London Banter - View Single Post

Stevo · March 1st 07, 12:35 AM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
On 28 Feb, 17:01, "d" wrote:
wrote in message

On 25 Feb, 22:49, "Richard J." wrote:

I can think of many people who have good reason to prefer other
types of bus, but your mind is evidently closed on the subject, so
it seems pointless to pursue the matter.

I don't know how you managed to ascertain that.

Since I initiated the trolleybus thread, I obviously don't have a
"closed mind" about any particular form of public transport. It
should, of course, have low CO2 emissions and offer an effective,
cheap form of transport.

The RM did suit London conditions well and was almost universally
popular, unlike the vehicles that replaced it.
It's a shame that it hasn't been possible to develop a less
polluting design, based on the RM concept. One of the main reasons
for this was that the manufacturing capacity that sustained urban
transport was run down beforehand. Another was privatisation of
the buses, which works against centralised purchasing and planning.

Disabled and old people didn't like the routemaster. Mothers with
push-chairs didn't like them either. Or people with luggage. Or
tall people. Or pregnant people. Apart from them, yeah! Everyone
loves the routemaster.

I do love the routemaster, but from a practical standpoint I prefer
the bendy-busses. I'm 6'4 and I fit in the seats, I can stand up,
and I don't have to navigate the twisting stairway of death to get
to half the seats. It accelerates nicely, brakes nicely, has
heating/air-conditioning, and 3 massive doors for people to get
on/off instead of one tiny little door everyone had to crowd through
before the bus could pull off. The only benefits of the Routemaster
are their shorter wheel base, and the fact you can get on/off in
between stops.

But let's not let logic get in the way of nostalgia! :-P

It's not a question of nostalgia - contrary to the theme song of '97,
things don't always get better.

Getting on and off a bus at traffic lights or as it was pulling away
from a bus stop, isn't just nostalgic, it was very handy. If a little
unsafe!

In fact, there were a number of variants of the RM made at Park Royal,
including one with front-door entry.
Numerous projected designs, including a trolleybus version, never got
off the drawing board.
Typical of British management in the 70's.

In the 70's, didn't the airport buses in the from Kensington to Heathrow
Airport use the front door version of the Routemaster? (RMA's?)

The partnership between London Transport and Park Royal was essential
to bus manufacture in this country.
Now that's gone, we're forced to buy off the shelf products, which
aren't ideal for the London road system - like the Bendy Bus.

Give me a Routemaster before a bendy bus anyday!