On Jun 15, 12:19*pm, "Richard J." wrote:
Roland Perry wrote on 15 June 2009 09:54:24 ...

In message , at 22:40:37
on Sun, 14 Jun 2009, Richard J. remarked:
I don't really see how dwell times at stops would be significantly
reduced by having a rear platform.

Because people can get on and off whenever the bus stops, and not have
to wait until it's got all the way to the official bus stop and then
opened its doors. Especially if it's stuck in traffic, most of the
getting on and off will happen away from the official bus stops.

Surely it will be mainly getting off that will happen like that? *Most
people will wait at bus stops, and the dwell time to enable them to load
will be little affected.

You're suggesting that the rear platform will be used for entry as well
as exit. *If so, you'll have longer dwell times due to conflicting flows.

I have to ask why on earth have a rear platform unless it is used for
both flows? Are you assuming that people only enter via a front door
and people exit solely via a open platform rear door? If that's the
plan (and who knows what it actually is) then you might as well go and
buy some Neoman Lion City deckers in a Berlin stylee and use those.
They're pretty "iconic" buses in their own right and it saves on
several manufacturers wasting time and effort mucking about with their
existing designs to shove a door at the back.

Several foreign manufacturers do build chassis with vertical corner
mounted engines that could, in theory, sit under a rear staircase and
permit an open platform but that design of engine location is
completely contrary to UK garage design / maintenance practice. This
is why the first version of the Volvo B7 double decker was so
unpopular - Volvo went away and designed a transverse engined design
for the UK. If we end up with such buses in London then how much will
the operators charge to modify their garages to deal with the new
buses? Oh dear, more money and more time to get them into service.
And finally I am not aware that any hybrid bus design has vertically
located power components - they all seem to be to a transverse design.

--
Paul C
via google