A
quick update on the short 3 door 2 staircase hybrid bus called the New Routemaster. The ST812 (Registration
LTZ1812) has finally entered service on route 91 and according to London Vehicle Finder the bus first
entered service on 9th May 2016.
Route 91 serves Crouch End, Holloway, King's Cross, Euston, Holborn,
Aldwych and Trafalgar Square.
New contract awards
from TfL:
Tranche
540
·
38/N38
- re-awarded to Arriva London North with 2014 New Routemaster. PVR reduced from 58 to 52 with peak
frequency reduction and alternate journeys to Hackney Central. Start date
5th November.
·
221
- re-awarded to Arriva London North with 2010 Euro V diesel double deckers currently allocated to routes 133
& 242. Existing service pattern with alternate short workings Turnpike Lane
to North Finchley retained. PVR 23. Start date 5 November.
Tranche
544
·
152
- awarded to London General (currently Abellio London) with diesel single deck, type new or
existing depending on changes to 42, 108 & D8. PVR 15. Start date 3
December.
·
157
- awarded to Arriva London South (currently Abellio London) with 2010 Euro V diesel double deck
currently allocated to routes 133 & 242. PVR 18, start date 3 December.
·
413
- awarded to Quality Line (currently London General) with new Euro VI single deck, PVR 8. Start date 3 December.
·
655
- re-awarded to London General with existing Euro IV double deck, type to be confirmed. PVR 1, start date 3
December
·
931
- re-awarded to Abellio London with 2014 Euro
VI diesel single deck with PVR taken from routes 201 or 407. Start date 3
December.
So
route 38 has been retained with New
Routemasters and the PVR (Peak Vehicle Requirement) reduced to 52 buses.
A
brief history; during mid 2012, the route had a PVR of 68 DB300 Wright
Gemini 2 buses and added in to that was 7 New Routemaster prototypes, which
makes a total of a whopping 75 buses
in service. In 2009 when route 38 had ‘bendy buses’, their PVR was 47
bendy buses. Even back in 2004 when route 38 had AEC Routemasters, the classic half
cab, open platform, crew operated buses, their PVR was 50 buses.
Looking
at the rest of the tender results, the problem is that the routes are retained
with existing or new diesel buses, when really they should have hybrid or zero
emission buses which are hydrogen or battery electric buses.
Here is rest of the
news from LOTS:
1) The three BYD
all-electric double decks duly entered service in the past week on
Metroline route 98 from Willesden Garage.
At Tower Transit the last Stagecoach Tridents that had been on hire for
route 69 have been returned home. Following
the delivery and entry into service of 20 MHVs (Volvo B5LH/MCV) and EHs (E40H(MMC)s)
at Go-Ahead London, another 65 MHVs have
been ordered, mainly for routes 63 and 185, together with another 13 EHs
for route 363.
2) This weekend 7th
May sees Abellio centre all the C10 allocation at Walworth, the H28 moves to
Fulwell (TF) to make a little more room at Hayes (WS) Garage for the E5/E7/E9
that are due to move in on 28th May.
Go-Ahead’s new garage at River Road Barking is now operating route 147
(taken over from Stagecoach) using E-class Enviro400s, most of which have been
moving up gradually from Camberwell.
3) From last Sunday
1st May there was a frequency increase on Arriva routes A and Z on the Luton
Dunstable Busway; this followed a modest increase on Centrebus services on the
Busway from 27th March.
That's
all I have for today.
As
always, you can follow me on Twitter,
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which is @CLondoner92
