept 14, 2014 14:14:49 GMT
If your P11 is following the P13 route, then deckers won't be able to go under the low bridge on Thurlow Park Road and I also think deckers might be a bit wide for Pytchley Road in East Dulwich & Downton Avenue in Streatham Hill. All the ABCD avenues (Amesbury, Barcombe, Cricklade, Downton) are pretty wide, so Downton Avenue should not be a problem for a double decker. The more challenging thing for them would be the residents. The road seems very narrow the last time I used the route as it lined full of parked cars either side and the driver had to keep pulling into very tight gaps to allow others past. Cricklade is slightly wider as my mate used to live there, Amesbury & Barcombe are also wider too when compared to Downton Avenue.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2014 0:01:33 GMT
Downton Avenue has a big circle (mini-roundabout) that may be a problem for DDs. It has bollards too at the A23 end. What bollards at the A23 end? The road narrows and is raised to pavement height at the junction, but this is true of all the ABCD avenues. As for the roundabout, as your screengrab shows a bus would not have to go "round" it as it is straight ahead westbound and only a slight curve eastbound. They could reduce the centre or even replace it with a painted one anyway if necessary anyway. Personally I would not send a double decker route along any of them, but I still do not see it posing a physical problem. Based on my perception, so could be completely wrong, I would say that Downton Avenue is wider than Northcote Road. On the 319 it or other traffic constantly has to pull in so it can get past.
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Post by Steve80 on Sept 15, 2014 4:34:22 GMT
All the ABCD avenues (Amesbury, Barcombe, Cricklade, Downton) are pretty wide, so Downton Avenue should not be a problem for a double decker. The more challenging thing for them would be the residents. The road seems very narrow the last time I used the route as it lined full of parked cars either side and the driver had to keep pulling into very tight gaps to allow others past. Cricklade is slightly wider as my mate used to live there, Amesbury & Barcombe are also wider too when compared to Downton Avenue. Its possible for two P13s to past each other on Downtown Avenue. I done it many times but its safer to pull in and let one bus pass. The roundabout at Downtown Avenue is tight. I always use the overhang of the bus when going through it so I'm looking forward to how us drivers will cope when the slightly longer buses will come on the route.
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Post by M1104 on Sept 15, 2014 9:40:28 GMT
The road seems very narrow the last time I used the route as it lined full of parked cars either side and the driver had to keep pulling into very tight gaps to allow others past. Cricklade is slightly wider as my mate used to live there, Amesbury & Barcombe are also wider too when compared to Downton Avenue. Its possible for two P13s to past each other on Downtown Avenue. I done it many times but its safer to pull in and let one bus pass. The roundabout at Downtown Avenue is tight. I always use the overhang of the bus when going through it so I'm looking forward to how us drivers will cope when the slightly longer buses will come on the route. The drivers 'in theory' should be able to handle the longer buses without too much fuss as the route had dual door operation on Sundays when based at WL.
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Post by vjaska on Sept 15, 2014 10:21:16 GMT
Its possible for two P13s to past each other on Downtown Avenue. I done it many times but its safer to pull in and let one bus pass. The roundabout at Downtown Avenue is tight. I always use the overhang of the bus when going through it so I'm looking forward to how us drivers will cope when the slightly longer buses will come on the route. The drivers 'in theory' should be able to handle the longer buses without too much fuss as the route had dual door operation on Sundays when based at WL. And the odd one popped out on weekdays too - I can remember my surprise when one turned up under Travel London.
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Post by 6HP502C on Sept 16, 2014 0:06:29 GMT
I wouldn't fancy driving a DD onto Downton Avenue - short buses just about make it onto the road without grounding!
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Post by moz on Sept 16, 2014 0:12:37 GMT
I wouldn't fancy driving a DD onto Downton Avenue - short buses just about make it onto the road without grounding! Been done! I was running back light to Norwood off the 19s once when they shut the South Circular in front of me at Brixton Hill. Did a right up Brixton Hill and as I was in one of my 'sod it' moods, hung a left up Downton Avenue, left again onto Hillside Road then a right down Palace Road to get back onto Norwood Road. Got through no probs, though the DW did end up with a fair ammount of foliage trapped in the branch deflector! Moz
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2014 21:34:52 GMT
I am in the area again for a while and noticed the P13 still continues with the short Darts, so when is it getting the longer type? I was on 8015 today at 17:30 and having left East Dulwich Sainsburys in the Streatham direction, when in the opposite direction came 8019 and 8017 and then at East Dulwich station was another. That's three within five minutes. It really must be a difficult route for timekeeping.
When on the route yesterday coming from Streatham it got so full that the automated announcement kicked in with "Please move down inside the bus...(and then)...Seats are available on the upper deck"!!! That caused laughter throughout the bus.
