If they let people get in at any door and have a "voluntary" oyster swipe system like the bendy buses. Also I wouldn't be surprised, if they have an enter at the front system when there's no conductor, if they have the rear doors permanently closed because it's probably too much to expect the driver to keep an eye on two sets of doors for people sneaking on.
In which case that would be flawed operation rather than flawed design. It could be argued that I'm splitting hairs, but I do think that Bendy buses - designed for use on modern Bouvardes - are not the optimum design for a city with roads that stem from a medieval layout. (And as for dwell times, if they're measured solely on passengers/minute, that fails to account for the reduced numbers of passengers per official stop on an open platform bus).
Well...either you design a bus to work well in the intended mode of operation, or you operate a bus according to what was intended in the design. It just feels that in this case there is a messiness and inefficiency created by the need to cater for two different methods of operation.
Perhaps I'm being overly hopeful that it would simply run (self swipe) like a Bendy bus all the time, i.e. one mode of operation, with a door that can stay open during peak. But even if it is two modes, what are the gains and losses, and is it a net win? I'd argue that it's the peak that is the focus, that puts the most demands on a design, road congestion etc. The bendy has some advantages in peak (dwell time possibly), some things it's even (passengers vs. congestion), some things it's terrible (comfort). There's the possibility that this new design, compromised though it may be, will getter a better balance for peak operation.
That argument has always been bollocks. London is hardly the only European city with a mess of narrow, twisted roads and articulated buses seem to work quite well in other cities with the same issue. I'd agree that both sorts of bus would be nice.
Thing is, the only advantage I can see the routemaster having over the bendy buses is the open platform - which is good - but if it's only going to be available some of the time, is it really worth all the extra expense (and decrease in capacity)? I guess it depends what proportion of time it'll be available during, and there doesn't seem to be any clear indication on this yet. Why do you find the bendy buses lacking in comfort by the way?
The fewer seats I would imagine. Sitting = more comfortable than standing. I do like standing on the twisty-turny bit in the middle though
It's good how you can get on and off the bendy bus through any one of three different doors. Hardly anyone queues at bus stops now, so three doors is better than the usual competitive scramble to get in a single door.
From my experience I wouldn't particularly expect to be more likely to have to stand in a bendy bus than a regular one. And standing ina regular bus is a pain because your jammed in the gangway getting in the way of everyone whereas on the bendy buses you can loiter in the twisty turny bit without people pushing past all the time.
Really? Do you commute during the rush hour? You're pretty unlikely to get a seat unless you board at the beginning of the route.
Plus if you stand next to the Oyster reader you don't need to swipe until you see an inspector getting on.
I regularly get a seat on double deckers during rush hour. Of course, I go upstairs, which around 75% of London's population appear not to be aware of. e2a: in fairness, it's just occurred to me that my most frequent experience with non-double deckers is the 521, which recently became a non bendy single decker, so reduced space all round. Point still stands about the doubles though, unusual not to get a seat.
Seats cost money, there's no escaping that. But with double deck designs, they needn't cost road space.
Seats upstairs, three doors. Maybe the could have the rear door open during peak. Now that would be good.
I sat on one of these buses at the back and it was like sitting on a trailer with no springs. Never again!
Budapest, actually. Which has quite a mix of old, narrow streets and wide boulevards. Never stopped the buses from going down the narrow, twisty ones there.
You would be surprised where you can take a bus. Bet these new ones are automatics though I heard a rumour that the old routemasters, being stick shift, were kaining through clutches as a lot of the newer drivers had trained in automatics. No Idea if true or not.
The design of bicycles has never stopped them being ridden on pavements. That doesn't make them suitable for it.
