In uk.transport.london message , Thu, 27
Jan 2011 10:21:56, Roland Perry posted:

In message , at 22:29:56 on
Tue, 25 Jan 2011, Basil Jet remarked:

I thought that buses running out of service were ordered to avoid
their service route where possible, because people waiting for buses
get annoyed if they see a bus with their chosen route number running
out of service.

A simpler solution is to replace the number with either "Not in
Service" or blank. Buses don't have the route number painted on them
permanently!

Or to have a whole new set of route "numbers", starting with (say) X,
with the routes running between the garages and the corresponding points
of joining/leaving a normal-service route. There would, perhaps, be no
public timetable for these routes, but the routes themselves would be
published for use on the basis of "if you happen to see an X-bus heading
your way at a stop, use it".

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