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Post by busaholic on Nov 11, 2018 23:14:37 GMT
Perhaps,in my ignorance, I should have said route 99 then. I actually thought you said it as an example? i did. I had no idea there'd actually be a bus numbered, improbably, 12345. I was brought up on class letters rather than random numbers seemingly picked from the ether or, more accurately, by accountants rather than bus operators.
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Post by twobellstogo on Nov 12, 2018 8:02:16 GMT
I actually thought you said it as an example? i did. I had no idea there'd actually be a bus numbered, improbably, 12345. I was brought up on class letters rather than random numbers seemingly picked from the ether or, more accurately, by accountants rather than bus operators. And so did I : it was my attempt at humour 😂 12345 is a local bus - as it happens I do a Remembrance service in Welling each year and needed to get the 96 so saw the bus in service yesterday (and travelled on sister bus 12346). Would like to see 12345 set aside for preservation when the time comes. Anyway, back on topic!
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Post by sid on Nov 12, 2018 10:38:14 GMT
Before designing a Christmas Day bus service, perhaps the question that should be asked is: "What is it for?". In other words, what would be the purpose of running buses again, after a gap of nearly 40 years? What hours would it run? When London Transport did run Christmas Day bus services they finished by 16.00 - which would be useless for any shift workers, who typically have arrangements made for them anyway if they do not have access to their own transport. And don't forget that only essential staff will be working; in hospitals and the like, routine surgery and appointments will not be taking place. Less than one million people work on Christmas Day throughout the UK. The coverage would of necessity be thin - how would you decide who gets a bus service, and who doesn't? And where would the buses go? Also, are they going to be at a frequency that is attractive enough for potential passengers, or will the service be so poor that people walk, drive or take taxis anyway or simply don't make the journey? I'm not saying buses should not run on Christmas Day, but I am yet to be convinced they are needed. Obviously if it's never tried we'll never know just as with night services years ago and forgive me stating the obvious but they are needed on the other 364 days each year so why shouldn't they be on Christmas Day? And I think I'm right in saying that the few services that have been run in more recent years have been very well used. I suggested previously a watered down version of the night bus network might be a good place to start with amendments as necessary and a few routes merged into one 2/13, 25/86, 36/136, 109/159 etc etc.
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Post by redbus on Nov 12, 2018 19:04:02 GMT
Before designing a Christmas Day bus service, perhaps the question that should be asked is: "What is it for?". In other words, what would be the purpose of running buses again, after a gap of nearly 40 years? What hours would it run? When London Transport did run Christmas Day bus services they finished by 16.00 - which would be useless for any shift workers, who typically have arrangements made for them anyway if they do not have access to their own transport. And don't forget that only essential staff will be working; in hospitals and the like, routine surgery and appointments will not be taking place. Less than one million people work on Christmas Day throughout the UK. The coverage would of necessity be thin - how would you decide who gets a bus service, and who doesn't? And where would the buses go? Also, are they going to be at a frequency that is attractive enough for potential passengers, or will the service be so poor that people walk, drive or take taxis anyway or simply don't make the journey? I'm not saying buses should not run on Christmas Day, but I am yet to be convinced they are needed. Obviously if it's never tried we'll never know just as with night services years ago and forgive me stating the obvious but they are needed on the other 364 days each year so why shouldn't they be on Christmas Day? And I think I'm right in saying that the few services that have been run in more recent years have been very well used. I suggested previously a watered down version of the night bus network might be a good place to start with amendments as necessary and a few routes merged into one 2/13, 25/86, 36/136, 109/159 etc etc. It is not a question of need. There's a compelling argument for a Christmas Day service based on usage when it was last available, combined with being a more modern dynamic city where there's more travel. Same applies to the Tube by the way. It is for other reason that there is no service.
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Post by vjaska on Nov 12, 2018 19:48:11 GMT
Before designing a Christmas Day bus service, perhaps the question that should be asked is: "What is it for?". In other words, what would be the purpose of running buses again, after a gap of nearly 40 years? What hours would it run? When London Transport did run Christmas Day bus services they finished by 16.00 - which would be useless for any shift workers, who typically have arrangements made for them anyway if they do not have access to their own transport. And don't forget that only essential staff will be working; in hospitals and the like, routine surgery and appointments will not be taking place. Less than one million people work on Christmas Day throughout the UK. The coverage would of necessity be thin - how would you decide who gets a bus service, and who doesn't? And where would the buses go? Also, are they going to be at a frequency that is attractive enough for potential passengers, or will the service be so poor that people walk, drive or take taxis anyway or simply don't make the journey? I'm not saying buses should not run on Christmas Day, but I am yet to be convinced they are needed. Obviously if it's never tried we'll never know just as with night services years ago and forgive me stating the obvious but they are needed on the other 364 days each year so why shouldn't they be on Christmas Day? And I think I'm right in saying that the few services that have been run in more recent years have been very well used. I suggested previously a watered down version of the night bus network might be a good place to start with amendments as necessary and a few routes merged into one 2/13, 25/86, 36/136, 109/159 etc etc. paulsw2 mentioned that the commercial services that run a few years back flopped.
