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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 28, 2024 12:56:45 GMT
Leytonstone - South Havering route is the one I’m least in favour of, as it is quite superfluous. Outside of strike days I don’t think I have ever seen the Leytonstone- Newbury Park section of the 66 full. The Central Line is the more logical route option here. Streatham to Eltham feels like a long route. I would prefer if there were no changes to the SL5/SL7. I think the SL7 is better as a West Croydon to Heathrow route and SL5 Croydon to Bromley The Stratford - Walthamstow - Chingford route is sensible. Although I’m not convinced Walthamstow Central needs 3 express routes! It’s interesting that in this phase of the Superloop the North of London is getting the outer “layer” of the network while the South of London gets the inner layer. I am of the Superloop but Ido hope some of these new routes are adjusted or binned Has to appease the Momentum controlled Waltham Forest
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 28, 2024 10:29:36 GMT
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 28, 2024 10:28:09 GMT
I remembered them citybuses on the 275 thrashing down Hoe Street back in the 1990s. Those buses were rockets. Probably on par with the Arrows and Lances I'd see around London. The 259 when it used to be with first capital had those arrows (similar to the ones on the 369) and boy were they fast especially on Seven Sisters Road. I used the 275 a lot in 2000 and it still had those Citybuses. The only downside was the constant damp smell in them! They were then replaced by the ex Kentish Buses Olympians that instead of damp had the most overpower smell of diesel fumes if you sat at the rear. I remember that stinking damp smell on the citybuses. Think the cushions got soaked because drivers never closed the windows in the night when buses came back to the depot and that with beer/drinks spillage on seats created that smell.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 27, 2024 9:41:12 GMT
Yes but the 67 was at SF and i remember in about June 2019 after the 67 was converted to LT operation they were transferred to WN for a while and I thought they were for the 144 to make it fully HV alongside HV59-63. Then in July 2019 HV38-48 went to Dartford for the 301 for exchange for its DWs. The 144 never was officially 100% HV, that is even on the company records!
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 27, 2024 9:39:29 GMT
Did it ever go full HV? It has been part, never full. I thought that HV38-48 was apart of its allocation alongside HV59-63 to make full allocation for the 144 before they went south for the 301 and swapped with the DWs on that route. How would that have been, it is a 17 bus pvr, used to be 19. Also many of its original batch DW's still stayed at [WN] apart from a few that went to [E]
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Post by capitalomnibus on Apr 26, 2024 10:58:01 GMT
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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