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Post by vjaska on Nov 19, 2014 22:54:16 GMT
I am in the area again for a while and noticed the P13 still continues with the short Darts, so when is it getting the longer type? I was on 8015 today at 17:30 and having left East Dulwich Sainsburys in the Streatham direction, when in the opposite direction came 8019 and 8017 and then at East Dulwich station was another. That's three within five minutes. It really must be a difficult route for timekeeping. When on the route yesterday coming from Streatham it got so full that the automated announcement kicked in with "Please move down inside the bus...(and then)...Seats are available on the upper deck"!!! That caused laughter throughout the bus. The 9.3m buses should move to the P13 once Go-Ahead get their new Enviro 200's for the 100.
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Post by Steve80 on Nov 20, 2014 20:02:27 GMT
I am in the area again for a while and noticed the P13 still continues with the short Darts, so when is it getting the longer type? I was on 8015 today at 17:30 and having left East Dulwich Sainsburys in the Streatham direction, when in the opposite direction came 8019 and 8017 and then at East Dulwich station was another. That's three within five minutes. It really must be a difficult route for timekeeping. When on the route yesterday coming from Streatham it got so full that the automated announcement kicked in with "Please move down inside the bus...(and then)...Seats are available on the upper deck"!!! That caused laughter throughout the bus. I was on the P13 yesterday. I had 8031 and I reached East Dulwich Sainsburys (towards Streatham) around 1655. I think the route has improved especially comparing it to the last couple of months or so when I did it last. However, the only time the route seems to suffer is during the rush hour when the South Circular is playing up. Such was the case yesterday as I was on time at West Dulwich but when I got to the end of Dulwich Common I was running up to 12 minutes late due to the traffic there. There were times where I sat in one spot for over 5 minutes or so. Seem to take forever to get out of there. The traffic seems to spread towards Forest Hill so whatever the problem is I really hope they fix it soon. When I got to East Dulwich, I was 19 minutes late but at Peckham I caught up with the P13 in front, which curtailed at Peckham Bus Station. I got to New Cross Gate and went straight in and out leaving there 4 minutes late. I was having my break at Streatham so had no intention of hanging about! I managed to get to Streatham only 3 minutes late as the bus in front was running very late. I could tell as I didn't pick up many passengers on that journey. Otherwise, the route seems to run fine. On my first trips to New Cross and Streatham, I was running to time and so was the majority of the buses that I saw. After my break, I had 8015 but between 2045 - 0040 hours. While I'm here, I wanted to mention that my journeys between Peckham and New Cross Gate were still as busy as before. But I'm struggling to understand some of the passengers and why they would seem to let other buses go so they can board my bus even though they get off at the same bus stop as the bus in front would have taken them. Yesterday, there was one journey where I was at the stop before Peckham Bus Station (heading towards Streatham) and I was behind 3 other buses - 36, 171, 177. I was the fourth bus and yet one passenger decides to run past all of these buses and get on my bus. I got to the next stop in Peckham Bus Station and the same passenger get off at that stop. She then walks towards the Morrison Store Yes, the P13 stop is slightly nearer than the 177 stop but its only a difference of about 10 yards! There was another journey last night where two passengers got on at Peckham Bus Station and got off at the next stop which is opposite the bus station Admittedly, they had a few shopping on them but I still find it difficult to accept.
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Post by snoggle on Nov 20, 2014 20:23:39 GMT
While I'm here, I wanted to mention that my journeys between Peckham and New Cross Gate were still as busy as before. But I'm struggling to understand some of the passengers and why they would seem to let other buses go so they can board my bus even though they get off at the same bus stop as the bus in front would have taken them. Yesterday, there was one journey where I was at the stop before Peckham Bus Station (heading towards Streatham) and I was behind 3 other buses - 36, 171, 177. I was the fourth bus and yet one passenger decides to run past all of these buses and get on my bus. I got to the next stop in Peckham Bus Station and the same passenger get off at that stop. She then walks towards the Morrison Store Yes, the P13 stop is slightly nearer than the 177 stop but its only a difference of about 10 yards! There was another journey last night where two passengers got on at Peckham Bus Station and got off at the next stop which is opposite the bus station Admittedly, they had a few shopping on them but I still find it difficult to accept. Complete guess but I suspect some passengers prefer the "diddy" buses on the P13 because the door is at the front and the step height can be lowered more than at a centre door. In terms of short hops then people do it if they've got a pass and the journey is effectively free! I confess to ultimate laziness of getting off the 123 at T Hale and because the 41 was right behind getting that 1 stop to the Retail Park as the stop is near the shop I wanted. Normally I would walk and in the old days the 123 would have taken me direct!
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