London Transport Buses
Introduction
London Transport Buses' responsibilities include managing the competitive
bus route tendering process, management of infrastructure (bus stops, shelters,
stands and stations) and planning London's bus route network. All these
elements are explained in detail below. Browse through each topic in turn
or jump straight to a specific subject using the list below.
The historical perspective
When London's urban public transport was brought together in 1933
under the auspices of the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB), the
bus services covered a vast area consisting not only of what is now Greater
London but also much of the adjacent counties. Within Greater London, the
bus route network was complemented by tram and trolleybus systems. The
trams were finally withdrawn in 1952 and the trolleybuses a decade later
in 1962, with bus replacements in each case.
From 1970 to 1984, London Transport was under the direct control of the Greater London Council, and the area for which LT was legally responsible contracted to the present 1 580 square km (610 square miles), with a few bus and Underground services continuing into outlying areas beyond the Greater London boundary to maintain well-established links.
Recent developments
Under the London Regional Transport Act 1984, London Transport was
again brought under central Government control. The Act required LT to
set up subsidiary companies to run the buses and the Underground, and also
stipulated that competitive tendering should be introduced where appropriate
to ensure that LT operated economically and required less financial assistance
from public funds for the day to day running of its services.
In 1985, bus services outside London were deregulated which meant that any licensed operator could apply to run a new route even if another company already ran a service along the same roads. London was however specifically exempted but it was intended that, once bus services in London had become less dependent on Government subsidy and steps had been taken to encourage greater competition between the operators, deregulation should be extended to the Capital as well.
The subsidiary company set up in 1985 by London Transport to run the bus services was known as London Buses Limited (LBL). However, route planning and the level of fares charged remained LT responsibilities.
In the same year LT set up the Tendered Bus Division to begin the process of the competitive tendering of its bus routes, under which LBL was required to compete against operators in the private sector for the opportunity to run individual bus routes on behalf of LT. The routes were awarded to the operator which could run the best service at the most cost-effective price, and several of the initial routes went to private companies rather than to LBL. Buses again began to appear on London's streets whose livery was not traditional LT red.
LBL initially faced several problems resulting from higher overheads which made it difficult to compete with the private operators. As a step towards the planned deregulation of bus services in London, LBL therefore created thirteen locally based subsidiary companies, each with its own commercial remit.
These companies conducted their own wages negotiations with the unions, took appropriate steps to reduce their overheads, and competed against each other as well as against the private sector companies for the contracts to run LT bus routes. The subsidiaries became increasingly successful in competing for routes.
In December 1992, the (then) Conservative Government announced that the LBL companies would be sold into the private sector ahead of deregulation. However, a year later, the Government decided to postpone deregulation until after the General Election which took place in May 1997.
The privatisation of the LBL subsidiaries went ahead as planned during the second half of 1994, with the companies being sold either to other bus operators or to management and employee buy-outs. The new Labour Government elected in May 1997 has no plans to extend the deregulation of bus services to London.
The role of London Transport Buses
In anticipation of the sale of the LBL subsidiaries, LT Buses was set up in April 1994 to co-ordinate all London Transport's bus-related activities.
The Management Board of LT Buses comprises:
| Chairman | Denis Tunnicliffe* |
| ManagingDirector | Clive Hodson* |
| OperationsandServicesDirector | Mike Heath |
| FinanceDirector | Alan Brindle |
| Procurement Director | Brian Everett |
Other members:
| Non-Executive | SirAlanBailey* |
| LT Director of Transport Strategy | RichardSmith |
| Victoria Coach Station Managing Director | WarwickHillman |
*Members of the Board of London Transport
[Sir Malcolm Bates is non-executive Chairman of London Transport.]
An Organisation Chart for London Transport Buses is attached.
Current Operators
There are some 5 400 buses running on the 700 routes
in the LT Buses system, including a flourishing and comprehensive network
of night buses. There are 10 000 bus shelters - and 140 bus stations and
stands. The number of journeys on LT Bus services in 1998/99 were 1 267
million which is around 4 million journeys a day on a typical weekday (compared
with 2.5 million on the London Underground).
