TFL wants Heritage AEC Routemasters refurbished

[Deleted]

TfL require a supplier to refurbish a number of original Routemaster buses which will continue to operate in London and also to facilitate the sale of a number of additional original Routemaster buses no longer required for service.

www.busandcoachbuyer.com/tfl-requires-routemaster-refurbisher/

Well why not give the 9H Routemasters to Ensignbus and London Bus Company?

But what would it really benefit millions of passengers that use buses every day in London to have the existing Heritage Routemaster buses refurbished?

IMO, time that TFL move on from the iconic AEC Routemasters and do more to invest into improving bus services, withdrawal of 9H is one thing they achieved beside overwhelming majority of people consulted against it.

[Deleted]

Why are they refurbishing them so late in the life on the contract? I think I was told here that there can't be any extension beyond 2017 so this seems wasteful. I do wonder if we will see a return to the more retro design (Red seating etc) seen as TFL is on a retro theme lately (Black and white blinds)

[Deleted]

Jul 3, 2014 18:39:18 GMT @freebbc said:

TfL require a supplier to refurbish a number of original Routemaster buses which will continue to operate in London and also to facilitate the sale of a number of additional original Routemaster buses no longer required for service.

www.busandcoachbuyer.com/tfl-requires-routemaster-refurbisher/

Well why not give the 9H Routemasters to Ensignbus and London Bus Company?

But what would it really benefit millions of passengers that use buses every day in London to have the existing Heritage Routemaster buses refurbished?

IMO, time that TFL move on from the iconic AEC Routemasters and do more to invest into improving bus services, withdrawal of 9H is one thing they achieved beside overwhelming majority of people consulted against it.

Are you feeling alright?  do you need a sit down 

[snoggle]

Jul 3, 2014 19:36:07 GMT @dan said:

Why are they refurbishing them so late in the life on the contract? I think I was told here that there can't be any extension beyond 2017 so this seems wasteful. I do wonder if we will see a return to the more retro design (Red seating etc) seen as TFL is on a retro theme lately (Black and white blinds)

I heard something that suggested the hopper windows would be replaced by old style wind down ones on the refurbed buses.

As to why then my nasty cynical side says there is political upside in the Mayor being able to say "I am looking after the Heritage Routemasters" and then there is a nice photo op for the Mayor when either the first or last one emerges from refurbishment. It's all politics so far as the Heritage RMs are concerned. I'd not be surprised if TfL actually wanted both routes killed off to save the money but I bet City Hall vetoed that proposal and forced them to keep one route until after May 2016. The bigger scandal is the Mayor forcing TfL to find £30m (£30m!!!) for the Garden Bridge. Since when was a suspended flower pot across the Thames anything to do with TfL? Think how many bus improvements that would pay for?

[Deleted]

I also wonder won't the cost of this outweigh the savings from cutting 9H?

[Deleted]

When I visted the London Bus Museum, a volunteer told me that Mr Daniels/TFL are approaching the EU and asking for an exemption to the 2017 Law, on the basis that they are heratige routes and simply suppliment an accessible route. I presume the refurbishment will take place on this premise and there was a piece somewhere that said they wished to return the buses to 1950's condition.

[snoggle]

Jul 3, 2014 19:50:21 GMT @dan said:

I also wonder won't the cost of this out way the savings from cutting 9H?

I doubt it. I suspect the aim of the procurement exercise is for the sale of the RMs (which go for a premium these days) to largely or wholly fund the refurbishment of the remaining buses. I would not be surprised if there was some flexibility about the numbers of buses sold / retained. I believe there are 10 buses overall allocated per Heritage route but only 10 needed (or possibly fewer) for the 15H so TfL can flog 10+ buses from the joint overall allocation if they want to.

Further I suspect this is a case of budgetary sleight of hand - the RM refurb cost will be a capital item while the contract fee for the 9H is a revenue budget saving. The capital budget for buses is relatively high at the moment so there may be some "slack" in the budget.

PS - "outweigh".

[LX09FBJ]

Jul 3, 2014 19:53:56 GMT @cstock said:

When I visted the London Bus Museum, a volunteer told me that Mr Daniels/TFL are approaching the EU and asking for an exemption to the 2017 Law, on the basis that they are heratige routes and simply suppliment an accessible route. I presume the refurbishment will take place on this premise and there was a piece somewhere that said they wished to return the buses to 1950's condition.

Surely there would be an exemption to EU law, as the entire service is covered with accessible, which is indeed the whole point of the Heritage routes is exactly that. Another reasoning behind this could be to bolster the 15's frequency between Tower and Trafalgar Square (and/or an extension to Aldgate,) as the 9H is being withdrawn this month.

And I hope the refurbs will make them 'Hendy style' (i.e. winding windows but with the mod cons such as yellow rails and modern-ish light clusters painted red) but with the replica RM moquette a la RM1933. Indeed, RM2060 was painted just a couple months back or so.

[Deleted]

LX09FBJ
They were fairly confident about it last I heard, apparently Ensignbus also approached them too, so I'm guessing things like strike day specials and route anniversaries can may still happen if permission is granted.

2060 is an interesting one ,its like a false rendition of what they would be like if they were still in regular service.

[londonbusboy]

Amazed they publicized that they need someone to refurbish the buses when they could go to companies that current operators use and ask for a quote!

[Deleted]

Jul 3, 2014 20:45:28 GMT LX09FBJ said:

Jul 3, 2014 19:53:56 GMT @cstock said:

When I visted the London Bus Museum, a volunteer told me that Mr Daniels/TFL are approaching the EU and asking for an exemption to the 2017 Law, on the basis that they are heratige routes and simply suppliment an accessible route. I presume the refurbishment will take place on this premise and there was a piece somewhere that said they wished to return the buses to 1950's condition.

Surely there would be an exemption to EU law, as the entire service is covered with accessible, which is indeed the whole point of the Heritage routes is exactly that. Another reasoning behind this could be to bolster the 15's frequency between Tower and Trafalgar Square (and/or an extension to Aldgate,) as the 9H is being withdrawn this month.

And I hope the refurbs will make them 'Hendy style' (i.e. winding windows but with the mod cons such as yellow rails and modern-ish light clusters painted red) but with the replica RM moquette a la RM1933. Indeed, RM2060 was painted just a couple months back or so.

Why should TfL be exempt from being required from acting within the law?

I would love to choose a load of laws I can be exempt from.

And lastly the DDA act is a British act ... Not an EU one, so no idea why they would be approaching the EU.

[londontravel]

I see RM 2060 is the first bus undergoing refurbishment at hd trim