bring the routemasters back? the poll

[citydreams]

I think citydreams is trying to say they don't think there is an actual legislation that states they can't open the doors.

yes/no??

Aye. I don't disagree that they are told not to open the doors. I am saying that I can't find any legislation that prevents them from doing so at their discretion.

When have you ever seen a bus driver refusing to open the doors untill he is 100% within the designated bus stop?

I don't doubt it's dangerous. But a driver can pull up to the kerb before opening the doors.

All I'm trying to get at is that if there is no legislation then perhaps the driver could have some kind of signal similiar to an indicator light that would let cyclists/pedestrians know that the bus is dropping off. I'm with you on it being dangerous AtomicSuplex.. I want a safer solution than having to argue with the bus driver, or having to press the emergency exit when stuck in traffic.

 

[Giles]

Is there a law that prevents buses having "hop on, hop off" platforms?

And if so, how come the old Routemasters were allowed, and are STILL allowed on the "heritage" routes?

If people managed to use these for many years, I don't see why they should be banned now.....

If you don't wish to take the risk of running for a bus as it pulls away, or jumping off when the bus is stuck in traffic, you don't have to, so it is up to each person if he wants to do so. No danger if you don't want it.....

Giles..

 

[Roadkill]

Is there a law that prevents buses having "hop on, hop off" platforms?

For new ones, yes.

And if so, how come the old Routemasters were allowed, and are STILL allowed on the "heritage" routes?

My guess is that the Routemasters on the heritage routes have a special derogation exempting them from most accessibility and H&S legislation, in much the same way as steam trains running on the main line do. Citydreams, is this right...?

Older vehicles of many sorts are exempted from most of the latest H&S standards anyway. The system is nicknamed 'grandfather' rights, and basically means that older vehicles can run largely to the standards in force when they were built, although some modifications can be imposed. It has to be that way, otherwise transport would grind to a halt. Older cars face less stringent emissions tests than newer ones, and there are specific provisions to accommodate old vehicles such as cars built before 1951 not having to have seatbelts. Many older trains do not meet the standards of crash protection applied to new ones (although separate-chassis Mk1 coaches are now banned unless running under a special derogation for heritage trains). Many buses - outside London, anyway - aren't low-floor and aren't accessible for wheelchair-bound passengers, and so on.

 

[DG55]

Whats all this bullshit about custom bus designs being scrapped in favor of off-the-shelf designs because they are cheaper.

Great excuse that. If this were the case, we would have scrapped the classic black cab designs years ago in favor of a standard off-the-shelf people carrier.

Why is it we still have a custom London black cab but not a custom London bus, such as the routemaster.

 

[JHE]

bring the routemasters back?

Yes, no, sort of, it depends...

I liked the Routemasters. Bendybuses were a crap decision.

Should I vote to bring back Routemasters? Not necessarily.

The old design is not going to come back. It was too polluting and the open-back was too dangerous.

It also (expensively) involved having a separate conductor and a driver who just drove. I'm in favour of that, as it happens.

London should have red double-decker buses, but not the old Routemasters - though they are much mourned.

Should London scrap the crap bendies and reintroduce proper red double-deckers on those routes? Yes. That is, yes, one day. Yes, in the end.

However, if that move is very expensive, it's probably better to put up with the bendicrap until those vehicles need replacing and then phase them out, replacing them with proper big red double-deckers.

London deserves big red double-deckers. It doesn't deserve or want to throw away money. Have patience.

 

[citydreams]

Mayor Boris Johnson was today warned the Routemaster is not the answer to London's bus problems by leading operator FirstGroup.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...tGroup+puts+Boris+on+the+bus+route/article.do