On Mar 20, 8:27*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:52:05 -0700 (PDT), MIG

wrote:
On Mar 20, 11:57*am, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 11:25:20 on Fri, 20
Mar 2009, Barry Salter remarked:

There was a proposal floated that ALL bus stops would be treated as a
hybrid of the two types, based on observation of "normal" practice.
Namely:

1) All buses SHOULD stop at a bus stop if it looks like someone wishes
to board.

2) If a passenger wishes to alight, they SHOULD ring the bell.

Yes this was the basis of a consultation exercise last year together
with a separate one related to hail and ride services.

I think that's why the idea was abandoned; many of the responses to
the consultation must have been similar to what you just said

Has the idea been abandoned? *I've seen nothing to say that it had been
- in fact I'd read on another group that the new policy had actually
been implemented. *Not saying you have it wrong btw - do have something
from TfL to say the proposal has been scrapped?

Well, perhaps not, but I certainly haven't noticed one saying it's
being implemented, which would be more likely to be newsworthy.


The trouble is that someone in an ivory tower may assume that, having
not implemented the proposal, we still have a compulsory/request
distinction.

Seemingly we do given the response quoted from another poster in this
thread.

But in practice, for years now, you have to signal or ring at every
stop or the bus is likely not to stop.

I agree with this and that's why the consultation proposal to make this
mandatory for every stop makes a great deal of sense.

Yes, because at least everyone would know what the rule was. It's
unlikely that punters in general understand what the situation is
meant to be, although they may have cottoned on to what is required.

Most of us grew up with the distinction and assumed that the
continuing use of different colours represented "compulsory" and
"request" even if those words aren't printed on the stops.

Thus one ends up miffed if one is standing by the door in Cockspur
Street, passing a white-coloured stop in the rush hour, and gets
whisked off down Whitehall for not actually dinging the dinger.


The mystery is why the still make stops in two colours.

They don't - the stop at Bream Close (just before Tottenham Hale
station) was a red request stop fixed to a lamp post. However it was
recently replaced with a proper bus stop pole topped with a brand new
white bus stop flag. * The other place to check would be the unique
sections of new route 228.

I hadn't noticed that ... but really it should be down to punters to
notice an unannounced change. I am genuinely confused. Has there
been a change and, if so, is it a change of the rules to reflect
reality, or is it a change to a third way between old rule and current
practice, in which case is it likely to change current practice ...?

I'll keep on sticking me arm out and dinging.