Current financial position
Continuing concern to keep costs under the strictest
control helped to eliminate the operating deficit in 1997/98 (from a deficit
of £21 million the previous year). However, the increase since is
largely due to increasing bus contract prices which means the deficit for
1999/2000 is expected to be some £44 million, £30 million higher
than in 1998/99.
[revised July 1999]
Introduction
The Operations and Services department supports the private bus
companies which run routes under contract to, or by agreement with, London
Transport Buses by managing the infrastructure (bus stops, shelters, stands
and stations). It is also responsible for determining and implementing
short-term measures such as bus route diversions when planned events like
ceremonial processions or demonstrations, and unplanned emergencies like
accidents or roadworks, occur. London Transport Buses emergency communications
centre, CentreComm, is also managed by the Operations and Services department.
Bus Infrastructure
There are five operating areas, South East, South West, North West,
North East and Central, who between them are responsible for the day to
day management of 17 000 bus stops, 8 800 shelters provided in partnership
with a private sector company Adshel, 110 off highway stands (terminal
points), and 40 bus stations. The local area manager is responsible for
ensuring that timetables and other publicity and information are displayed
correctly. Information on bus stops is currently being enhanced by the
addition of the location name and the direction of travel, and an increasing
number now display full bus route information. Over the last few years,
significant progress has been made in upgrading facilities and by June
1998 :
- 92% of stops displayed route numbers (40% in1993)
- 48% of stops displayed location names, general direction information and bus pass zones
- 99% of stops had at least one timetable frame providing 62 000 timetable displays
- 58% of stops had shelters
- 91% of LT Adshel shelters had seats (45% in 1993)
- 95% of LT Adshel shelters had at least one publicity panel, principally for the Local Area Bus Map (82% in 1993)
- 460 stops had Countdown signs
Revised January 1999
The Background
The system of bus route tendering began in London in 1985, when
the Tendered Bus Unit was set up by London Transport to oversee the process
under which existing, revised and new bus routes were progessively put
out to competitive tender, as required under the London Regional Transport
Act 1984. Companies including LT's own bus operating subsidiary, London
Buses Limited (LBL), competed against each other for the contracts to run
bus routes. In April 1994, in anticipation of the sale of the LBL bus companies
into the private sector, LT Buses was set up to co-ordinate all London
Transport's bus-related activities. From the same date all former LBL routes
which had not by that date been subject to the tendering process were placed
on a negotiated " net cost" contract basis.
What Is Procurement?
The competitive tendering process is now managed by the Procurement
department of LT Buses. Following the sale of the former LBL companies
into the private sector. It is the task of the Procurement department to
seek tenders from private companies wishing to operate the bus routes in
the London Transport network and to award routes on the basis of the bids
received.
The Procurement Process
Advertisements inviting bids to run bus routes are regularly placed
in the bus industry trade press and in the European Journal. Those companies
which have met LT Buses' prequalification requirements are then given the
opportunity to tender for individual routes. Tenderers are provided with
information about each route such as the hours and days of service, the
type of bus required for the route (double-deck, single-deck or midibus),
and the frequency of service. This information enables the companies to
submit bids to run the route, some on their own initiative perhaps using
their local knowledge to offer an even better service likely to attract
additional passengers. The sealed bids are reviewed once the closing date
is reached and the contract is awarded to the company offering the best
value for money (not necessarily to the lowest bidder). It is assumed that
the bidder will make suitable allowance in the bid for ensuring the contract
will be profitable. The results of the procurement process are made known
well in advance of the start date of the new contract to allow the successful
operator time to obtain the vehicles and to recruit and route-train the
staff if necessary.
Gross And Net Cost Contracts
Contracts can be awarded on a " gross cost" or a " net cost" basis.
