Yes, it’s the news no-one has been waiting for, despite what Boris thinks, which is that…
Londoners have waited with stoic patience
Have we? Not that I’ve noticed. Anyway, Wrightbus of Ballymena will have the unenviable task of providing…
a new icon of London that not only returns to the Capital the joy of the open platform, but also utilises the latest state-of-the art green technology
Now, given the air quality situation, I suggest the latter is a bit more important than the uncertain ‘joy’ of the former, particularly considering that there won’t be very many of these things and buses are quite clean anyway, particularly new ones. In fact, I suggest that the whole competition is a costly distraction from greening the bus fleet, let alone greening the taxi fleet or (heaven forbid) taking active steps to discourage use of the worst polluting private cars. Perhaps that’s the point?
Now, two things stand out about this announcement:
- it’s two days before Christmas, so no one will notice. Only the Irish Times seems to have even bothered to rewrite the press release by the time I’d sat down to scribble this out. This doesn’t suggest it’s seen as a particularly high priority within the Mayoralty any more, or alternatively that there’s some hidden detail around the cost, appearance, contract details etc. they’d rather not have anyone ask about. No photo ops of Boris smiling, holding a pen, with some white-coated boffins arranged behind for local colour.
- There’s literally no indication of what it looks like, except for the bizarre details that it has three doors (including the open/closed platform, suggesting that sans conductor it’ll operate much like a normal double decker bus) and two staircases. The latter is, if not surprising if you’ve been paying attention, still somewhat odd due to space and weight considerations – presumably one’s at the back and one’s in the normal place towards the front. Quite where the engine goes in all this is an open question, but hybrids tend to use smaller powerplants, so perhaps you can squeeze it under the stairs at the back, which leaves open the question of all the extra venting normal hybrids tend to put there. A capacity of 87 is quoted, obviously not all seated, which is about normal for a double decker, so for things like bendy replacement you are going to need the same number as your conventional buses. Mind you, all bendy routes will be Euro V or EEV operated by the time it appears, anyway, so in reality we’re looking at this expensive boondoggle being employed on the second-tier busy central routes rather than the top ones.
What can be gleaned about the design? Length – to fit the extra staircase and platform on while retaining a capacity of 87 it’s going to be around 11 to 12m I reckon. I wouldn’t like to bet what size platform you can get for that, but ’small’ might be a guess. That’s a lot bigger than the old Routemaster, which was 8.4m (RM) or 9.1m (RML) and even the non-platformed Wright Eclipse 2 (as used on the debendified 38) which is 10.3m in TfL spec with the same capacity. It’ll be wider, too, as all modern buses are basically the same width.
So, we have a fatter, longer bus with more doors and more stairs, but the same capacity as the regular off the shelf models, with nebulous promises about greenery. We also have no cost estimates whatsoever or any indication of how it will differ from the Eclipse 2 with the back cut off and a shelf put on.
Tags: 10 Comments
10 responses so far ↓
Is this not the vision of the Bulgybus anymore?
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/12_03/greenbusES_1000×678.jpg
Stop wingeing man, it’s cutting edge public provision brought to you by the NuConservatives.
Rejoice, rejoice…as someone once said.
Actually, LittleRichard
Take that cutaway, stretch it so there’s another door in the middle, open up the space for wheeled vehicles in the centre of the bus and add a front staircase and you’ve got it.
This means wheeled passengers have their own door and own space in the bus. Two staircases means that able passengers can head upstairs more quickly and the less able (though not wheeled) can have the downstairs seats nearest the front and rear entrances.
In effect, this design separates the flow of the three types of bus passengers and allocates them their own doors and own ‘zoned’ space.
AP also says
‘… the bus will incorporate the latest hybrid technology to make it 40% more fuel efficient than conventional diesel buses and 15% more fuel efficient than current London hybrid buses.’
Sounds like the future to me.
Nothing is new:
http://www.countrybus.org/Ailsa/V.htm
2 sets of stairs, rear platform.
“Sounds like the future to me.”?
Really? So let me get this straight: THREE doors (presumably double doors, otherwise pointless) and TWO staircases!? So, in other words, close to no seats downstairs.
The ‘charm’ of the Routemaster had nothing to do with it being a great icon of British design (which the Tories effectively demolished in the 80’s – oh the irony!) it was because it was comfortable, and had lots of seats.
You know why I hate bendy buses? You know why most people I know hate bendy buses? Not because they’re European or ‘kill’ mythical cyclists, but because they have hardly any seats. An official capacity of 148 (in reality, much more) and less than 50 seats. Which means you usually have to stand for a long time.
So this WONDERFUL new bus (I won’t use the word ‘Routemaster, I see that as a stupid insult to the real thing) will really make bus travel in London a better experience??
Bus and Coach Professional [http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=3184&categoryid=0] didn’t sem particular enthused either:
“The design is to be finalised in the New Year but is expected to be a watered-down version of the original Borismaster half-cab concepts and will have three doors, with the third being a rear platform which will be open at certain times. The half cab is unlikely to appear, with the new Routemaster expected to have a conventional front layout with an entrance in the overhang.
“… the new bus will be a hybrid. The three-door layout – a first for a British double-decker – will be backed up by an unusual twin staircase layout. It will be able to carry 87 people, but TfL is not saying how many seats will be provided. Nor is it saying how many it will be ordering.
The punchline seems to be the use of the usual picture of the “Borismaster” with the appended comment:
“The Capoco conception, joint winner of the initial design competition which may bear little resemblance to the final product due to hit London streets in 2011.”
Ay bets on the Borismaster being a modified Scania, as supplied to Kowloon Motor Bus of Hong Kong?
The two staircases sound good. Long overdue IMHO. Shame the rest of the scheme sounds so dodgy.
jj – great website, it seems everything we’re sold as a ‘new Boris idea’ is in fact a very old one simply re-spun for effect.
It seems that the bus is being changed to provide accessibility over comfort – the next stop will surely be seatless buses with just stairs inside and hundreds of doors.
You will notice on the fabulous site jj provided that previious versions of the routemaster created blind spots for the driver (due to the number of stairs) and this meant a conductor was needed.
Now unless the eyesight of the average LU bus driver has changed so it’s now xray – then these buses will need a conductor – or risk serious incidents involving passengers.
Oh this is going to be a costly excersise for London – especially when the first disabled passenger sues TFL for not making sufficient provision for the disabled.
I hope you can look at these clams by the beloved Gilligan – it seems that Boris’s transport policy is to ensure journalists like him benefit whilst the poorest pay more.
http://www.greenwich.co.uk/andrew-gilligan/02501-new-rail-fares/
“I hope you can look at these clams by the beloved Gilligan”
Once I get over my New Year’s hangover and can face the bugger I will, but I’ve got another nugget of Oyster annoyance to blog first…