Comments on: Routemaster Update

By: Hamish

Hamish — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:03:25 +0000

No offence intended (because I totally agree about this whole ‘Routemaster’ thing being bulls**t) but I really really don’t think the Enviro 400 represents a significant advance in bus design, let alone something akin to the Routemaster with regards to longevity and standards of design.

There are some things about the interior of the Enviro 400 that, to me, scream of a designing firm who’s members have never travelled on a bus (similar problems will almost certainly plague whatever half-baked ‘bus for London’ Boris cooks up). The ridiculously cramped seat just behind the driver with no window to look out of is horrible – I appreciate the extra capacity but its hardly intelligent design. Likewise, the two other seats at the front feel stuck on. The air conditioning upstairs at the back is deafening to the point of giving me headaches, and the seats are not particularly comfortable. Also suffers from the plasticy/cheap feel of interior design that is the unfortunate status quo on buses these days (personally I much prefer the Wrightbus Gemini, I think its the classiest/most comfortable bus on the roads at the moment…)

My point is that I genuinely think London DOES need a new bus – but whatever it is Boris is promising, that won’t be it.

By: Mark Lee

Mark Lee — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:30:19 +0000

I can’t wait until the specification “Manufacturers have been asked to consider options to allow for the rear platform to be closed off at certain times, such as at night” slowly changes into “Manufacturers have been asked to consider options to allow for the rear platform to be closed off at certain times, such as when the vehicle is moving”

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:30:54 +0000

Likewise on the 50 in Birmingham, but with one door. My point is that there’s a distinct ‘TfL Spec’ version which is specific to London needs – given that the ‘New Bus For London’ is likely to be a hacked about version of an existing bus because the majors all have big capital costs sunk in existing designs, I’m suggesting just recognising reality, which is that TfL’s size and clout is sufficient to make bus manufacturers tailor their generic designs to London needs anyway, and what’s wrong with that? We put more money into the bus network, after all.

By: JimmyMac

JimmyMac — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:23:38 +0000

Narry sir – the Enviro 400 is already a “New Bus for Manchester” – 340 of the type in use with Stagecoach in the southern half of the city, working out at around 47% of the fleet. I’m afraid the capital can’t claim this one for its own – not that that’s a valid excuse for Nu Routemaster of course!

By: Routemaster bUpdate/b | Img up date to you

Routemaster bUpdate/b | Img up date to you — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:06:07 +0000

[...] can safely be consigned to the memory hole, too. … Here is the original: Routemaster bUpdate/b Share and [...]

By: D-Notice

D-Notice — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:03:57 +0000

“Classic bit of disaster capitalism, making money advising business how to get through the recession. Nice work if you can get it.”

Privatise, deregulate, cut taxes on the rich and corporations.

That’s £10,000.00 please!