A " gross cost" contract is where the operator hands back to LT all its
on-bus receipts and receives from LT a payment each month for running the
service, subject to satisfactory performance under the terms of the contract.
A " net cost" contract is where the operator retains all cash fares received
on the buses, and receives a proportion of the revenue arising from the
use of Bus Passes, Travelcards and concessionary permits. The operator
then receives a set payment from LT representing the difference between
the quoted costs and the originally assumed revenue. On a number of routes,
if revenue exceeds the costs the positive payment to LT is used to subsidise
other routes.
Throughout a contract, each route is monitored to ensure that the operator is providing a high quality service. Factors such as reliability, politeness of staff and vehicle maintenance are checked, and form targets laid down in the London Bus Passenger's Charter. Every month quality of service monitoring results are published showing whether these targets are met.
Contracts are retendered after a set number of years, usually five. Some contracts include special clauses specifying, for example, low-floored buses or access for wheelchairs. All new contracts for routes operating in central London stipulate that buses must be predominantly red.
revised February 1999
Introduction
London Transport Buses routes need to be planned to benefit the
maximum number of passengers, but within the limits of the financial resources
available. Unlike most major cities world-wide, London's public transport
receives no Government grant for day to day operation of its bus and Underground
services. Planning and marketing London's bus route network is the responsibility
of the LT Buses Planning and Development Department.
Bus Route Planning
It is LT Buses long-term aim to provide a bus service within 400
metres of most homes in London to link with the nearest town centre. Initially
LT Buses surveys an existing route or group of routes to gauge passenger
journeys and build planning models for analysing the demand or potential
demand for buses. This information can be used to improve the local services
so that they are more convenient for local people. When a revised network
is decided upon, further calculations are made to work out the service
frequencies and the size and type of bus which would best meet passenger
requirements.
The proposed changes are then subject to a period of public consultation during which the local authority, and residents of roads where bus routes are planned for the first time, can express their views which are carefully considered before final decisions are made. The next stage is for London Transport Procurement to arrange for an operator to run the new or revised service under contract (see separate LT Buses Fact Sheet on Bus Route Procurement). LT Buses also aims to make using buses as simple as possible by running routes between the same terminals at all times, and on nearly 50 routes day and night services have been integrated, providing a 24-hour service.
Improving Reliability
LT Buses is committed to making bus services a genuinely attractive
alternative to driving in London, but although considerable effort is put
into publicity campaigns to attract car users on to buses, the best possible
advert for LT Buses is improved reliability. That, however, depends on
ensuring that buses are given the priority which reflects their outstanding
ability to move large numbers of people while taking up minimal space on
congested roads. The LT Buses Fact Sheet, Traffic Congestion and London's
Buses, describes the initiatives currently being implemented.
Countdown And Fleetwide Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
Although bus timetables at stops advertise an even interval service
frequency, the regular user knows that the timetable cannot always be relied
upon, mainly because of the effects of traffic congestion. This is why
the Planning and Development Department has been developing Countdown,
which involves fitting the buses on the routes covered by the system with
automatic vehicle location (AVL) equipment. This equipment makes it possible
for each bus to pelay its location at regular intervals via a central computer
to elcetronic signs at bus stops, which give passengers the waiting times
for the approaching buses.
The trial phase of Countdown has now been completed. Between the Spring of 1993 and the Summer of 1996, nearly 400 bus stops in west and north London were fitted with these electronic signs which are similar to the dot matrix indicator signs on the Underground. Countdown in the west London area covers route 18, the Uxbridge Road and the Park Royal area, and routes 83, 220, 222 and 297. In north London, the areas of Haringey, Islington nad Camden are equipped with Countdown, mainly along the corridors converging on the Nag's Head junction in Holloway. Around 75 million passenger journeys per year benefit from Countdown.
Waiting times for some 40 day and 12 night routes are displayed on the signs, involving nearly a thousand buses operated by ten bus companies. Each of the garages operating these routes also has a service control room which displays the current locations of buses and the real-time performance of each route.
