On 2016\01\31 15:09, Robin wrote:
John Ray wrote:

A few years ago some routes were "hail and ride", i.e. there were
sections of route without fixed bus stops, but as far as I am aware
these no longer exist. Was this an experiment which was judged to have
failed?

IIRC mainly in industrial areas where workers would use buses mainly at
start/end of shifts so very "peaky" demands at different points. Still
in place on some routes[1] but there ain't so many such areas left in
London and TfL have cut back - sometimes arguing it's getting harder for
drivers to stop safely when hailed. On at least one route I know it
also used to confuse mightily some workers to whom the concept (and
signage) was alien.

[1]
https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1760&bih=935&q=site%3Atfl.gov.uk+"hail+ and+ride"&oq=site%3Atfl.gov.uk+"hail+and+ride"

In the quadrant bus map of NW London, all hail and ride sections are
residential except Lincoln Road (which is industrial along one half),
Colindeep Lane (which alternates commercial and residential along its
length) and Harvil Road (which is residential for rabbits and squirrels).