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Post by LT 20181 on Nov 12, 2018 20:05:59 GMT
How about special Routemaster services on certain routes with Santa Claus as a conductor, and he give free presents instead of charging fares for tickets?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 20:53:29 GMT
Not sure what demand is like on Christmas Eve night but what about as a start running night buses as normal on the 24th with a limited extended service on some route into Christmas morning until around 11am / Noon. Then again from early evening into Boxing day.
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Post by busaholic on Nov 12, 2018 21:06:03 GMT
Obviously if it's never tried we'll never know just as with night services years ago and forgive me stating the obvious but they are needed on the other 364 days each year so why shouldn't they be on Christmas Day? And I think I'm right in saying that the few services that have been run in more recent years have been very well used. I suggested previously a watered down version of the night bus network might be a good place to start with amendments as necessary and a few routes merged into one 2/13, 25/86, 36/136, 109/159 etc etc. paulsw2 mentioned that the commercial services that run a few years back flopped. someone else previously produced a list of these commercial routes and said they charged £5 per journey, equivalent today to £10 per journey. So two adults making a return journey would have paid £20 = £40 now, so hardly an attractive proposition for many people! Also, just how many would have been aware of them in a pre-internet era? Unless there was another Christmas when these or other routes operated then the quoted Stagecoach didn't even operate any, it being confined to Metroline and London Central!
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Post by redexpress on Nov 12, 2018 21:08:13 GMT
Obviously if it's never tried we'll never know just as with night services years ago and forgive me stating the obvious but they are needed on the other 364 days each year so why shouldn't they be on Christmas Day? And I think I'm right in saying that the few services that have been run in more recent years have been very well used. I suggested previously a watered down version of the night bus network might be a good place to start with amendments as necessary and a few routes merged into one 2/13, 25/86, 36/136, 109/159 etc etc. paulsw2 mentioned that the commercial services that run a few years back flopped. Hang on. There's a difference between not making a profit and "flopping". A lot of existing London bus services don't make a profit.
I used the 729 (Xmas variant of the 29) when it last ran in the early 2000s. It was packed for most of the journey - only the outer end was quiet - and we met quite a few people (newcomers obviously) at bus stops who were waiting for their normal bus service. And that was at a time when bus patronage in general was lower than it is now. I've no doubt that the demand would be there, at least in some parts of London.
When those services ceased I vaguely remember some comment that the reasons for stopping the services were not purely commercial, although I can't remember what the issue was.
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Post by galwhv69 on Nov 12, 2018 22:02:43 GMT
How about special Routemaster services on certain routes with Santa Claus as a conductor, and he give free presents instead of charging fares for tickets? Thats the best idea so far
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Post by sid on Nov 13, 2018 10:28:59 GMT
Obviously if it's never tried we'll never know just as with night services years ago and forgive me stating the obvious but they are needed on the other 364 days each year so why shouldn't they be on Christmas Day? And I think I'm right in saying that the few services that have been run in more recent years have been very well used. I suggested previously a watered down version of the night bus network might be a good place to start with amendments as necessary and a few routes merged into one 2/13, 25/86, 36/136, 109/159 etc etc. paulsw2 mentioned that the commercial services that run a few years back flopped. redexpress has covered this very well, I never used these services myself but by all accounts they were invariably well loaded. Wasn't it TfL dogma that scuppered these routes?
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Post by Arriva London Explorer on Nov 18, 2018 9:31:36 GMT
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Post by galwhv69 on Nov 18, 2018 18:44:08 GMT
How about special Routemaster services on certain routes with Santa Claus as a conductor, and he give free presents instead of charging fares for tickets? I'll just hop on the next sleigh to the North Pole and start getting the presents ready
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Post by londonbuses2018 on Nov 18, 2018 21:22:03 GMT
13 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 8pm to 6am
32 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am
113 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every 2 Hours from 8pm to 12am
N113 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 12am to 7am
186 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am
139 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 6pm to 6am
232 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 12am - Buses only run from St Raphael's Estate to Arnos Grove
251 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 12am -
102 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 6am - Will only run from Edmonton to Golders Green
142 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 6pm to 2am - Bus starting at 6pm will terminate at Edgware
460 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am - North Finchley to North Acton - Temporarily Extended to North Acton for one day
183 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 6pm to 1am - First Bus will terminate at Harrow.
240 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 12am - First Bus will start from Golders Green
305 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am
H2 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every 35 Min from 7pm to 12am
On all Routes Bus Drivers will get a 45 Minute Break.
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Post by SILENCED on Nov 18, 2018 22:45:24 GMT
13 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 8pm to 6am 32 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am 113 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every 2 Hours from 8pm to 12am N113 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 12am to 7am 186 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am 139 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 6pm to 6am 232 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 12am - Buses only run from St Raphael's Estate to Arnos Grove 251 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 12am - 102 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 6am - Will only run from Edmonton to Golders Green 142 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 6pm to 2am - Bus starting at 6pm will terminate at Edgware 460 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am - North Finchley to North Acton - Temporarily Extended to North Acton for one day 183 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 6pm to 1am - First Bus will terminate at Harrow. 240 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 12am - First Bus will start from Golders Green 305 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every Hour from 7pm to 1am H2 to run on Christmas Day with Buses every 35 Min from 7pm to 12am On all Routes Bus Drivers will get a 45 Minute Break. Xmas day routes to only run South of the river!!!!! Ggggrrrr!!!!
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