In the coming years, Countdown and AVL are being introduced across London. The scope of the AVL equipment has been extended to include the collection of data from buses to allow improvements in the quality of service indicators and bus route contract monitoring statistics. Fleetwide implementation of automatic vehicle location will take three years, and Countdown will be introduced at 4 000 stops throughout London (25% of all bus stops) over seven to ten years. The Kingston and Lambeth areas will recieve 300 Countdown signs from summer 1997, and following this, around 450 signs will be installed in other parts of London each year.
Revised June 1998
Introduction
Traffic congestion is a major problem in Greater London and is costly
for the nation. A recent estimate is £2 billion for delays imposed
on industry, business and travellers. The damage however is not just financial.
Congestion also causes frustration, and affects the environment. The underlying
cause is too much traffic yet it is predicted that the number of vehicles
using London's streets will continue to increase, making the conditions
under which buses have to operate even worse.
The bus is an integral part of central Government's plans to confront London's traffic problem. The buses are already used by 4 million passengers each working day but can cater for more. Additional bus priority schemes are now in prospect and more are needed, but they and bus routes in general must be backed up in two ways:
a) by better enforcement both of parking restrictions and of bus lane regulations;
b) by restricting the volume of traffic.
Parking, either illegal or inconsiderate, is one of the major causes of traffic congestion. It delays buses and makes them less reliable, but if buses were able to operate along less congested streets at regular intervals many motorists would be encouraged to leave their cars at home and travel by public transport instead. This in turn would make the roads less crowded and bus services would become even more attractive. The situation can only improve when buses are accepted as the most efficient users of London's scarce road space and the general traffic levels are reduced.
The Need For Bus Priority
More bus lanes and other bus priorities are needed to protect buses,
and the millions of daily pasengers they carry. Reduced delays improve
their reliability and regularity. Only 130 km (80 miles) of bus lanes are
currently available in London, 2% of the bus network. In Paris there are
200km (125 miles) of bus lanes over a much smaller bus network.
Red Routes
In 1993 the Traffic Director for London produced plans for designating
510 km (320 miles) of London's strategic road network as Red Routes. This
followed the success of a pilot scheme along the Archway and Holloway Roads
which secured, with other more general benefits (such as a 17% reduction
in accidents) a 10% reduction in bus journey times and a 33% improvement
in bus service reliability. Bus routes operate on about 80% (equivalent
to 400 km, or 250 miles) of the Red Route network. London Transport Buses
have made specific suggestions for bus priority measures to be incorporated
into the implementation of the Red Routes scheme, which is due for completion
by 2000.
The London Bus Priority Network
The London Bus Priority Network, which as its name suggests is specifically
aimed at helping buses, has been developed as a network complementing the
Red Routes. In this project, each of the 33 London Boroughs, in conjunction
with London Transport Buses, has developed plans for bus priorities on
865 km (540 miles) of roads carrying eight buses an hour or more. The aim
is to cut journey times by at least 25% during peak periods and by 15%
at other times which will require a high level of priority for buses. There
is a crucial commitment from the Boroughs for a high level of enforcement
by their parking attendants to ensure that the benefits to buses and their
passengers are gained.
Bus Priority At Traffic Lights
Already in existence is a scheme to give buses priority at some
300 traffic light controlled junctions mainly in outer London. Around 5
000 buses operating on London Transport Buses routes have been fitted with
transponders. These can either turn traffic lights to green as the bus
approaches or keep lights at green long enough to allow the bus to pass.
Traffic lights in central and inner London are however controlled by computer,
and technology has been developed to bring similar benefits to bus passengers
in these areas. Fifty central London junctions are now equipped and an
implementation programme to extend the system is in hand.
This valuable development is complemented by schemes now being introduced to give buses priority over other traffic by means of a traffic lights at the end of bus lanes allowing buses to get ahead of other road vehicles. A notable example of this type of bus priority is at the busy Shepherd's Bush Green through which 93 buses an hour pass at peak times and where bus journey times have been cut by up to 50% through the junction.
