Mega Mega HK double dekkas

[snoggle]

KMB have got some nice new 12.8, yes 12.8m, tri-axle double decks

Volvo B9TL / Gemini
ADL E500

Not my photos - credit to KM30192002 on Flickr

they only seat 98 people.

[guybowden]

Proper buses and proper people movers. I bet they stand about 20 to 30 people!! A few routes in London could do with some of them!

[vjaska]

Jun 2, 2014 19:44:15 GMT guybowden said:

Proper buses and proper people movers. I bet they stand about 20 to 30 people!! A few routes in London could do with some of them!

Like.................the 25 - well someone would of said it lol.

[snoggle]

Jun 2, 2014 19:44:15 GMT guybowden said:

Proper buses and proper people movers. I bet they stand about 20 to 30 people!! A few routes in London could do with some of them!

Up to 48 standees apparently - so nearly 150 capacity.

KMB Press Release gives more info on seats and specification.

[southeastlondonbus]

And probably cost a dam sight less per bus then a vanity project.

[Hassaan]

Jun 2, 2014 20:03:58 GMT snoggle said:

Jun 2, 2014 19:44:15 GMT guybowden said:

Proper buses and proper people movers. I bet they stand about 20 to 30 people!! A few routes in London could do with some of them!

Up to 48 standees apparently - so nearly 150 capacity.

KMB Press Release gives more info on seats and specification.

That's quite a lot actually, 12m tri-axles here (well the Optare Olympus ones like so) only allow 6 standing (with 96 seated or 100 without wheelchair space).

[LX09FBJ]

In my view, the busiest 11.8% of London's bus routes should use them. Or maybe Metroline can buy them to replace HZs double decks.

Hong Kong has generally been more clever than London in terms of high-capacity bus transport by using tri-axle double deckers instead of long single deck bendy buses. While bendies worked on short 'hopper' routes (e.g. 507 and 521) where more capacity was needed due to their nature, they didn't work on longer distance, suburban routes as they helped increase fare evasion and crime (12, 25 and 29 are good examples) where as using tri-axles not only would've reduce crime and fare evasion (in turn meaning that fares wouldn't have needed to be increased) but they also would've been cheaper, as Boris would've only needed to convert two routes (507 and 521) to normal buses, with the tri-axles being retained or cascaded to other routes or even outside of London, where they would've been much much more useful (mostly as high-capacity, accessible school buses, replacing the previous generation of tri-axle double deckers, the ex Hong Kong Olympians and Metrobuses)

[vjaska]

The 109 would be my vote for tri-axles - after the 12 & 53, it's South London's next busiest route and runs virtually in a straight line. The only issue would be Croydon - the turn at the point where North End meets Poplar Walk could be dodgy as could where Park Street meets High Street - the solution could be to swap the 109 & 250's terminus' around and have the 109 use the Fairfield Halls roundabout to swing back around and serve the stops on Park Lane. No such issues at the Brixton end though as I've seen & been on coaches around the Brixton Police Station one way system & Stockwell Park Walk has enough stand space to accommodate long vehicles.

[snoggle]

I see via another group and a link to Flickr that a prototype E500 hybrid has been on test in Kent. This won't be a surprise to several people here as they've favourited the photo. Interesting that Alexander Dennis are working hard on this.

[guybowden]

Jun 3, 2014 11:56:33 GMT snoggle said:

I see via another group and a link to Flickr that a prototype E500 hybrid has been on test in Kent. This won't be a surprise to several people here as they've favourited the photo. Interesting that Alexander Dennis are working hard on this.

I saw this demo bus today going through Camberwell heading towards the Elephant, coming from Peckham. It made a nice change seeing a yellow bus instead of red!