Commuter wrote on 14 June 2009 13:16:10 ...
Also that there's now consideration given to covering up the rear
platform at night.

This seems a bit silly. There are far fewer buses running at night
than during the day, so if they don't want open platforms at night,
why not just put the Borismasters away at night and only use other
buses? An over-engineered solution to a simple problem.

Looking at the pics of *proposed* (yes, I have noted that word) designs
there would be no opportunity for the driver to sell/check tickets
anyway as the door seems half way along the bus. Unless this is just the
plan for the routes with ticket machines at stops and presumably they
think it unsafe to have open platforms with no conductor.

I don't think the pictured designs are in any sense "proposed". They
were just the two designs that jointly won the competition. I note that
they have slavishly copied the axle positions from the Routemaster
design. With the space needed for wheelchairs/buggies and the rear
platform, the vehicle would obviously be at least as long as current
double-deckers. Hence, with the front wheels right at the front like
the Routemaster, the wheelbase would be too long. It would be less
manoeuvrable than a bendy-bus!

Are the specs that have been issued to the short-listed manufacturers
available online anywhere?
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)