The Need For Enforcement
Congestion is estimated to cost London's bus passengers 55 million
hours a year in lost time, and bus operators £100 million a year.
About half the problems identified by bus operators are either because
of inconsiderate parking or arise when parking is a contributory factor.
There is therefore a real need for consistently high levels of enforcement
particularly at locations where bus delays occur due to illegal parking.
If enforcement authorities take a positive role to assist and if on-bus
and roadside enforcement cameras are installed across London, then significant
improvements in bus reliability would result and benefit the network's
4 million daily passengers and therefore even greater use of buses.
Some Facts On Buses And Congestion In London
Fare Collection
Fare collection on driver-only buses is carried out with the aid
of an electronic machine which enables the driver to issue tickets, record
use of Travelcards and Passes and keep an effective record of passenger
journeys and of all cash transactions. On crew-operated buses, the conductor
uses an equally sophisticated electronic ticket-issuing machine. The way
ahead for tickets on the buses, however, may well be the contactless electronic
Smartcard (see separate London Transport Fact Sheet on the PRESTIGE project).
Fare Evasion
Fare evasion and other ticket irregularities on London's buses cost
London Transport Buses an estimated £21 million a year, around 4%
of its revenue. Surveys have shown that one bus passenger in 20 on average
is travelling with some form of ticket irregularity during a journey. Fare
evasion is a criminal offence, and LT Buses carries out private prosecutions
of alleged offenders who, on conviction, could face a maximum penalty of
£1,000. Those convicted are likely to have to pay the costs of the
prosecution and compensation, as well as the fine imposed.
As a further deterrent, a £5 Penalty Fare was introduced in April 1995, and passengers found travelling without the correct ticket or pass for the whole of their journey may have the penalty imposed by a Revenue Protection Inspector. These Inspectors operate on all LT Buses services, both in uniform and in plain clothes. Their job is to inspect tickets, catch offenders and deter potential fare evaders.
>The single biggest fare evasion problem on London's buses is over-riding, accounting for an estimated 63% of total lost revenue. Over-riding occurs when passengers pay a cheaper fare than they should or use a pass beyond the zone for which it is valid.
Other methods of fare evasion include avoiding paying a conductor, and using a borrowed, stolen, forged or altered pass or using a pass which is out of date.
Revised 1998
Passenger safety is the highest priority of London Transport Buses and for the private bus companies which operate the services under contract to LT Buses.
The Legal Position
The law relating to bus operation requires that all companies,
and their senior operating managers, must be specifically licensed as competent
to run bus services. All bus drivers must pass a rigorous driving test,
which is now supplemented by a written test, and medical examination before
they can obtain a full Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence. The buses
must conform with the exacting Construction and Use Regulations which focus
particularly on the safety-related aspects of vehicle design. All buses
are subject to an annual test by Department of Transport Inspectors, as
well as to random tests out on the road, to check on the quality of day-to-day
maintenance. The Traffic Commissioners supervise the enforcement of these
provisions, with powers to discipline operators who do not meet the high
standards required, ultimately including the revocation of their licences.
The role of LT Buses
London Transport Buses closely monitors the performance
of its contracted operators on safety matters, and keeps records of all
incidents affecting safety and security. The data is analysed to see whether
there are network-wide trends, areas or operators which may require special
attention. LT Buses regularly assesses the quality of bus maintenance facilities
and the standards achieved, and reviews the results with the operators.
LT Buses may offer support for the development of safety features which
can benefit all the bus operators in London, and through its route tendering
and contract regime LT Buses can influence the provision of safety-related
facilities on new bus deliveries. Current initiative include a defensive
driving video.
The Role of the Bus Operators
The prime responsibility of the companies which are awarded
contracts to operate the bus routes in the LT Buses network is to carry
passengers safely. They employ and train skilled maintenance staff to look
after their fleets, and both train their drivers to the required standards
and regularly monitor in-service performance to ensure that these standards
are maintained.
