Richard J. wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 7 Aug 2008 10:33:15 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. Both times the
heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?
The simple - but bizarre - answer is the heater controls are in the
engine at the back and can't be controlled by the driver. They are
only adjustable by engineers and obviously only when the engine is not
scalding hot itself. This is the explanation I've read on another
group recently.

That's such a bizarre design that I'm not sure I believe it, but there's
still no excuse for not getting the engineers to turn off the heating on the
whole fleet in, say, May.
This is the answer customer services gave when I complained 3 years ago.
This reply actually dated 8/8/05 - three years ago to the day

Dear Mr xxxxx

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We realise that the issue of buses becoming very hot during the summer
is becoming more relevant and that this can cause discomfort. Even when
the heating system is switched off heat can be transmitted into the
passenger saloons as the water in the heating system warms up. Newer
vehicles have much more effective controls to ensure that there is
little or no leakage of heat into the passenger saloon.

Buses running in service all day can get very hot. Heat can build up in
the passenger saloons when the buses are heavily loaded and have to stop
and start frequently. The engine also gets very hot when the bus is in
service all day and this too can raise the temperature in the passenger
saloon.

On some older buses an engineer at the garage must adjust the heating
system. More modern buses allow the driver to control the heating from
the cab. The latest vehicles are fitted with a thermostatically
controlled air circulation and heating system. This system
automatically monitors the temperature within the passenger saloons and
adjusts the air flow accordingly.

Many bus designs incorporate large windows on the top deck for improved
passenger visibility. This design feature was adopted following
extensive research into passenger preferences. Most of these are fixed
windows and for safety reasons they do not open. A steady airflow
through the bus is achieved by means of vents in the front of the
vehicle, along with the small opening side windows. When the outside air
is very hot it is much harder to cool the air coming into the bus.

In order to speed passenger boarding and alighting double deck buses use
a dual door design. Passenger board at the front and exit via the rear
doors. This ensures that buses are not unduly delayed at bus stops. A
disadvantage of this design is that the frequency with which the doors
open means that the saloon environment cannot be easily controlled.

Air conditioning is fitted as standard on many new vehicles. Single deck
buses can easily accommodate the large roof mounted unit. Similarly some
double deck buses can be fitted with the bulky equipment under the floor
of the vehicle. This is the arrangement found on many double deck
coaches. In order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act we
use a low floor, double deck bus. This bus is easy to board for people
with limited mobility. There is no space under the floor to install a
bulky air conditioning unit. Similarly, it cannot be fitted to the roof
because the vehicle would then be too tall.

This is a long-term problem and the solution is to be found in better
bus design. Bus designers are asked to provide proper ventilation for
buses. Buses are designed by the manufacturers based on the operators
specifications. We work with the operators to create these
specifications. This is an ongoing process as we are always developing
bus design to meet the needs of our passengers.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. If I can be of any further
assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely