London Reconnections have a statement from TfL about Boris’s latest bout of thinking out loud:
“We expect to have the first prototypes of the new bus for London on the streets in 2011, going into full production from 2012. Our plans for staffing these services will be confirmed nearer the time, but PCSOs are one of the options we will consider for a second staff member on the new buses.”
Let’s remind us what Boris said:
“We expect to have the first prototypes of the new bus for London on the streets in 2011, going into full production from 2012. Our plans for staffing these services will be confirmed nearer the time, but PCSOs are one of the options we will consider for a second staff member on the new buses.”
and before the election:
Mr Johnson wants to introduce a new version of the double-decker bus “that will once again give London an iconic bus that Londoners can be proud of”.
Each new Routemaster would come with a conductor, comply with EU legislation, have disabled access and run on environmentally-friendly fuel, he said.
Far from a certainty then. In fact, given that they’re about to start committing public money to the bus, it’s rather worrying that they don’t yet know how they’re going to staff them.
Other questions on the PCSO idea picked up around the place:
- Will these Authority Figures give the starting signal?
- Will they be responsible for the safety of passengers on the open platform and when getting on and off the open platform?
- Will their duties include reminding passengers that the Mayor’s idea of “hopping on and off when you want” isn’t to be taken too literally?
- Will there be one of these Authority Figures on the bus all the time?
- How can you crew a bus from both a private bus operator and a public police service?
- What happens when your driver and policeman and bus aren’t in the right place at the right time? Tell all the hoodies to get the conventional double or single decker (or bendy) behind, as the Borismaster can’t run?
I think this one will quietly vanish, personally, and Boris will have to find something else to do. It does all point to a much smaller fleet or a much bigger bill. Remember, he is the Value For Money Mayor ™.
Oh, and I’ve not seen 2012 as the date for series production before. That puts the 207 as a probable normal double-decker conversion, and no bendy to RM conversions in Boris’s first term.
Tags: 6 Comments
6 responses so far ↓
From the written answers to the last MQT:
New Routemaster (1)
Question No: 2793 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
When will the results of the “design a bus for London” competition be announced?
Answer from the Mayor:
I announced the winners of each category on December 19.
*
New Routemaster (2)
Question No: 2794 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
What are the next steps in developing a new routemaster bus for London?
Answer from the Mayor:
The next steps are to develop a full vehicle specification and incorporate the best ideas from the
design competition and take these forward to procurement.
The tendering process will launch in the New Year to find a suitable design and manufacturing
supplier. Once the contract is awarded (probably at the end of 2009), a prototype will be
developed for testing. Once we are confident with the prototype, we will move onto series
production.
*
New Routemaster (3)
Question No: 2795 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
What will it cost to develop the new routemaster?
Answer from the Mayor:
Given the volumes required to operate a number of central London routes, the new bus for
London will represent a sizeable order for any bus manufacturer.
I expect the development costs to be amortised over enough vehicles to make the new
Routemaster competitive with comparable bus types.
*
New Routemaster (4)
Question No: 2796 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
When do you expect the first new routemaster vehicle to go into service?
Answer from the Mayor:
The first prototype will be ready for testing in 2011 and the first buses ready for service in 2012.
New Routemaster (5)
Question No: 2797 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
How many new routemaster vehicles do you expect to have in service by May 2012?
Answer from the Mayor:
It is difficult to estimate the actual number of new vehicles in service by this date as it is too
early in the design process to establish production targets.
New Routemaster (6)
Question No: 2798 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
How many routes do you expect to be served by new routemaster vehicles by May 2012?
Answer from the Mayor:
It is difficult to estimate the actual number of new vehicles in service by this date as it is too
early in the design process to establish production targets.
Questions for TfL Q&A, 14 Jan: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/assemmtgs/2009/plenaryjan14/item04.pdf
“Boris Johnson (Chair, TfL) and Peter Hendy (Commissioner, TfL)
Routemaster Buses
Question No: 95 / 2009
Jennette Arnold
If the cost of manufacturing and running the new Route Masters buses is so great that the Mayor finds himself unable to continue with this project will the Mayor apologise to Londoners for this misguided manifesto promise?”
*snigger*
“no bendy to RM conversions in Boris’s first term”
Shouldn’t that read “no bendy to RM conversions in Boris’s term” ?
Well, who can predict the future?
Comments received via email from ‘The Kos’:
–
“PCSOs as conductors? Public money subsidising private profit?
How will drivers react when ‘conductors’ get paid more than
they do?
“Who outside London will want a bus that requires two people to
operate it? No-one, so it’ll have to be a modular design to
plug the ‘hole’ which will add to the costs.
“Under alleged competitive tenders for London’s routes, you
can’t make an operator use a vehicle type unless it’s supplied
at cost to them by the tendering authority – more public
susbsidy when the present City Hall administration wants to cut
it? Unit costs per bus will be astronomic, and anything more
than a ’small number’ (legal term) of vehicles requires full
(former) ‘construction and use’ compliance.
“Front-engined buses can’t kneel (or none known to date can,
whether hybrid or internal combustion), so it’ll have
unbeatable problems (with luck) meeting DDA and EU
laws/regulations… Happy days.”
PCSOs as conductors? Public money subsidising private profit? How will drivers react when ‘conductors’ get paid more than they do?
Who outside London will want a bus that requires two people to operate it? No-one, so it’ll have to be a modular design to plug the ‘hole’ which will add to the costs.
Under alleged competitive tenders for London’s routes, you
can’t make an operator use a vehicle type unless it’s supplied
at cost to them by the tendering authority – more public
susbsidy when the present City Hall administration wants to cut it? Unit costs per bus will be astronomic, and anything more than a ’small number’ (legal term) of vehicles requires full
(former) ‘construction and use’ compliance.
Front-engined buses can’t kneel (or none known to date can, whether hybrid or internal combustion), so it’ll have unbeatable problems (with luck) meeting DDA and EU laws/regulations… Happy days.