Passenger Accidents
There are far fewer boarding and alighting accidents
on busy central London routes on driver-only buses than on Routemaster
buses which have an open rear platform. Although the traditional Routemaster
is popular with passengers, the freedom to hop on and off can lead to a
higher incidence of accidents. Passengers have a responsibility to use
buses safely, for example by sitting down when there is a seat available.
The level of passenger accidents should be related to the 1 200 million passengers carried last year (1995/96) on London's buses (3.7 million passenger journeys on a typical weekday. In 1995/96 the major injury (for example a bone fracture) rate was 0.067 for each million passengers carried, and for minor injuries (for example a knock or a bump) the equivalent was 3.45.
Passenger And Staff Security
Assaults on passengers and other crimes such as robbery
are rare on buses, but nevertheless are of great concern to LT Buses. Video
recording systems on buses act as a deterrent and can help to identify
assailants with the film being used as evidence in court.
Most buses have two-way radios so that drivers can call for help. Most of these radios provide immediate access to the LT Buses emergency communications centre, Centrecomm, which has a direct link to the Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard. Assault alarms which activate lights on the outside of the bus and sound the horn to attract attention are also fitted. Police travel free of charge on London's Buses both in and out of uniform and readily assist in any emergency.
Every effort is made to ensure the safety of bus staff. The commonest cause of an assault on a member of staff is a problem over a fare or a ticket. Other causes include arguments with motorists following a traffic incident, hooliganism, boarding or alighting disputes, robbery or even unprovoked assaults. Conductors are four times more likely to be the victim of an assault than a driver-operator. The majority of London's driver-only buses are fitted with special cab screens.
Staff are trained in the most effective ways of handling difficult situations and thereby avoid the possibility of assaults. With over 70 per cent of bus passengers now using pre-paid tickets, the amount of cash being carried on board buses has decreased, thus reducing the opportunity for fare disputes and robbery.
London Transport Buses Revenue Protection Inspectors operate across the whole of the route network 24 hours a day. Their presence and activities help to reassure law-abiding passengers that LT Buses is concerned for their security. Close liaison is also maintained with the Metropolitan and other Police forces on local security issues, and joint exercises are held to counter problems which arise.
Revised Summer 1997
The First Buses
The distinctive features of a bus service are that the buses run
to a fixed timetable along a specific route stopping at intervals to pick
and set down passengers, with fares which are cheaper than those charged
by taxis. On that basis, London's first buses began operating between Paddington
and the Bank on 4th July 1829. They were horse-drawn carriages with facing
seats along the sides for 20 passengers. There was a driver in charge of
the horses and a conductor who rode at the back where passengers boarded
and alighted through a door. The fare for the whole journey was one shilling
(5p) or sixpence (2½ p) to the Angel, Islington. For that period
these fares were relatively expensive (five pence is the equivalent of
perhaps £4.00 today) and certainly put bus travel beyond the means
of most Londoners (making a mockery of the full name, omnibus, which is
Latin meaning "for all people").
This novel mode of transport was introduced to London by George Shillibeer,
who had observed horse-bus services running in Paris and saw an opportunity
for a similar operation here in London. He exploited the fact that his
line of route, the New Road (now the Marylebone and Euston Roads), was
outside the limits where the horse cabs had a monopoly. That monopoly quickly
crumbled under Of The Horse Bus
By the time of the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851, the traditional
British double-deck design had appeared, with passengers sitting back-to-back
on the roof which was reached by a staircase at the back. Another 20 years
later, forward facing seats were introduced on the upper deck, but passengers
continued to be exposed to the elements until well into the motor bus age.
Competition between bus operators was initially fierce, but from 1855 a French company, the Compagnie Générale des Omnibus de Londres, began to buy up many of these operators. By 1858, when it was registered in this country as the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC, or The General for short), it already ran most of the 800 buses in London.
