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Post by riverside on Sept 25, 2023 17:51:55 GMT
The report on this evening's BBC Northwest Tonight about the new Bee Network was not particularly complimentary. Quite a focus on teething problems and many interviews with complaining passengers. Hopefully problems will soon be sorted as I wish the project well.
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Post by riverside on Sept 17, 2023 17:45:30 GMT
That level of aggression against a public service worker can never be justified. The passenger also created an intimidating atmosphere for other passengers. This sort of behaviour does not encourage people to get out of their cars and start using the bus. The passenger looks to be able bodied, the weather looks to be dry and bus stops are not that far apart in London. All of us have probably experienced a time when a bus driver has gone past a stop. It is inconvenient and the passenger is entitled to make a comment, but for their own self respect they should not rant and rave. As others have commented, this is a short clip and there might be some context missing, but the driver appeared restrained. Did the passenger really expect the bus to turn around and take her back one stop?
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Metroline
Sept 10, 2023 11:15:06 GMT
via mobile
Post by riverside on Sept 10, 2023 11:15:06 GMT
Anyone knows what’s happened to the WHDs for route 7, im not going to be surprised if they can’t be use due to there not being enough hydrogen to fuel them up Parked up in PV. Not being used due to no hydrogen to fuel them. Awaiting for a delivery. Same in Liverpool, where the new buses bought for the 10(Liverpool to St. Helens) are also parked up and not in use.
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Post by riverside on Aug 24, 2023 10:06:53 GMT
I can remember the 8 going to Wembley and 15 to Kew Green !! 15 use to be East Ham to Richmond that must be fun In May 1975 the Sunday service on the 15 was extended/diverted from Kew Gardens Station to Richmond, but no buses ran through from East Ham to Richmond. Upton Park (U) buses never went further west than the former terminus at East Acton(Goldsmoths Arms), so RMLs on the 15 never reached Richmond or even Kew. Buses allocated to Middle Row(X) did cover the whole route but there were still no through journeys. On a Saturday RMs from X ran between Ladbroke Grove/Kensal Rise Station to East Ham(White Horse), although during the day many buses were scheduled to curtail from the west at Aldych. On a Sunday the X allocation ran between Richmond and Aldgate.
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Post by riverside on Mar 7, 2023 17:44:45 GMT
If this proposal goes ahead then the 79 will return to Beresford Avenue after a long absence. Extended many years ago when still DMS operated from Alperton to Harlesden(Willesden Junction) opening up new roads to bus operation and improving links. That was the "previous" 79 - the parent route, which ran from Colindale and later from Burnt Oak to Alperton. It was extended to Willesden Junction in April 1983 but the whole route was withdrawn and replaced by an extension of the 226 in September of the following year (the 226 was cut back again to Park Royal in February 1990 when the current 204 and 224 were introduced). The current 79 was originally the 79A and was introduced as a variant of the 79 in 1952. The A suffix was dropped in November 1987 when the route was transferred to London Buslines. www.londonbuses.co.uk/_routes/withdrawn/079-1.htmlI well remember both the 79 and 79a. It was the 79 number that first served Beresford Avenue and if these proposals are advanced will return over this routing.
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Post by riverside on Mar 7, 2023 16:33:54 GMT
That would be far too long and would harm the reliability of the route Tfl did say exactly that in their response. As often happens TfL try to have it both ways, according to what suits them at any given time. I agree with the TfL response that an Edgware or Colindale to Victoria version of the 16 would be too long and difficult to operate given the traffic conditions of today. Funny then that as part of the original proposals TfL were quite happy to propose operating the 113 from Edgware to White City! It is things like this that tend to retract from the credibility of TfL.
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Post by riverside on Mar 7, 2023 16:20:02 GMT
If this proposal goes ahead then the 79 will return to Beresford Avenue after a long absence. Extended many years ago when still DMS operated from Alperton to Harlesden(Willesden Junction) opening up new roads to bus operation and improving links.
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Post by riverside on Jan 30, 2023 14:53:30 GMT
Out of interest how is the 456 performing? Are loadings encouraging? [br As someone who lives on the 456 route, I can safely say the route has been a big hit in my area. This is in particular how it brought new direct links to Edmonton for the first time and Enfield Town north from Church Hill and Eversley Park Road. Buses from my observations are quite well filled whenever I see it for only a half hourly service, though I think it's down to users making long trips on the route based on how the route line is structured. However the route does sadly suffer at the same time, the delays and congestions at Gloucester road leaving North Middlesex already affects the reliability of the route often buses severely delayed requiring curtailing early to even out the service. It also doesn't help NP are short staffed and has been leaving some gaps in the service lately. Whilst they are respected at the same time for keeping service within schedule and spacing out the service to maintain its half hourly interval despite disruption. Thanks for taking the time to reply. It is encouraging news about loadings, but obviously the recurring problems of staff shortages and congestion will impact service quality. Hopefully these issues will get better, although at present it seems operators all over the country are having to face up to these challenges.
