|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:58:01 GMT
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:41:15 GMT
Good, this is one positive thing that should have been done years ago. not sure of the Boris Johnson titled "Great British Railways". Just call it normal British Railways, miss the days of that. Fast none stop services to bring back the InterCity would be like cloud 9
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:22:28 GMT
I remember when all bus were run by LRT prior to the creation of TfL. They were no better and arguably worse as there were no performance criteria incentives. Managing routes was tougher then with no iBus. At least we didn't have continual delays due to the service being regulated. Taking control of the contracts is the easy part, just wait until they expire. No doubt there could be a change to the law to allow for the compulsory purchase of assets (garages, buses etc) and slowly but surely it could be done, albeit at a large financial cost if market rates for purchase of assets are paid. Would the service improve or be cheaper, probably not. Today bus companies have incentives to provide a good service, if the buses are run by TfL what would be the incentive for good performance? I can't see the law changing or the money being available to purchase all the necessary assets anytime soon even if the government were to change. It doubt it would be a priority. If the Mayor is re-elected will anything bad politically happen to him if doesn't carry this out? No, so given all this I can't see it happening unless TfL are forced to step in to save routes or an Operator from collapse. Easiest way around it, is buying out the whole operator one by one. In the same way that the operations were sold off from 1994.
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:21:03 GMT
Because East Thames Buses was such a roaring success... Bit weird really given that the London model, of private contractors operating on tender, is apparently the panacea for all ills elsewhere. The supposedly successful municipals are just those that have survived: Thamesdown was bus company of the year ten years ago and what happened to that? Where will the Mayor find the garage space required in London? Or will existing ones be compulsory purchased? If so, what happens to the routes that aren't up for tender at that point? Or to put it another way, what's the point beyond posturing and dogma? It would have to be by garages, on paper it sounds good, but it would be a mess to do if via contract ending dates. The squabbling over who owns what in the depot, fuel usage, which managers etc are responsible for which set of staff.
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:18:52 GMT
tangytango.proboards.com/post/803097All I'll say is....I told you so! 😉 This has been coming for a while now - sheer market forces at play increasingly making private sector contracting impractical. The way I interpret this is direct publicly-owned operation like East Thames Buses or even the LT of old. Legislative changes make direct award operation possible now. East Thames Buses was NOT anything to be proud of. I would rather it be the last years of London Buses when the operations were getting better than they were of the 70's and 80's
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:12:47 GMT
I think what might happen is HV249-269 and 379-385 stay at AD for the 102, PVR 26. It wil be interesting to see what happens to HV64-92 and 161-192 once AD goes electric. Some good news is perhaps there will be no more SW’s at AD as logistical spares !!! The 102 is contracted for the Gemini 3 original Arriva HV's and would stay for the 102. Others and any excess would go to other garages to cover new hybrid tender requirements.
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:11:08 GMT
Could the 144 go back to full HV operation using the ex 141 HVs until it’s contract comes to an end in 2025 to dispose its DWs. Did it ever go full HV? It has been part, never full.
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:06:50 GMT
It would be the first time in some years the 141 would receive a full allocation of new buses, instead of cast off's Did the 141 ever get new vehicles on contract renewal with Arriva? If not then we're looking at least 30-40 years since the 141 got an allocation of brand new vehicles Now looking at it, you are right. There was DLP's but do not think that was a full allocation and think those were mainly for the 29's when new. The Grey-Green buses on the 141 were not new or they would have had to been J reg and I very much doubt the Citybuses were. It could be worst than the case of route 97. It could go back to the 1970's with the Daimler Fleetline!
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 24, 2024 23:10:22 GMT
It would be the first time in some years the 141 would receive a full allocation of new buses, instead of cast off's
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 24, 2024 23:07:43 GMT
Who else would've bidded for the W4? Also quite a few hybrids going to be made spare. The Gemini 2's and maybe the ex- Stagecoach HVs might leave but it will be interesting to see where the slightly younger HVs will go I would of though Go Ahead would of had a swipe at it. I reckon there might be enough 200 and 300 series HV's that will become spare to make up the bulk of what would be needed at GY and DX assuming the 123 and 41's DW's don't get decommissioned . Rest maybe sold for some quick liquidity? I think the 64 Reg Ex Stagecoach HV's and the HA's are a bit of a question mark, the HV's were recently refurbished and they do have a little more life in them, similarly the SL1 HA's also have a bit of life left in them although have yet to be refurbished A lot of variables at play here it seems Either they have not bothered to take on new work due to biting more than they can chew over staffing issues, or it does not stack up. There has been around 5 routes they have not bid for, some they used to operate.
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 24, 2024 23:02:48 GMT
London Underground workers to strike over terms and conditionsTube workers involved in a dispute over terms and conditions are to walk out in a strike that could see Underground stations close at the last minute.www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-68889962
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 23, 2024 22:46:52 GMT
London mayor elections: Conservative Susan Hall pledges to scrap expanded UlezThe Conservative Party will scrap the Ulez (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) expansion and halt pay-per-mile plans, according to its mayoral candidate.www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68874105Susan Hall pledges to expand Night Tube serviceTory mayoral candidate Susan Hall has pledged to expand London's weekend Night Tube service to the Hammersmith and City line if she is elected.www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c25r3xywl78oLabour reports Tory election leaflet to prosecutorsLabour has called for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to investigate whether a leaflet by the Tories' London mayoral candidate breached electoral law.www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyxe8vr580no
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 23, 2024 22:43:10 GMT
Isn’t Brian B Rose a con man? Who is London Real Party mayor candidate Brian Rose?Brian Rose is standing as the London Real Party candidate in the mayoral elections.He is a banker-turned-broadcaster and hosts the London Real podcast.www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2782epd4no
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 23, 2024 22:38:21 GMT
Anybody can stand up and say they will improve something if somebody else pays for it. Unless khan stands up and shows a promise to pay from Labour Government I wouldn't take the comments seriously . Any new Government is going to look after its marginal seats before throwing more money at London, they always do. Khan is now pledging things way beyond the scope of a mayor and into national policy like the Olympics in 2040 and a new Erasmus stye scheme for students. He seems to have gone entirely crazy pledging things way beyond his scope. Olympics can go to hell. I would NEVER support that poo again. It did hardly anything for the local man and made things worst. The games lanes, changing of traffic lights, parking restrictions which became PERMANENT in places like Waltham Forest etc, high rent prices, high house prices, tickets for games difficult to get. It was a game mainly for corporate greed and big businesses. The only decent thing was Westfield. The rest of the area around Carpenters Rd etc was ethnic cleansed, many of the businesses forced out or eventually closed down.
|
|
|
Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 23, 2024 22:33:40 GMT
www.susan.london/planSusan Hall has finally posted a manifesto, with only 10 days to go, and as expected it is the usual stuff. Khan bad, ULEZ bad and little else. One mention of note is to introduce Superloop to Chingford and Romford - which of course Sadiq has already pledged. I remember when they wrote off Superloop as 'Superflop' - even they know that this was a good policy. Research has already shown this manifesto has a £515m black hole. Labour research that is. Research has shown Khan's Manifesto has a £2billion black hole
|
|