Conductors to go from London Routemasters

Vic_08

TFL are getting rid of all TPO operation on the NB4L routemasters from September.

The writing has been on the wall for this method of operation for sometime. When the shine of Boris' pet project wore off TfL quietly altered the spec for later orders with rear doors that could not be left open in service so only the early converted routes ever had conductors.

http://www.route-one.net/articles/Bus%20routes/TfL_to_bid_farewell_to_conductors

The heritage routemaster H15 route continues to run for now.

Cookie_Monster

So TFL says it'll save 10m but Unite says

“TfL and the bus operators have a strong duty to find alternative employment for the conductors, whether that is being retrained to drive a bus or in another suitable role. We will not countenance compulsory redundiancies.”

not really going to save all of that money if jobs have to be created for them...

LordSutch

By the way, have they fitted the opening windows yet?

There was a lot of talk last summer about retrospectively fitting opening windows (upstairs) to the whole fleet, but I've heard very little about it in the media. Passengers were complaining about the upper deck being like a sauna!

AlekSmart

LordSutch wrote: »

By the way, have they fitted the opening windows yet?

There was a lot of talk last summer about retrospectively fitting opening windows (upstairs) to the whole fleet, but I've heard very little about it in the media. Passengers were complaining about the upper deck being like a sauna!

With around 600 sets of retrofits to do,It'll take a while to roll it out,but from my experience there recently,the most benifical mod they could do is a quarter or half-drop opening FRONT window upstairs (a lá 1950's design)

The air-chill system is simply not enough in conditions like the past few days,which are more common in London early than in this parish !

LordSutch

I don't know what you mean about London early & this parish Alek? But I think your 1950s idea re the quarter or half drop opening Front windows would be a great suggestion for TFL/Heatherwick to follow up on.

PS; I thought they had upwards of 800 of them by now?

AlekSmart

LordSutch wrote: »

I don't know what you mean about London early & this parish Alek? But I think your 1950s idea re the quarter or half drop opening Front windows would be a great suggestion for TFL/Heatherwick to follow up on.

PS; I thought they had upwards of 800 of them by now?

My "y" is stick....y.....:P

Yearly.....!

They are currently in build with the final tranche of 200,all of which will have the sliders fitted as new...from my observations this week,quite a few of the originals are now open winda'd....not that it was making much difference....it is somewhat baffling that in this digital age,no engineer appears to have even tried travelling upstairs in a moving Bus fitted with opening front windows and then directly comparing the effect with a sealed version....It's not a huge difference,but it is beneficial difference.

noelfirl

Looking likely game over for NBFL as a whole...

Blow to Boris Johnson’s legacy as capital’s mayor drops ‘costly’ new Routemasters to help pay for four-year fares freeze

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/31/boris-bus-london-transport-sadiq-khan-end

Sleek and beautiful as they may be, the sheer utter disaster of an air cooling system that turns them into mobile ovens during the summer has, I think, turned a fair number against them.

AlekSmart

noelfirl wrote: »

Looking likely game over for NBFL as a whole...



https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/31/boris-bus-london-transport-sadiq-khan-end

Sleek and beautiful as they may be, the sheer utter disaster of an air cooling system that turns them into mobile ovens during the summer has, I think, turned a fair number against them.

The actual TfL business plan is well worth a read,particularly as TfL and it's operational ethos has long been the NTA's preferred option for Dublin......;)

Stg£65 million still provided for the remainder to the NBFL order,and a committment to convert 3,000 existing vehicles to Euro 6 emission compliance......That may well ending up costing more !!

Hopefully Wrightbus,in Ballymena had this eventuality covered in their business projections ?

noelfirl

Old thread I know, but then again this is probably niche enough to not merit a new one...

Anyway, the Spruce Goose that is the NBFL continues to become less and less endearing. Due to double the normal level of fare evasion, the very useful option of being able to enter the bus by any of the three doors is going to be phased out - front door entry only (apart from for wheelchair users) will be the new norm.

https://londonist.com/london/transport/new-routemaster-buses-front-door-only