"Paul Corfield" wrote:

On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:34:05 -0800, "Roger Traviss"
wrote:

" Yes, in the UK at least. I can perhaps see there being some sort of
world
market for them, but maybe rather more as a novelty rather than as an
integral part of a city's transport system. (Serious question -who/where
might conceivably be interested in buying some for proper, full on
day-to-day use?) Of course there's the obvious RHD/LHD issue - if there
was to be an LHD version, there'd need to be sufficient demand.

Victoria BC has used double deckers for something like 10 years, in two
models.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vi...ubledecker.JPG

Yes Alexander Dennis Enviro 500s by the looks of it. Manufactured in the
dear old UK and 12m long. The same length as some of the former Hong
Kong deckers that happily trundle round London on sightseeing duties.

I believe the Borismaster is specced to be a record 13.7m long which is
huge for a rigid double decker in London. I think there are some turns
in Central London that they won't get round being that long. The bendies
may be 18m in length but their turning ability is that of a much shorter
vehicle - somewhere between 10-11m.

I understand the Neoman Lion City deckers for Berlin are also 13.7m
long.

Thanks for the interesting data - and food for thought.

Whilst these new buses will be more distinctive than the Berlin Lion's,
given the lack of a third door when in OPO mode (outside of central London)
perhaps they'll be less useful. And the question as to how entry/exit in OPO
mode will work remains - will it be board by the front door past the driver
and exit through the middle (the back will be locked out), or will it be
board either door (as per the new Citaros on routes 507/521, which are akin
to bendies but without the third door and back section). If it's the latter
then the question of revenue checks, which was something many critics of the
bendies focused on, would remain.