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Post by riverside on Jan 28, 2023 18:32:23 GMT
Out of interest how is the 456 performing? Are loadings encouraging?
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Post by riverside on May 24, 2022 15:36:07 GMT
So I’ve went out to ride it this morning and hats off to those involved because I’m very impressed with it overall. Trains were running on time and they were busy, not just with enthusiasts but also with regular people especially on the central station, with comments universally happy with what they’ve seen. Like with Nine Elms & Battersea Power Station, the stations are bright, airy and very pleasing aesthetically. My only gripes and they’re really nitpicky are why is it not Woolwich Arsenal and just Woolwich and the on board announcements need to tad refining when announcing the stop the train is at and the line diagram on the display. I even may make use of it after trying the interchange at Tottenham Court Road from Elizabeth to Northern and how remarkably close it is - 2 minutes max I make it via a small flight of stairs or a lift. Here are a few pictures I took - www.flickr.com/gp/vjaska/H5La17Thanks Vjaska for the photographs. Looks amazing. Next time I am down in London, hopefully I will be able to travel on the Elizabeth Line myself. Here in Liverpool we are waiting for our new Merseyrail rolling stock.
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Post by riverside on Feb 17, 2022 13:01:36 GMT
The 170 has covered a lot of ground. It was inaugurated as a tram replacement route in 1950, running from Wandsworth to Hackney. It was extended to Leyton, Downsell Road in April 1959 as part of the Trolleybus Replacement Programme. The route was then gradually whittled away at its eastern end and by the end of 1969 it was a Wandsworth-Bloomsbury route, extended at peak times to Shoreditch. The route's eastern extension to Roehampton, Danebury Avenue occurred in April 1981 and that terminus has at least remained consistent. The route assumed its Roehampton-Clapham Junction form in May 1991 when it was converted to midibus, and remained in this form for several years although the vehicles grew gradually larger. It assumed its current form in February 2008 when it was extended over route 239 to Victoria. The only section of the original 1950 route that is still served is the short section from Wandsworth Town Centre to Clapham Junction. Traditionally the 170 departed Wandsworth via York Road, supporting the 44 towards Battersea and did not connect Wandsworth and Clapham Junction. The only original part of the route left is the small section between the junction of York Road/Plough Road and the junction of York Road/Lombard Road.
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Post by riverside on Feb 7, 2022 19:52:27 GMT
Harlington Corner between 7-8am is awful, people crowd and force their way onto the 81 each morning. It's a surprise no-one ever thought of a route from Hayes to Slough, at peak times it'd be quite profitable! The downside is kids often force their way in via the rear doors which has led to some delays... Cedar Way in Slough is another awful one at peak times, as there are two secondary schools at stops prior to that one. Drivers often overshoot the stop on purpose just so they can let people off without allowing others on! Might not be too profitable if children aren't paying as of present day. Ossulton Way on the 143 towards Brent Cross is absolutely horrendous in terms of clientele, Bishop Douglas students attempting to barge onto the bus through the back door, consistent discontent towards the elderly. I cannot think of a stop worse for behaviour than that one.
If this is a regular occurrence then complaints should be made by the public and TfL to the headteacher of Bishop Douglas School.
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Post by riverside on Feb 3, 2022 10:54:48 GMT
If the thinking of Haringey Council spreads across London then you might find that White City has to be renamed.
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Post by riverside on Jan 2, 2021 12:03:21 GMT
My memory as to why everyone ignored the turnstile entrance was because it invariaby failed to let you through after taking your cash. They were disasterously introduced on the 85 making a journey from Roehampton bus rush hour 74 or regular daytime 30 RM's a far better option. Yes Putney got a double whammy 50 years ago today as concurrent with the introduction of the DMS to the 220, the 85 was also converted to SMS. Thankfully the 85A remained RM operated for another couple of years. Tooting got a triple dose of chaos as along with the 95 and 220 DMS conversion the 181 went over from RT to SMS. Despite the traumas of the conversions, the events of 50 years ago started the journey to what became an excellent bus service in the first decade of the this century, dominated by one person operated double deckers utilising a relatively speedy method of boarding. London got there in the end. It is such a pity to see that even if Covid was out of the equation, at the present time those who are in charge politically and managerially of London's transport system do not appear to fully appreciate the contribution buses make to efficiently moving people around the conurbation.
