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Post by 15002 on May 2, 2019 18:47:03 GMT
That's up to you but WiFi is pretty much everywhere nowadays. The seating in London buses certainly needs looking at. They are hard and much worse than they used to be. Some proper comfortable seating would be an excellent step forward. I like the idea of USB charging and think all buses should have it. What I find interesting is that the electric buses on the 46 have USB charging and as a regular on the route I have never seen anyone other than myself use it. Perhaps the problem is that it needs to be advertised, few realise the facility is there. WiFi I am less concerned over, most people have adequate data plans, it is not like the tube when you can't connect to a mobile network. I think pretty much everyone who wants to use data with their phone on the bus does so, I am unconvinced WiFi will attract more passengers except perhaps for long journeys. I do agree with the USB charging not being well advertised, I definitely think companies outside of London seem to advertise that a lot better than in London, using Arriva Midlands and First Leicester for example, they do advertise their free Wi-Fi and USB and coincidentally I see people using the USB chargers too outside of London compared to in London. Wi-Fi would probably work more on the express routes or longer routes, I can’t imagine a route like the 346 needs Wi-Fi as such? Definitely wouldn’t mind them though. Regarding leather seats: I’m quite mixed about this. As a regular passenger, ever since moving to Leicester I absolutely love sitting in comfortable seats for sure, especially when I come to London to visit on occasions. But as an enthusiast, I do think the designs for the leather seats are pretty plain compared to the ones I see in London, but overall I’m a fan of them.
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Post by snoggle on May 2, 2019 18:49:03 GMT
Even though the X26 does have USB points I feel like it should have more comfy seats. I did use those chargers but now I don't find they drain battery very quickly nothing to do with my phone as it works everywhere else. Sorry if I sound thick but you're saying that if you plug your phone in to the USB chargers on the X26 vehicles that they actually *drain* the battery on your phone? How does that work? Sounds like a right shambles to me.
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Post by george on May 2, 2019 18:56:31 GMT
Even though the X26 does have USB points I feel like it should have more comfy seats. I did use those chargers but now I don't find they drain battery very quickly nothing to do with my phone as it works everywhere else. Sorry if I sound thick but you're saying that if you plug your phone in to the USB chargers on the X26 vehicles that they actually *drain* the battery on your phone? How does that work? Sounds like a right shambles to me. Well not tried it on the X26 but for the SEe no joke it drains the battery. I know it sounds strange but it works everywhere else.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2019 19:07:24 GMT
As far as I can see there is no mention of the anticipated extension of route 125 to Colindale Station on londonbusroutes.net.
What is the likelihood that this extension will be implemented by the 6th May - as stated on the LBB website?
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Post by redbus on May 2, 2019 19:09:40 GMT
Sorry if I sound thick but you're saying that if you plug your phone in to the USB chargers on the X26 vehicles that they actually *drain* the battery on your phone? How does that work? Sounds like a right shambles to me. Well not tried it on the X26 but for the SEe no joke it drains the battery. I know it sounds strange but it works everywhere else. Sounds very strange to me. My experience on the 46 is that the USB charging works fine.
As for seating, I don't think you have to go all the way to leather seats, just more comfortable, better padded softer seats with material would suffice.
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Post by danorak on May 2, 2019 19:12:08 GMT
I don't expect them, I don't think many people in London expect them. What most people expect is a bus that'll get them from A to B in a decent amount of time. That's up to you but WiFi is pretty much everywhere nowadays. The latest official statistics say that 29% of buses are equipped with wifi. While I would expect this figure increase fairly quickly, it's far from standard on buses. Trains, coffee shops etc are another matter.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2019 19:27:25 GMT
They've installed them because that's what people expect nowadays just as they do in shops pubs and restaurants and they used just as much on local journeys. I don't expect them, I don't think many people in London expect them. What most people expect is a bus that'll get them from A to B in a decent amount of time. What without a inconvenient changes mid route or being held every other stop to help even out the service
I agree I don't expect WIFI on buses. I "tried" to use it on buses and trams in Blackpool and was slow and rubbish! most people have inclusive data (Even on pay as you go) which is better quality.
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Post by snowman on May 2, 2019 19:29:48 GMT
As far as I can see there is no mention of the anticipated extension of route 125 to Colindale Station on londonbusroutes.net. What is the likelihood that this extension will be implemented by the 6th May - as stated on the LBB website? Could still happen, the bus changes reporting/advising process seems to be broken in TfL Should have been a fortnightly update last Friday afternoon, can’t remember it being virtually a week late before. So unclear if changes are happening (but TfL just haven’t advised it), or not happening.
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Post by snoggle on May 2, 2019 20:32:25 GMT
As far as I can see there is no mention of the anticipated extension of route 125 to Colindale Station on londonbusroutes.net. What is the likelihood that this extension will be implemented by the 6th May - as stated on the LBB website? Could still happen, the bus changes reporting/advising process seems to be broken in TfL Should have been a fortnightly update last Friday afternoon, can’t remember it being virtually a week late before. So unclear if changes are happening (but TfL just haven’t advised it), or not happening. While not excusing the ludicrous delays I suspect they've been wrong footed by the fallout from the Hammersmith Bridge closure. I'd also hazard a guess they may want to reflect whatever the next phase of Bridge related changes is *but* if they are not signed off then they can't. I also suspect a late Easter followed closely by the May Day bank holiday means people are away at the moment. As there is no organisational resilience / resource flex anymore if people aren't around nothing gets done. And the Commissioner still thinks nothing has gone wrong with customer service.
