EDIT: Update on route 13 is on this link.
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TFL is consulting with its users about the proposed changes for London Bus routes 13, 82, 113, 139, 189, N13 and N113.
“Travel habits are changing. Reflecting this, we have reviewed bus services in the Abbey Road, Finchley Road, South and West Hampstead areas. Our review takes into account, the number of passenger on each route, journey times, and origin and destination details. In addition it takes account of improved services on the Tube, the potential impact new developments may have and the aspirations of our stakeholders, for example the impact of bus traffic in the West End, including Oxford Street.
Our Tube modernisation plan means journeys are more reliable, many lines now have a better service.”
The changes to the routes they’re proposing are
·Routes 13 and N13 would no longer run
·Route 82 would run 24 hours a day
·Route 113 would be extended to Oxford Circus
·Route 139 would be extended to Golders Green
·Route 189 would run between Brent Cross and Marble Arch.
·New night route N189 would run between Brent Cross and Oxford Circus
·Frequencies would be changed on route 113
The map explains the changes for the routes.
The online consultation ends on Friday 10th April 2015.
Brief History of the route
Route 13 was first formed on 3rd October 1934 under the London Passenger Transport Board. Their route was small as it started from London Bridge Station going to Hendon Bell. Then on the 17th March 1954 the route was cut back from Golders Green to London Bridge using the AEC Regent III vehicles. After that, late in 1962, the route started operation with AEC Routemaster vehicles. Moving forward to mid 1975, the route was again cut back, this time between Golders Green Station and Aldwych.
In late 2002, London Sovereign had won the contract to operate the route with Marshall Refurbished Routemaster vehicles. Then on 22nd October 2005, the Routemasters no longer operated which meant the route was converted to ‘One Person Operation’ with Low floor accessible vehicles which were the Scania Omnidekka.
The Wright Gemini 2 hybrids then started service on Route 13 under a new contract on 31st July 2013.
So if you want to help save the 80 plus year old bus route from being cut, you can converse with TFL to try and save the route, but bear in mind that the consultation ends on Friday 10th April 2015.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Google Plus which is @CLondoner92
End of the Line for AEC Routemaster's on route 9
References:
Image Attributions
"Routemaster RM324 (WLT 324) & London Sovereign bus VH3 (BD13 OHW), 9 February 2013" by Au Morandarte from London, Middlesex, England - DSC00081Uploaded by Ultra7. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
"Sovereign Routemasters on route 13" by Metro Centric - 13 13Uploaded by Ultra7. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.