On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:46:59 +0000, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007, Tim Roll-Pickering wrote:

That's a good point but I think too many people overlook the level of
faredodging on the bendy buses - how much would ticket insepctions claw
back? I don't doubt that it probably wouldn't reach the cost, but
passengers also find the bendies in particular to be scarey to travel on
(again this may be a 25 specific problem) and having a member of staff
on board who isn't locked away in a booth at the front would reassure
many.

I've often heard it suggested that these problems are linked: the
dodgeability of fares means they attract people we might charitably
describe as 'low-life scum', who then make travel a bit frightening for
everyone else.

I think it is far more to do with the general areas that bendy buses
serve. By their nature they run on very busy, high use corridors and
these are typically in poorer, run down areas of London where bus use is
proportionately higher. There may be the odd exception with the Red
Arrow routes but Harlesden, Peckham, New Cross, Camberwell, Dalston,
Hackney, Islington, Stoke Newington, Tottenham, Camden, Holloway,
Finsbury Park, Shepherds Bush etc etc all have their problems. I'm
afraid the social problems of crime and deprivation have their roots in
issues other the fact there are a few bendy buses in these areas.

I can recall Evening Standard headlines saying how Routemaster routes
like the 36, 38 and 73 were mobile drug dealing dens and they took great
delight in painting a lurid picture of how unsafe routes like the 12 and
36 were in South London. This, of course, was before they spotted the
newspaper selling potential of pretending to be the Routemaster's
Saviour (just weeks before they were finally withdrawn). Hypocrites? -
never!

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!