London Banter - View Single Post - Route 73 to go DD and Route 29 to go Bendi???

Paul Corfield · February 6th 05, 10:17 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 6 Feb 2005 12:22:30 -0800, (Martin Whelton)
wrote:

Apparently it has been reported in other newsgroup forums that Route
73 is to revert back to being a double deck bus route and the bendis
redeployed on the Route 29, does anyone know whether any truth exists
in this story or is it just mere speculation. If it does revert it
will be interesting what reason is given, I suspect bendi buses
running the whole length of Oxford Street has been a major problem
along with the buses being backed to capacity in the morning peak.

aha - it's on the Routemaster Exchange

There is a consultation under way concerning changes to routes 29 and
141 and one of the options involves converting the 29 to artic. However
no conclusion has been reached and reported on. The 73 change is the
first I've heard of it. Personally this sounds a bit like wishful
thinking as the route 29 PVR is only 35 vehicles while the bendy 73 has
42

Therefore there would be a surplus of bendies as the 29 proposal
involves cutting the section north of Wood Green which would mean even
fewer buses being needed. As one of the key justifications of bendy
operation is fewer vehicles for a given capacity it really makes no
sense to move them from the 73 to the 29. In addition there is the
whole "face saving" thing where I doubt that TfL would wish to "admit
defeat" by moving bendies off the 73. It would also blow a hole in the
argument for converting other busy routes like the 12 and 38 to bendy
operation.

As a double deck 73 would need more buses than the old RM operation
(i.e. more than 55) then where will be the extra 20 odd buses come from
to top up the buses made available from the 29 going bendy? TfL simply
don't have the money to fund new buses on this sort of scale.

As I said wishful thinking on the part of whoever started the story
although I expect the residents of Stoke Newington wouldn't mind getting
double decks back on the 73.
--
Paul C

Admits to working for London Underground!