Bus Route 12 to get Boris Buses

[DulwichFox]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/And_where

185 1972

Foxy

[Hoopoedi]

Now that's a blast from the past! And to get the old Routemaster 185 and Woolworths on Vauxhall Bridge Road in the same shot - nothing short of brilliant!

[DulwichFox]

It's not a Routemaster RM.. it's the one before The RT..

Foxy

[ED209]

I am so disappointed to hear this.

I have a choice between train or bus in the mornings and most mornings try to get up early enough so I can get the 12 all the way in to Piccadilly Circus. Despite the longer travel time its a much better start to the day and I read all the way in. Lovely, especially on a sunny morning.

The new routemasters are so cramped and dark upstairs compared with modern buses. I'm not sure I want to spend an hour on one each morning.

When they built the original routemasters they made the windows that size because of the manufacturing limitations of the day. We can now make buses with much better bigger windows so why go backwards? We should be making new history and not trying to hang on to the past. We need to be making new designs that will become iconic to London, not aping old ones.

[antantant]

I like them - much quicker at busy stops with three entrances / exits. I do only get them a short distance though - (#8 from Shoreditch High Street)

[ED209]

I know what you mean antantant. I do a short jaunt on the 38 from Victoria on mornings I get the train its much quicker boarding the new Routemaster all right.

If they had built a bus with 3 doors and not made the upstairs cramped and stuffy we'd both be happy! :-)

[Bic Basher]

The first Boris Bus is out on the 12 today. Don't panic as the majority of buses are still the normal ones.

[dbboy]

yes it's here, saw one thins mornimg in Rye Lane and another tonight going towards Dulwich along Peckham Rye.

[Bic Basher]

I didn't see any conductors on the two buses I saw today.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Bic Basher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I didn't see any conductors on the two buses I saw

> today.

They don't have conductors and so the back doors are kept shut most of the time. No 'hop on, hop off', just badly ventilated, very expensive buses.

[TheArtfulDogger]

I like the new routemasters but I suspect the lack of conductors will end up as a repeat of the bendy bus days where most people avoided paying their fares because they used the two back doors.

Buses a great idea, lack of conductor not so.

[PeckhamNicola]

Very poor legroom for anyone over 4'6".

[Bic Basher]

Southwark News is reporting that the conversion to Boris Buses will be complete by the end of the month.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Its' a shame, after the 12 route's 'bendy blight' was ended, this route has been good. Now another experimental, flawed bus design has been dropped on it.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I went on the Boris bus at the request of my little one last week. Awful ! I'm a midget and I struggled with the lack of leg room, the lack of air and the steep stairs. What a total waste of money like the bendy buses . If it ain't broke ....

[Bic Basher]

It's more likely I'll be waiting for a 197 to Peckham in the future during hot days. It's not practical for me to carry my shopping thanks to the lack of legroom and sauna like conditions inside.

[titch juicy]

I got one on Wednesday afternoon- lo(l) and behold no air con on. Many people mopping brows.

[JohnL]

Good - they're quieter when not on them

Bad - Aircon, Claustrophobic

[Earl Aelfheah]

.

[Johnjohn]

I have only been on the new Routemaster a couple of time so far, despite using the 12 fairly regularly.

None of those times could have been warm day as I didn't notice..... Is this true, does the air conditioning not work very well on them? or could it be an individual fault on a particular bus?

I notice there are no opening windows, so if they really do get hot it is a design disaster!

Perhaps it is down to the driver to control?

I remember years ago rather angrily pointing out to the train driver as we arrived at LB that it was June and no need to have the heating pumping out in the carriages!

One thing I did notice was the poor visibility on the top deck. One of the few joys of getting the bus is the view.

Without getting the tape measure out, the top deck windows must be 30% smaller...probably half the size at the front!

[DulwichFox]

Air Con does not work efficiently when windows are open.. so that's why they don't open...

Vehicular Air Con also uses more Fuel and increases running costs. So will only be used in extreme cases.

That's the long and short of it.

DulwichFox

[Bic Basher]

I went on a Boris Bus 12 on Sunday. Despite the temperature being around 13c on Sunday, I had to unzip my jacket and the air was stale.

[Nigello]

I was on one for the first time (12) and, despite being overly tall with lanky legs, I found it a good fit. I sat right at the back and didn't feel too hot, too cramped, too anything. I do wish, though, that conductors were on them at peak times, at least.

[Earl Aelfheah]

The whole 'Boris' bus thing is a total folly. They have cost a fortune and their 'USP' - the 'hop on, hop off' back door is closed nearly all of the time. In almost every other respect they perform less favorably to the standard double decker. Boris just can't help raiding the transport budget to fund his little vanity projects (e.g. the Emirates 'Dangleway' the Garden Bridge etc.). I really wish he would be held to account.

[Seabag]

Can anyone explain the Emeriates Dangle Way thing. We went on it a few weeks ago when the wind was really whipping it up, somewhat overlooked just how WINDY it was. I mean it's great fun, but seems utterly pointless.

That said, it's a great view of that part of London (once you've conquered the fear bit)

I like the no 12 new bus, but only for a breif journey tho