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Post by thewintersoldier on Nov 24, 2019 22:19:54 GMT
I have utmost respect for bus drivers. Shat on by TfL and the companies compared to the tube drivers. Alas... I have always wanted to be a bus driver, and will do so when I retire from my current job in ten years (just to have fulfilled a wish) I remember travelling around on FW routes in the 80’s and got to know a few drivers. This was when you could smoke in the cab. I got to know the reasons for them having their favourite routes and buses. Understood that the newest buses were never the best ones to drive. And got to know their favourite routes were generally chosen by stand time. And I recall the old 139 when it was ran from CF. It was a lovely short route between Trafalgar Square and West Hampstead / Golders Green. It was never one of those routes that got in trouble with congestion ( like the 11,15,23,24,27 to name a few). Operated by spritley RM’s the expert drivers manoeuvred around the streets of London with ease, competing with only the black cabs really and the Evening Standard Sherpa delivery vans, a few other delivery vehicles and not much else, I,e few cyclists. Who incidentally, were treated with respect and a touch of eccentricity. Driving in Central London is now an appalling experience. And this is a deliberate ploy by the Mayor make no mistake. But it’s worse because of the increase in private hire vehicles, the increase of home delivery shopping, the increase in cyclists - fine btw, if most of them abided by traffic legislation and cycle safely, unfortunately many don’t and think they are the untouchables. If i were a bus driver in the 80’s, I would have wanted to drive a prestigious route like the 11 or the 73 from one side of London to the other. if I were a bus driver in the 90’s , I would would have enjoyed driving the newer double decks being sampled, like by East London on the Docklands routes D1 and D11. Or be an Airbus driver. if I were a bus driver now, I think I’d settle for a route like the H12 in the day and the N5 at night I have been told many times that even 8-10 years ago bus driving was much better. Not wrong bro. Hence I made the transition to the trains 12 years ago. I couldn’t do it now. I’d either keel over with non stop breaks or end up being done for assault. Overworked. Underpaid And loads of pressure from passengers/controllers/vehicles and pedestrians alike. |
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Post by Volvo on Nov 25, 2019 6:38:56 GMT
Not wrong bro. Hence I made the transition to the trains 12 years ago. I couldn’t do it now. I’d either keel over with non stop breaks or end up being done for assault. Overworked. Underpaid And loads of pressure from passengers/controllers/vehicles and pedestrians alike. Oh I'm trying to make that jump too, please believe. Your last line is all true. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Nov 26, 2019 11:45:59 GMT
Glad to know someone else shares my frustrations at the 38 drivers at Piccadilly Circus, countless times I've been sitting on a 94, or in more recent times a 9, and you get a convoy of LTs bringing the hole junction to a standstil, its lamentable. Also let's be honest most of those 38s are running along Piccadilly empty. They are busy from Victoria, but then passengers start coming off from around Hyde Park Corner and empty out before Piccadilly Circus. |
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Post by busaholic on Nov 26, 2019 13:29:04 GMT
Also let's be honest most of those 38s are running along Piccadilly empty. They are busy from Victoria, but then passengers start coming off from around Hyde Park Corner and empty out before Piccadilly Circus. Back in the day, about half the peak service on the 38 from Victoria terminated at Piccadilly Circus: even after the Red Arrow 506 came along to cover that stretch, some 'shorts' continued for a time. Rosebery Avenue was another regular turning point from Victoria, and not just in the peaks. |
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Post by kenmet on Nov 26, 2019 13:34:20 GMT
Also let's be honest most of those 38s are running along Piccadilly empty. They are busy from Victoria, but then passengers start coming off from around Hyde Park Corner and empty out before Piccadilly Circus. Very true and that's why curtailing the 19 at Holborn made sense, the 22 is more than adequate between HPC and Kings Road. |
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Post by george on Nov 26, 2019 14:09:55 GMT
They are busy from Victoria, but then passengers start coming off from around Hyde Park Corner and empty out before Piccadilly Circus. Very true and that's why curtailing the 19 at Holborn made sense, the 22 is more than adequate between HPC and Kings Road. My personal opinion is that when the 19 cut didn't get it's cutback a pvr cut should have been put in place for the 38. |
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Post by kenmet on Nov 26, 2019 14:15:56 GMT
Very true and that's why curtailing the 19 at Holborn made sense, the 22 is more than adequate between HPC and Kings Road. My personal opinion is that when the 19 cut didn't get it's cutback a pvr cut should have been put in place for the 38. But the current 38 frequency is still justified to and from Victoria, particularly at peak times. |
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Post by george on Nov 26, 2019 14:26:05 GMT
