I've noticed over the last few days that Golden Tours now seem to be
running a double-decker open top bus along Cable Street and using the
Bus Stand outside the old St Georges Town Hall (even with passengers on
board).

Is this a temporary diversion, or have they really run that short of
things to see in London that suddenly the sights of Shadwell are
important to them?

(And in that vein, whose job is it to enforce Bus Stand restrictions
such as not running engines whilst just sitting there?)

On 01/04/2012 13:40, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:21:26 +0100, Someone Somewhere
wrote:

I've noticed over the last few days that Golden Tours now seem to be
running a double-decker open top bus along Cable Street and using the
Bus Stand outside the old St Georges Town Hall (even with passengers on
board).

Is this a temporary diversion, or have they really run that short of
things to see in London that suddenly the sights of Shadwell are
important to them?

Doesn't look to be temporary as Golden Tours have amended their London
Service Permit to reference in service journeys on one of their tours.
The extension appears to have started a little while back.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...p_bulletin.pdf

[see page 12]
Thanks Paul - I was looking for "Golden Tours" (as that's what's written
on their buses) rather than anyone else and hence didn't pick it up.


(And in that vein, whose job is it to enforce Bus Stand restrictions
such as not running engines whilst just sitting there?)

TfL I would imagine as stands are under their ownership but an initial
approach to the operator would give them the chance to put things
right.
I've already put in a comment to TfL - once I work out exactly whom the
operator is I'll contact them too.

As a general point, without consultation, it's ok as far as TfL are
concerned that suddenly people can have bus loads of gawping tourists
outside their first floor windows?

I was up at Shadders and Limers for the first time in my life last week.
I am doing a self-imposed pilgrimage to the Queen Anne Churches.

St Ann's Limehouse was SHUT. Fairly good church, though.

St George-In-Ye-Merry-Old-East was open. Very good church! There is a wooden church inside the old Hawksmoor one.
Also, there is a flat in each corner drool.
Oddly, a muslim or perhaps secular nursery in the crypt.

END TRANSMISSION...

In message , Someone Somewhere
writes
I've noticed over the last few days that Golden Tours now seem to be
running a double-decker open top bus along Cable Street and using the
Bus Stand outside the old St Georges Town Hall (even with passengers on
board).

Is this a temporary diversion, or have they really run that short of
things to see in London that suddenly the sights of Shadwell are
important to them?

I know nothing about Gold Tours, but Cable Street certainly had an
important part in the UK's fight against fascists and racists in the
1930s: http://www.battleofcablestreet.org.uk/
Mural pictu http://tinyurl.com/cmnc46r


--
Paul G
Typing from Kentish Town

On 02/04/2012 00:04, Paul G wrote:
In message , Someone Somewhere
writes
I've noticed over the last few days that Golden Tours now seem to be
running a double-decker open top bus along Cable Street and using the
Bus Stand outside the old St Georges Town Hall (even with passengers
on board).

Is this a temporary diversion, or have they really run that short of
things to see in London that suddenly the sights of Shadwell are
important to them?

I know nothing about Gold Tours, but Cable Street certainly had an
important part in the UK's fight against fascists and racists in the
1930s: http://www.battleofcablestreet.org.uk/
Mural pictu http://tinyurl.com/cmnc46r


Whilst true (although the true level of significance of the Battle of
Cable Street is debated in some circles) such an event and mural hardly
seems worth driving a mile beyond the Tower for, particularly as the bus
stand in question (where they can sit for up to 10 mins with pax on
board) is the other side of the building to the mural so there is
nothing to see from there (apart from straight in to my neighbours first
floor windows and obliquely into mine).

I suspect a pure economic reason for them doing it (on occasions -
haven't seen a bus today for the last 3 hours which is a blessed relief).

On 01/04/2012 15:42, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:08:12 +0100, Someone Somewhere
wrote:
r name and contact address.

As a general point, without consultation, it's ok as far as TfL are
concerned that suddenly people can have bus loads of gawping tourists
outside their first floor windows?

TfL simply operate the licensing process and there is information in
the LSP section of the TfL website about how they assess applications.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...e-Document.pdf


Interesting as I fail to see how running a bus a further two miles
through an area of zero interest to tourists can be in the interests of
the London public (particularly as it doesn't serve them at all and just
gets in everyones way, and that's before the noise annoyance they are
causing to me).

I mean, seriously, how many people are going to travel to Shadwell to
catch a hop-on, hop-off open top bus tour? It's not like the local
residents are likely to want to catch it either at 20quid a pop or whatever.

Out of interest - when was the right time to make a representation to
TfL when they were considering the licensing? I certainly received no
notification, and the existence of LSPs was news to me yesterday.

On 01/04/2012 15:42, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:08:12 +0100, Someone Somewhere
wrote:

On 01/04/2012 13:40, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:21:26 +0100, Someone Somewhere
wrote:

I've noticed over the last few days that Golden Tours now seem to be
running a double-decker open top bus along Cable Street and using the
Bus Stand outside the old St Georges Town Hall (even with passengers on
board).

Doesn't look to be temporary as Golden Tours have amended their London
Service Permit to reference in service journeys on one of their tours.
The extension appears to have started a little while back.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...p_bulletin.pdf


Ah yes - followed it back now and it seems that the extension through
Shadwell
is new - they previously were via Tobacco Dock. Maybe they didn't realise
it had been closed for years? (or more likely they saw the impending Wapping
Islandisation for the Olympics and thought they better get a change in
quick, or the locals down there disliked it as much as I do)



The LSP application gives the operator name and contact address.

Well - I had a response from the operator which was timely and polite
but didn't really answer the points:

"We will advise all our Golden Tours Hop on Hop off Drivers that they
must turn off their engines whilst at the bus stand and will monitor
this closely with our tracker system.

Unfortunately the reverse sound cannot be turned off due to Health and
Safety reasons, but we will make drivers aware that reversing should
only be done if necessary. "

Necessary seems to equate to whenever there is a vehicle parked at the
adjacent parking spot (ie most of the time), but the problem seems to
be the drivers are actually not very good at reversing - often taking
over a minute to reverse a single bus length (hence why the noise is so
intrusive, particularly as it seems louder than the standard single
deckers that serve this stand and permeates through my entire house).

As a general point, without consultation, it's ok as far as TfL are
concerned that suddenly people can have bus loads of gawping tourists
outside their first floor windows?

TfL simply operate the licensing process and there is information in
the LSP section of the TfL website about how they assess applications.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...e-Document.pdf

Have raised points to them based on some of the things they say in their
document and will see what happens. (ie that the route is not in the
interests of the local community and so on, unless I'm missing a latent
demand in the Shadwell community for a open top tour bus which stops at
a stop unmarked as anything to do with them and in the last 3 days does
not seem to have picked up or dropped off a passenger here, but has left
people expecting to see something looking very bored often for 10 mins
or more whilst sitting onstand)