London bus tender awards for early October 2019

This is a brief news update for London buses.

TfL has announced the London buses tender awards as bus operators Metroline and Stagecoach retained their routes respectively and Abellio lost their K1 contract to RATP-Dev London United with new diesel single deck buses.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Route	Current Operator	New Operator	PVR	Vehicles
271*	Metroline	Metroline	14	Existing hybrid double deck (a)
331	Metroline West	Metroline West	8	2015 Euro VI diesel single deck
460	Metroline	Metroline	10	2015 Euro VI hybrid double deck
498	Stagecoach East London	Stagecoach East London	6	2015 Euro VI diesel double deck
499	Stagecoach East London	Stagecoach East London	7	2015 Euro VI diesel single deck
K1	Abellio West London	London United	14	New Euro VI diesel single deck (b)

* 24 hour route.

(a) Euro V & Euro VI built 2012 - 2014. Euro V vehicles will be upgraded to Euro VI.
(b) Two vehicles built 2014.

The above contracts will commence on the following dates:

4th April 2020: Route 271.
27th June 2020: Routes 460, 498, 499 & K1.
4th July 2020: Route 331.

Personally, I think that bus operators should use electric buses for their new route contracts. By 2020, TfL require bus operators to purchase electric single deck buses and Euro VI double deck hybrid buses.

TfL stated under a Freedom of information request; "We specify the emissions standards on all bus routes. It is not mandatory for bus companies to purchase double deck EV buses for their new route contracts." TfL expect their bus fleet to be entirely zero emission by year 2037.

I invite you to follow me on Twitter by searching for @CLondoner92

Image attribution
By Aubrey Morandarte from Coventry/London, United Kingdom - Stagecoach London 36601 on Route 499, Gallows Corner Tesco, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50152980