New London 'Routemaster' bus (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News Magazine article on Boris' pet project.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8690200.stm

[Chris from Nailsea]

Video report, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Meet the new London routemaster

A full-scale model of London's new Routemaster bus has been unveiled.

London mayor Boris Johnson said the buses, which will come into service 2012, were a combination of "nostalgia" and the "latest technology".

The fuel-efficient bus will be quieter than its diesel-run predecessor and have a platform offering passengers the traditional hop-on hop-off service.

The new bus will return to the driver-and-conductor model - a key feature of the original version.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

hummm

[broadgage]

Sounds a good idea in theory and the initialy very high price would come down with volume production.

The main drawback IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) is that the open platform is fitted with a door that can be closed "to permit of driver only operation at off peak times" or "in case of overcrowding"
My natural cynicism regarding public transport in general makes me suspect that the door will be closed most of the time thereby negating the main object of the excercise.

Eventually an improperly looked after child will fall from the open platform and be injured or worse, and the "elf an safety" will demand that the doors be shut whenever the vehicle is moving.

The hybrid drive should produce substantial fuel saving.

[The SprinterMeister]

hummm

Quite. I have never understood why London has to have bespoke buses built for it when everyone else seems to manage with off the peg standard vehicles.

Complete White elephant to replace the Mercedes Citaro artics being sold off after very short operating lives. Waste waste waste.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i cant help but wonder how many normal busses they could have bought with this money

[devon_metro]

I think it's a good idea. Even 2 doors cause considerable delays as it takes an age to get a full upstairs out of the door on the bottom deck. Then people boarding must wait till the stairs are vacated before sitting down.

[broadgage]

hummm

Quite. I have never understood why London has to have bespoke buses built for it when everyone else seems to manage with off the peg standard vehicles.

Complete White elephant to replace the Mercedes Citaro artics being sold off after very short operating lives. Waste waste waste.

Of course London needs bespoke buses!
London is the center of the universe, about which all lesser places revolve.
More seriously though, no traditional single decker bus has the capacity needed on busy routes, the 521 has a bus about every 2 minutes, and they all still overcrowded.
Bendy buses are not suitable for narrow streets, and frequently get stuck.
Double deckers help, but the present designs take too long to load and unload at busy times.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

The new prototype London Routemaster bus ran out of fuel on a motorway, just days after being formally unveiled.

The New Bus for London had to pull over on Monday after warning lights came on.

The bus, which runs on a hybrid diesel-electric motor, was not refuelled before being driven from London to Millbrook Testing Ground, Bedfordshire.

Transport for London (TfL^» (Transport for London - about)) said the bus recharged its battery using energy from its brakes, but on long journeys had to run on diesel.

The prototype bus was unveiled by London Mayor Boris Johnson on Friday and is undergoing testing in the capital.

It had been displayed in London over the weekend after the Trafalgar Square unveiling.

"The bus is designed for stop-start driving, which enables the battery to be recharged automatically," a TfL spokesman said. "However when the bus undertakes long, non-stopping motorway journeys, such as its journey to Bedfordshire this morning, it can lose charge and the driver is briefed to pull to the side of the road to allow the battery to recharge.

"After the battery had re-charged the driver was unable to re-start the engine. "It was later established that the bus had run out of diesel.

"Once the bus was refuelled it carried on its journey. We will be speaking with the operator to ensure that this does not happen again."

TfL claims the new bus will be the most environmentally friendly vehicle of its kind once it enters service. Eight of them will come into service in 2012.

[inspector_blakey]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

It was later established that the bus had run out of diesel.

I'd have thought a swift glance at the fuel gauge ought to establish that, but what do I know about driving a bus...?

[devon_metro]

Nice to see the ever truthful BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) announced it as having 'broken down' 

[TerminalJunkie]

I'd have thought a swift glance at the fuel gauge ought to establish that

Assuming it's got one...

[inspector_blakey]

I admit the thought did cross my mind, given the "bleeding edge" technology involved. But surely it would have a fuel gauge, wouldn't it...?

[bobm]

I have driven a few relatively modern buses and they didn't have fuel gauges...nor indeed ignition keys! 

[inspector_blakey]

So is the idea that they easily carry enough fuel for a known number of days' duty and are topped up on a regular schedule? Or does a mechanic go throuhg the depot every night with a dipstick?!

Seriously, given that the cost of a modern bus can be easily in the hundreds of thousands of pounds (and I would guess is much higher for Boris's vanity project given all its peculiarities), the relative cost saving of omitting a fuel gauge must be fairly inconsequential.