On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:48:15 +0100, chris wrote:

Noticed today a flyer saying that you will have to have a valid ticket
for travel on buses in the central zone before getting on the bus
Is this zone 1 only?

Could be being cynical, but could this be connected with the
apparently conductor-less[1] Routemaster (Arriva service to Oxford
Circus, the number escapes me) I experienced yesterday?

More seriously, I've noticed ticket machines cropping up all over the
place and was wondering if something like that was coming... good
news, IMO, perhaps the buses on Oxford Street will be able to move a
bit quicker...

[1] The bell seemed not to be working, so it's a possibility that he
was sat directly behind the driver giving two knocks to go instead -
but I had a look and didn't see anyone who looked like a suitable
suspect. No fares were being taken.

Neil

On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 15:19:10 GMT, (Neil
Williams) wrote:

On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:48:15 +0100, chris wrote:

Noticed today a flyer saying that you will have to have a valid ticket
for travel on buses in the central zone before getting on the bus
Is this zone 1 only?

Could be being cynical, but could this be connected with the
apparently conductor-less[1] Routemaster (Arriva service to Oxford
Circus, the number escapes me) I experienced yesterday?

[snip]

Shouldn't be.


In fact it is illegal to operate a Routemaster in passenger service
without a conductor.

Rob.
--
rob at robertwoolley dot co dot uk

On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 17:21:56 +0100, Dave
wrote:

The changes were announced back in March.

"To slash the time buses spend at stops, from this summer the few
remaining cash passengers will need to buy tickets before boarding in
London's West End. Starting in August more than 300 ticket machines will
serve all the stops in the West End used by 60 routes to enable
passengers to buy single journey or day pass tickets before getting on
the bus. This is expected to cut boarding times by more than 10 per
cent."

TfL conveniently seem to have forgotten about all the Routemasters
running in the West End, which don't suffer from the increased boarding
times of most OPO buses as they have a separate conductor performing
revenue duties...Ho hum...

Cya,

Barry

Barry Salter writes
The changes were announced back in March.

"To slash the time buses spend at stops, from this summer the few
remaining cash passengers will need to buy tickets before boarding in
London's West End. Starting in August more than 300 ticket machines will
serve all the stops in the West End used by 60 routes to enable
passengers to buy single journey or day pass tickets before getting on
the bus. This is expected to cut boarding times by more than 10 per
cent."

TfL conveniently seem to have forgotten about all the Routemasters
running in the West End, which don't suffer from the increased boarding
times of most OPO buses as they have a separate conductor performing
revenue duties...Ho hum...

They most certainly haven't forgotten them. They have, though, realised
that they can't continue forever. DDA rules [1] would mean (unless some
specific exemption was granted) that the remaining Routemasters would
have to be retired by 2017 at the very latest.

So whilst the existing fleet may be able to soldier on for a few more
years, TfL want to do something to decrease boarding times on
non-Routemaster routes. They tried crew-operation with modern buses on
the 55 - that didn't work as people still tried to pay the driver on
boarding. So we now have the bendy-bus (which looks to be the favourite
for future conversions of Routemaster-operated services) and cashless
boarding (as trialled on the W7).

[1] The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/s...0/20003318.htm
--
Dave

Dave wrote in message ...
Barry Salter writes
The changes were announced back in March.

"To slash the time buses spend at stops, from this summer the few
remaining cash passengers will need to buy tickets before boarding in
London's West End. Starting in August more than 300 ticket machines will
serve all the stops in the West End used by 60 routes to enable
passengers to buy single journey or day pass tickets before getting on
the bus. This is expected to cut boarding times by more than 10 per
cent."

TfL conveniently seem to have forgotten about all the Routemasters
running in the West End, which don't suffer from the increased boarding
times of most OPO buses as they have a separate conductor performing
revenue duties...Ho hum...

They most certainly haven't forgotten them. They have, though, realised
that they can't continue forever. DDA rules [1] would mean (unless some
specific exemption was granted) that the remaining Routemasters would
have to be retired by 2017 at the very latest.

So whilst the existing fleet may be able to soldier on for a few more
years, TfL want to do something to decrease boarding times on
non-Routemaster routes. They tried crew-operation with modern buses on
the 55 - that didn't work as people still tried to pay the driver on
boarding. So we now have the bendy-bus (which looks to be the favourite
for future conversions of Routemaster-operated services) and cashless
boarding (as trialled on the W7).

[1] The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/s...0/20003318.htm

Will the driver still offer tickets that Cannot be Purchaced by the
Machines (eg: Priv. Tickets) or will I have to buy a ticket from a
Tube Station or something?

On 28 Jul 2003 12:20:33 -0700 Joe Patrick said...

Will the driver still offer tickets that Cannot be Purchaced by the
Machines (eg: Priv. Tickets) or will I have to buy a ticket from a
Tube Station or something?

I was never aware there were "Priv" tickets for London buses, Underground
yes and presumably staff who get travel facilities on London buses travel
free of charge. Bus ticket machines issue single tickets & one day bus
passes only. You will still have to go to a Tube station or pass agent to
buy bus passes valid 7 days & more plus any Travelcard.

--
Phil Richards
London, N4

San Francisco still runs cable cars. They have tiny capacity, are
hugely inflexible, require crew operation and are wholly inaccessible
to wheelchair users.

And they only have one speed, which is 9.5 mph.

not only are they are still operated, in fact, they are building 'new'
ones, because they are a tourist draw and a part of the city's heritage.

Actually, the city doesn't have a choice. They're Listed, so to speak:
the cable car system was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
Of course the part about "tourist draw and city's heritage" is perfectly
true as well.

incidentally, a cash fare on a SF cable car is about double that of a
normal bus tram or troley bus. no-one complains.

Yes, well, I remember when it wasn't. :-( But the last time I was there,
they were overcrowded even with the extra fare, so it seems fair enough.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto "Unjutsly malinged? I think not."
-- Ross Howard

My text in this article is in the public domain.

Mark Brader wrote:
San Francisco still runs cable cars. They have tiny capacity, are
hugely inflexible, require crew operation and are wholly inaccessible
to wheelchair users.


And they only have one speed, which is 9.5 mph.

Two speeds, otherwise people might have trouble getting on and off

James Farrar wrote:
Mark Brader wrote:
San Francisco still runs cable cars. They have tiny capacity, are
hugely inflexible, require crew operation and are wholly
inaccessible to wheelchair users.


And they only have one speed, which is 9.5 mph.

Two speeds, otherwise people might have trouble getting on and off

Being pedantic, they have a TOP speed of 9.5mph, but can do any speed below
that depending on how hard the Gripper pulls his lever back. Actually they
can do more than 9.5mph on a downhill if the Gripper lets go altogether, but
then he'd get sacked!