My personal opinion is that when the 19 cut didn't get it's cutback a pvr cut should have been put in place for the 38. But the current 38 frequency is still justified to and from Victoria, particularly at peak times. What I'm a bit confused about why do so many passengers need to go to Hyde Park Corner, it's not like there's that many tourists attractions in Hyde Park. Also you've got routes 2,13,16,36 and 52 surely that's sufficient enough? |
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Post by kenmet on Nov 26, 2019 15:13:02 GMT
But the current 38 frequency is still justified to and from Victoria, particularly at peak times. What I'm a bit confused about why do so many passengers need to go to Hyde Park Corner, it's not like there's that many tourists attractions in Hyde Park. Also you've got routes 2,13,16,36 and 52 surely that's sufficient enough? It's probably mostly the HPC-Piccadilly section, years ago there were peak hour short workings between Piccadilly Circus and Victoria. |
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Post by DE20106 on Nov 26, 2019 18:52:54 GMT
Very true and that's why curtailing the 19 at Holborn made sense, the 22 is more than adequate between HPC and Kings Road. My personal opinion is that when the 19 cut didn't get it's cutback a pvr cut should have been put in place for the 38. I agree, the 38 is grossly overbussed imo. Out of interest I decided to observe peak 38’s in different places to see what they’re like. Off peak a lot of 38’s are completely empty, but in the peaks you do get rammed buses, which tend to be closely followed by empty ones. Peak loadings are very erratic. It annoys me to think that the 18 and 25 which are vastly busier (and less frequent I should add) services yet get slashed to bits yet the 38 (and the 73 too which is just as overbussed, ignoring its cut to OXO) remains relatively unharmed. |
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Post by george on Nov 26, 2019 19:36:21 GMT
My personal opinion is that when the 19 cut didn't get it's cutback a pvr cut should have been put in place for the 38. I agree, the 38 is grossly overbussed imo. Out of interest I decided to observe peak 38’s in different places to see what they’re like. Off peak a lot of 38’s are completely empty, but in the peaks you do get rammed buses, which tend to be closely followed by empty ones. Peak loadings are very erratic. It annoys me to think that the 18 and 25 which are vastly busier (and less frequent I should add) services yet get slashed to bits yet the 38 (and the 73 too which is just as overbussed, ignoring its cut to OXO) remains relatively unharmed. I'm so glad you have raised these points, I think exactly the same as you. Also if you don't mind me asking why the name change? 131 no longer you're favourite route 😃 |
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Post by 10121ddo on Nov 26, 2019 19:40:11 GMT
Imagine doing the 549 everyday... great route for passengers. I often wonder if the drivers are as content...
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Post by vjaska on Nov 26, 2019 19:50:44 GMT
They are busy from Victoria, but then passengers start coming off from around Hyde Park Corner and empty out before Piccadilly Circus. Very true and that's why curtailing the 19 at Holborn made sense, the 22 is more than adequate between HPC and Kings Road. Curtailing the 19 would of broken other links so don’t see the sense in its thankfully defunct change. The 38’s frequency should personally of been reduced instead. |
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 26, 2019 19:50:50 GMT
I agree, the 38 is grossly overbussed imo. Out of interest I decided to observe peak 38’s in different places to see what they’re like. Off peak a lot of 38’s are completely empty, but in the peaks you do get rammed buses, which tend to be closely followed by empty ones. Peak loadings are very erratic. It annoys me to think that the 18 and 25 which are vastly busier (and less frequent I should add) services yet get slashed to bits yet the 38 (and the 73 too which is just as overbussed, ignoring its cut to OXO) remains relatively unharmed. I'm so glad you have raised these points, I think exactly the same as you. <snip> I'm going to dissent here. I don't believe the 38 is "grossly overbussed" at all. The route is so frequent that any gap in the service soon produces extra passengers, and if regular travellers know that there is likely to be a bus behind with spare capacity they are not all going to try to cram on the first one that comes along. Let's hear more calls for maintaining service levels on the 18 and 25 instead of insisting that the 38 be made to suffer in the same way. |
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Post by kenmet on Nov 26, 2019 20:48:26 GMT
I'm so glad you have raised these points, I think exactly the same as you. <snip> I'm going to dissent here. I don't believe the 38 is "grossly overbussed" at all. The route is so frequent that any gap in the service soon produces extra passengers, and if regular travellers know that there is likely to be a bus behind with spare capacity they are not all going to try to cram on the first one that comes along. Let's hear more calls for maintaining service levels on the 18 and 25 instead of insisting that the 38 be made to suffer in the same way. I tend to agree, certainly the current level of service is needed at Victoria although it might be that the same level of service isn't needed throughout the route. I seem to recall that in Routemaster days there were short workings during peak hours between Victoria and Piccadilly Circus and between Holborn and Hackney Central. |
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