It’s been three years now since the New Routemaster first entered in to
public service on 27th February 2012, on Route 38.
_2011_New_Bus_for_London%2C_Victoria_bus_station%2C_route_38%2C_27_February_2012_(6).jpg)
On 27th February 2012, the first prototype entered in to service
was the LT2 (LT61BHT), starting their first journey at lunch time. It attracted
many people to come and view the bus but
unfortunately the bus became jammed packed because too many people wanted to board it for the ride. The first journey also had some teething problems such as issues with the computer system. In one case the rear platform had to be shut because the bus wouldn't move off.
unfortunately the bus became jammed packed because too many people wanted to board it for the ride. The first journey also had some teething problems such as issues with the computer system. In one case the rear platform had to be shut because the bus wouldn't move off.
During its first day in service it was countered by the Unions who raised
the issue about the bus being expensive. For their protest they hired an AEC
Routemaster (RMC Type) draped with banners on the side of the bus and proceeded
to follow the New Routemaster bus. Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA transport
Union, described the new bus as a ‘vanity project’.
Arriva London became the first operator to operate these New Routemaster
buses and back then it was known as ‘New Bus for London’.
The world press were also reporting on the first day of the New Routemaster
in operation.
Australia: SBS News
New Zealand: RadioLIVE
USA: Time Magazine
USA: Condé Nast Traveler
New Zealand: RadioLIVE
USA: Time Magazine
USA: Condé Nast Traveler
Also, Autocar reported on the New Bus for
London’s first day in service.
The prototypes cost £1.4 million each and it was originally planned to have
five buses, but instead eight were used on Route 38. Back in 2012, ITV London News did a report on the New Routemasters and
during this, Ken Livingstone said “this is the most expensive bus in human
history, we all should celebrate it.” Well, the prototypes were expensive
but the production cost for each individual bus was reduced to £354,500, which
is still pricey. In my previous article, I informed the reader
that the extra 200 New Routemasters which TFL ordered cost £349,500, a saving
of £5000 as Wrightbus cut the price. The total cost for the 200 New
Routemasters cost £69,900,000.
By the summer of 2012, the rest of the 8 New Routemaster prototypes
were delivered on time for the Olympics. But Arriva didn’t hire any conductors,
they used existing bus drivers to take turns in driving the bus and being a 2nd
crew member. Those buses operated as extras alongside the DW class types but
the extra prototype service only went from Victoria to Hackney Central. The
full conversion of Route 38 to New Routemasters finally happened in May 2014,
with a Peak Vehicle Requirement of 59 buses.
It's also worth noting that the BBC reported in this News article about the New Routemaster and
said “TfL announced it is ordering 200 more new Routemaster buses this year
and committing to 800 new vehicles each year from 2016 onwards.”
However, back in late 2014, TFL had already ordered the extra 200 New
Routemasters which extended the fleet up to 800 NRM’s. TFL had originally
mentioned in their board paper though that “No decision was proposed on the
order of the next 1,000 vehicles as other bus manufacturers were looking to
develop their own double-decker buses with NRM features, which would give TfL
options when considering future vehicle choices.” TFL are planning to order new buses from
other manufacturers but with a similar spec to the New Routemaster. In my
opinion though, there will not be any more routes converted with 2nd
crew member so it will be One Man Operation.
Also, I think that TFL should finish off the New Routemaster project with
the '800' and start investing in some Electric and Hybrid
buses which put out zero emissions.
I have found a poster from London Transport back in 1970
which promotes the One Man Operation buses. I also zoomedin on the image and it revealed that the Daimler Fleetline
was nicknamed the ‘Londoner’, it also mentions that it had a capacity of
up to 89 passengers. Compare this with the New Routemaster with 87 passengers
(around 80 depending on the curb weight) and it means that the New Routemaster
is carrying fewer passengers. Now compare that with the Bendy Bus which can provide up to 149
passengers. Many of the new double deck bus types in London have the carrying
capacity of up to 100 passengers.
My memories of 2012 are memorable for me because of the 2012 Olympics and
the roll out of the New Routemaster. I find that looking back in history at
events and how things unfolded can be extremely interesting. I have also found
via Archive.org, the New Routemaster extras on
Route 38 during their early days in service. Here is the video of the prototype New Routemaster in action which was
captured during the early days.
Please feel free to give me your opinions and memories of your experience
of the early days of the New Routemaster service on Route 38 and don’t forget
to share this article by clicking on the Social media icon buttons above the
comments. Also, follow me on Google Plus, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest which
is @CLondoner92
References:
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/heres-the-new-routemaster-chased-by-an-original-one-7497292.html
First image By Tom Page from London, UK (IMG_0892.jpgUploaded by Ultra7) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
First image By Tom Page from London, UK (IMG_0892.jpgUploaded by Ultra7) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons