On May 14, 8:53*pm, "Chris Read" wrote:
"Neil Williams" wrote:
Read in the Lite today that Moir Lockhead is warning Boris about the
plan to reintroduce Routemasters - and is trying to peddle him the
"ftr", which is, umm, a glorified bendy bus.

Will First never learn? *In my experience, their buses in London are
some of the oldest, dirtiest and most poorly-maintained. *Not a good
start.

He also said that bus passengers and operators like the bendies - it's other
road users (ie cabbies and cyclists, I guess) who detest them.

No, he is just wrong. Most passengers don't like them either, and I
can't believe it's much fun for the drivers except if they are paid
more for coping with them.

Operators may like the idea of not having to collect fares, but that
is independent of the shape of the bus.

And don't forget pedestrians, whose crossings are constantly blocked
by them.


Now the election is over, I fully expect this 'new Routemaster' stuff to be
quietly shelved. This would represent the biggest U-turn
since.....well......Ken promised never to scrap the Routemaster!

But why should we accept that the choice is between bendys and
Routemasters? I'm sure I remember a few generations of other designs
in between and since ...