On 18 May, 10:11, Mizter T wrote:
On May 18, 8:58*am, Bruce wrote:





On Tue, 18 May 2010 00:02:05 +0200, Neil Williams
wrote:
On Mon, 17 May 2010 14:12:43 +0100, Tom Barry
wrote:

It's not a Routemaster.

I think it is to a Routemaster what a new Mini is to an old one. *It
could never have been as small as a real Routemaster, as it couldn't
have been made accessible enough. *And while Routemasters are quite
fun, there is a bit of a lack of legroom for us taller passengers.

I think it's in essence a vertical-engined (I assume) Wright hybrid
decker with a bodykit. *This will probably help to make it not too
expensive, which means it might actually happen.

Put differently, I was a cynic, but now I've seen it I like it, even
if it does run around 90% of the time driver-only with the platform
closed. *Though if it does do that they'll need some means of making
that visible - will it perhaps be shown on the blind?

It is a strange combination of about 85% modern bus with the remaining
15% at the back being a grafted-on Routemaster-style platform and
stairs.

If it did run around 90% of the time driver-only with the platform
closed, what would be the point of it?

Well, quite.

There's very little clarity about how often it'll run with a
conductor, how it'll work both with and without a conductor, and how
London can justify the extra expense of conductors particularly given
the ticketing situation nowadays (i.e. the majority of people have a
prepaid ticket of some sort). Or if they're not to be a conductor but
a "uniformed presence" just what form that presence will take.

Although just because we don't happen to know the plan, that doesn't
mean that there isn't one or that it can't be sensible (or, I hope,
that it depends on Boris's personal involvement).

I could think of something off the top of my head which would involve
a "uniformed presence" in the sections of routes and at times of day
which exactly match when fast loading of crowds at bus stops is
required. At the country end late in the evening, it won't matter.

I expect it's not beyond the realms of possibility that someone at TfL
can think of these things too, and there could be a glimmer hope that
someone has seized an opportunity from the Boris-related crisis.