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Post by busaholic on May 2, 2019 20:45:27 GMT
That's up to you but WiFi is pretty much everywhere nowadays. The seating in London buses certainly needs looking at. They are hard and much worse than they used to be. Some proper comfortable seating would be an excellent step forward. I like the idea of USB charging and think all buses should have it. What I find interesting is that the electric buses on the 46 have USB charging and as a regular on the route I have never seen anyone other than myself use it. Perhaps the problem is that it needs to be advertised, few realise the facility is there. WiFi I am less concerned over, most people have adequate data plans, it is not like the tube when you can't connect to a mobile network. I think pretty much everyone who wants to use data with their phone on the bus does so, I am unconvinced WiFi will attract more passengers except perhaps for long journeys. Jim Blake in the first volume of his book of photographs 'London Buses in the 1970s; 1970-1974' published last year, as well as providing an excellent selection well reproduced supplies his own insightful captions, as always, and includes quite a few photos of what had become London Country operations by then, ex-LT country bus. Amongst them are photos of the Green Line 721 route from Brentwood to Aldgate, first in the hand of purpose-built Routemaster coaches with comfortable seating and capable of a fair turn of speed when given the chance, next by their replacement, the RP class of AEC Reliance single deck coaches which, unfortunately, were not terribly reliable, then by their quick replacement the Leyland National, Mark 1, with standard bus seats.Blake, who's observed buses and routes in N/NE/E London in particular for decades with precision says that what killed a 5 cph service in the early 1970s stone dead within that decade was not the traffic congestion, though that didn't help, but the feeling amongst regular passengers that their custom wasn't appreciated any longer and so they voted with their feet. I'm sure there are and will be TfL regular bus passengers in many areas who've come to the same conclusion and may make alternative arrangements if they have the wherewithal.
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Post by sid on May 2, 2019 21:45:26 GMT
The seating in London buses certainly needs looking at. They are hard and much worse than they used to be. Some proper comfortable seating would be an excellent step forward. I like the idea of USB charging and think all buses should have it. What I find interesting is that the electric buses on the 46 have USB charging and as a regular on the route I have never seen anyone other than myself use it. Perhaps the problem is that it needs to be advertised, few realise the facility is there. WiFi I am less concerned over, most people have adequate data plans, it is not like the tube when you can't connect to a mobile network. I think pretty much everyone who wants to use data with their phone on the bus does so, I am unconvinced WiFi will attract more passengers except perhaps for long journeys. Even though the X26 does have USB points I feel like it should have more comfy seats. I did use those chargers but now I don't find they drain battery very quickly nothing to do with my phone as it works everywhere else. I agree that the X26 should have better seating, I've used the USB chargers before and charged my phone ok.
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on May 2, 2019 21:47:54 GMT
Even though the X26 does have USB points I feel like it should have more comfy seats. I did use those chargers but now I don't find they drain battery very quickly nothing to do with my phone as it works everywhere else. I agree that the X26 should have better seating, I've used the USB chargers before and charged my phone ok. It'll depend on the phone you have. The bigger the phone's battery and the more power demanding it is the more power they'll require to charge. I was trying to charge my Galaxy S10 on the 521 the other day and all it didn't even stop the battery draining. Most phones these days require most power and the USB chargers on buses don't seem to be evolving for this reason, someone I know has an iPhone XS Max and they had similar issues with the phone charger on the bus.
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Post by sid on May 2, 2019 21:56:54 GMT
I agree that the X26 should have better seating, I've used the USB chargers before and charged my phone ok. It'll depend on the phone you have. The bigger the phone's battery and the more power demanding it is the more power they'll require to charge. I was trying to charge my Galaxy S10 on the 521 the other day and all it didn't even stop the battery draining. Most phones these days require most power and the USB chargers on buses don't seem to be evolving for this reason, someone I know has an iPhone XS Max and they had similar issues with the phone charger on the bus. It wasn't a particularly fast charge but as I travelled from Heathrow to Croydon it had fully charged by the end of the journey.
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Post by sid on May 2, 2019 22:03:31 GMT
That's up to you but WiFi is pretty much everywhere nowadays. The latest official statistics say that 29% of buses are equipped with wifi. While I would expect this figure increase fairly quickly, it's far from standard on buses. Trains, coffee shops etc are another matter. The top notch operators all seem to be fitting WiFi as standard so I assume they know what they're doing, I rarely use it as I'd prefer to look out of the window than at my phone.
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Post by vjaska on May 3, 2019 0:02:56 GMT
I don't expect them, I don't think many people in London expect them. What most people expect is a bus that'll get them from A to B in a decent amount of time. That's up to you but WiFi is pretty much everywhere nowadays. Are you saying you'd rather your bus have WiFi then actually get to it's destination and arrive there on time?
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