CLondoner92: Should London Buses use a standard interior colour scheme?

As the new battery-electric Enviro400EV City (jointly manufactured by BYD and Alexander Dennis) is set to serve London Buses Route 43 anytime soon, it has been revealed that Metroline has chosen to use their own interior livery instead of the burgundy (dark red) and brass (gold coloured railings) with the TfL/LT Roundel seating moquette. The interior colour design is based on the New Routemaster bus (including their own seating moquette) which reflects similarity with the classic AEC Routemaster bus.

Downstairs all of the seats are forward-facing and no fuel tank means the ‘dickie seat’ behind the driver from the first generation E400 makes a return, thankfully this time with a decent window. pic.twitter.com/cbc35WhchS
— Andrew Garnett (@mrandrewgarnett) May 20, 2019

Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis responded to a tweet from a London bus user complaining about bus companies using their own interior livery for their own fleet.

Hi Giorgina, it's up the bus operator companies to choose the interior colours. We can't comment on the New Routemaster because we didn't build that, but on our buses we can build many different colours including burgundy and brass. pic.twitter.com/rIq7ccg32X
— Alexander Dennis (@ADLbus) April 15, 2019

One bus user is satisfied with the LT/TfL seating moquette for the Enviro400H City designed by Camira Fabrics.

I’ve noted it before, but I really do like the @TfL bus seat moquette as used on the 78 bus route. Designed by @camira fabrics pic.twitter.com/Uw7pUfVrEu
— Tim Dunn (@MrTimDunn) May 20, 2018

The burgundy and brass interior livery may be controversial as some bus users dislike the livery as used on the New Routemaster bus.

Extracts from GLA's Talk London

3) Dark and depressing - the "vintage" maroon livery is dreary, depressing and dark. For partially sighted passengers this must be a nightmare, Oh to get back on a bus with cheerful blue seats and yellow poles and handles! Whoever chose the miserable livery completely failed to carry out a substantial survey on what passengers require. It's not good enough to copy the old fashioned routemasters as a gimmick when ordinary people have to travel on them every day.

TfL responded to the complaint:

The vehicle does have a vintage-look livery to help maintain the link with its classic predecessor. However, the pallet of colours chosen on all vehicles in the fleet provides a contrast to help visually-impaired passengers.

Here's some examples of the burgundy and brass bus interiors.

Bus operators can choose their own interior colours for their bus purchases as long it meets the TfL’s bus specification.

According to the Freedom of Information request, TfL stated:

Our vehicle specifications for new buses (i.e. not retrospectively applied) require:-

a) All handrails and stanchions to be between 30mm and 35mm diameter smooth tube with powder coating (matt crackle finish) or nylon dipped (matt crackle finish). Coloured, yellow (RAL 1028), green (RAL 6018) or orange (RAL 2028). Any alternative colours will require the prior approval.

The brass coloured handrail may need approval by TfL for operators to use for their new bus purchases.

A few months ago, CT Plus purchased 9 Enviro400H City with LT/TfL seating moquette burgundy and brass interior for their route 20 contract which commenced service on Saturday 23rd March 2019.

My conclusion

The New Routemaster is seen to be a very controversial project, but it has enabled various design cues to evolve with the new bus products.

As mentioned above, only two bus operators (CT Plus and Sullivan Buses) have adopted the burgundy and brass with LT/TfL seating moquette for their interior designs. Bus operating companies continue to use their own interior livery to suit the brand of the company.

I do prefer having different interior colours for each of the bus operators as people would then know which route and operator runs the service. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, many of the London Bus routes were non-red due to the competitive tendering system, you can read more about it in my previous article I published three years ago.

The new battery-electric Enviro400EV City (manufactured by Alexander Dennis and BYD) has a different interior design selected by Metroline, but the exterior still has similarities to the New Routemaster bus. I respect this is Metroline's choice to use their own interior design. If a bus operator finally purchases the Wrightbus SRM (two-door, one-staircase successor to the New Routemaster) they can select their own interior colours to suit with their own company brand.

The main purpose of Transport for London (TfL) is to provide a transport network such as the bus system. But at least TfL have required all bus companies to paint their buses red with London Buses roundels on the side to present a bus service for London.

If you think TfL should require bus companies to use burgundy and brass with LT/TfL seating moquette for their interior designs or set out a new standard livery for all new bus purchases? Discuss in the comments section below.

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Wednesday, 26 June 2019

Should London Buses use a standard interior colour scheme?