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Post by riverside on Jan 1, 2021 13:33:50 GMT
50 years ago today New Year's Day was also a Friday, but unlike nowadays an ordinary working day. In the evening I went for a very short ride on RM 1129, something that normally would not be of any significance, but took on a historic aspect because of the momentous event that was to take place the next day. This was to be my last ride on a RM on route 220. Tomorrow everything was about to change.
Saturday 2nd January 1971 dawned cold and foggy. As a 13 year old I was interested to experience the future of buses in London. The 220(and also the 95), had been chosen as the guinea pigs to experiment with double deck OPO(as it then was)operation, on busy routes. The batch of 50 experimental atlanteans had been converted to OPO the previous year but were assigned to routes such as the 233, 234/234B and P3. The 220 and 95 were the big test, after which London bus operation would never be the same.
Nice new shiny buses with pristine interiors appearing out of the fog were always going to be welcomed on a cold day. Lodon Transport had at the last moment christened the new DMS class 'The Londoner', a name that never gained currency, probably because passengers very quickly experienced the drawbacks of the DMS. The 220 was a phenomenally busy route. Why it was ever chosen to be the first to be subjected to untried technology I will never know. To be fair to London Transport, passengers were partly to blame for the unpopularity of the DMS. Split boarding(as had been tried with the MBSs on the 110/111 in 1969 and then from the introduction of the SMS in 1970)was designed to speed up boarding. In the event, for whatever reason, passengers seemed to completely ignore the turnstile option, with 90% of passengers waiting to pay the driver. Dwell times at bus stops considerably increased. Remember this was a time of graduated fares with change being given. Journeys on the 220 tended to be very slow with significant bunching.
In theory the DMS could carry 89 passengers(21 of whom would be standing), compared to 69(with 5 standing) on a RM.The PVR on the 220 was thus reduced, when if anything it should have been increased or remained the same,taking into account the coincidant withdrawal between Tooting S.R. and Mitcham Fair Green of the 220. So not only did passengers have slower buses, but there were also less of them. In my local area there had already been a notable decline in bus service when the longstanding and historic 11 was cut back from Shepherds Bush to Hammersmith(Brook Green Hotel) the previous April. Also from 2nd January 1971, any assistance offered by the still crew operated 255 between Hammersmith and Wandsworth was less hard to come by as that route also suffered a PVR reduction. Indeed on a Saturday the 255 was the only RML route around Hammersmith but was now reduced to a 35 minute frequency! Worse was to come in June 1972 when the 255 was withdrawn altogether.The 220 did get an increase to compromise but at the same time the 295 was handed over to the DMS.
I've already stated that I can't understand why such a major change was not introduced on a number of quieter routes so that teething problems could be dealt with in a less pressurised environment. A sign of LT's desperation to introduce the DMS was the fact that they did so under the old LSD monetary system, even though D Day (Decimalisation Day) was only a few weeks away on 15th February 1971. So the AFC fare equipment was introduced on January 2nd and then had to be converted to the new currency on February 15th. Why not wait? Passengers trying to get to grips with the new currency also led to more delays at stops. Sadly unlike the 5, 55 or 106, the 220 was never to convert back to crew operation.
Although as a local a ride on the 220 was not an experience to be savoured, the changeover was of extreme importance to London bus services. Economics dictated that one person operation was the future, but unfortunately it took a long time for technology to come up with an answer that seemed to meet with passenger approval. In my opinion it was only with the introduction of the Oyster Card that journeys speeded up and passengers felt more at ease with paying for bus travel. It took approximately 30 years but the goal pioneered on 2/1/71 eventually bore fruit.
Like anybody I can only offer my own opinion, coloured by my experiences. I do recall that an old edition of a London Bus Magazine included an article by somebody who was singing the praises of the DMS on the 220. Even though I thought the bodywork was ugly, the buses unreliable and the passenger experience poor it cannot be denied that DMS 1(thanks to the hard work of Neil Goodrich and others), deserves its place in the London Transport Museum. Our modern experience of bus travel owes a great deal to what happened on that foggy morning as brand new buses emerged from Shepherds Bush and Brixton Garages for the 220 and 95.
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