By the end of the 19th century, there were some 3 500 horse buses in London, and commuting - not only by bus but also by train and horse tram - had become a normal feature of working life. But the rôle of the horse on London's roads was being challenged. Experiments had been carried out to find a self-propelled road vehicle, and battery, steam and internal combustion engines were all tried.
The Emergence Of The Motor Bus
By 1905 it was clear that the petrol engine was the way forward
with an engine fitted where the horse had been, ahead of the driver. This
development quickly led to the famous mass-produced B-type double-deck
motor bus which first appeared on London's streets in 1910. They were very
reliable, and proved their worth during the 1914-1918 war when many were
sent to France as troop carriers. To mark the bravery of many of the drivers
who took their buses into the battle zone, the LGOC was invited to take
part in the Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph. London Transport (LT) is
still accorded this honour today, the only civilian organisation allowed
to take part in this annual ceremony each November.
During the inter-war years, the two most significant developments in bus design were the introduction in 1925 of pneumatic (in place of solid rubber) tyres, and of a roof over the upper deck once police fears that such an addition in weight would make the bus unstable were finally overcome. In 1929, an enclosed cab for the driver and enclosed staircase for passengers added new standards of comfort. Meanwhile the bus route network developed into the comprehensive system which today's bus passengers would recognise, particularly after a single organisation to take charge of urban public transport was created in 1933. The London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) incorporated the General and all the other competing bus companies as well as the trams, trolleybuses (electric buses powered from overhead wires), express coaches and the Underground.
The RT And Routemaster (RM)
The LPTB embarked on designing its own buses in its own workshops
at Chiswick, a programme which was initiated with the first buses of the
RT type in 1939. However, the outbreak of war interrupted the programme,
and Chiswick Works was converted to aircraft production. Large-scale introduction
of the diesel-engined RT type buses was not resumed until the withdrawal
of London's trams ten years later, by which time the design of this classic
London bus had been revised (taking account of flow-line principles learned
during wartime aircraft manufacture) to incorporate standard interchangeable
parts allowing simplified maintenance and overhaul.
7 000 RTs joined the LT fleet, but by the mid-1950s the next generation of purpose-built London bus was already being designed. London Transport's finest bus, the Routemaster (RM type), was wider and carried more passengers than the RT (64 seats compared with 56) yet was lighter being designed without a chassis. Some 500 of these magnificent buses, of which over 2 800 originally entered service mainly to replace London's trolleybuses in the early 1960s, have been refurbished and continue to run on busy central London routes.
Driver-only Buses
All the buses up to the Routemaster needed a crew of two staff,
the driver in the cab at the front and a conductor to collect fares and
look after the safety of passengers as they boarded and alighted (just
as was the case in 1829). With the growth of private car traffic, however,
London's buses no longer covered their costs of operation. This in turn
made it inevitable that London Transport adapted to what was already commonplace
elsewhere, one-person operation of its buses. The vehicles had to be radically
redesigned, with the engines at the back so that passengers could board
at the front and pay their fare, or show their Travelcard or Bus Pass,
to the driver.
Today all but a very small percentage of London bus routes are operated in this way. The other major transformation in the last 25 years has been LT's decision to buy buses from the manufacturers rather than design itself a bus suited specifically to the congested conditions of London's streets. The buses running in the Capital today include double- and single-deck vehicles, and shorter midibuses which are more suitable in environmentally sensitive residential areas. Increased awareness of the needs of passengers with disabilities has also had its impact on bus design with both "kneeling" buses, where the front suspension can be lowered at stops to allow easier access, and others with a wheelchair lift.
Since the beginning of 1995, London Transport has ceased to own any buses itself, and all buses operating London Transport's bus services are now provided by private companies. Working with these operators LT looks forward to a resurgence in bus travel in London. In the next few years buses will be given greater priority over other road vehicles which will attract even more passengers. For this expanding market, buses in future will be equipped with the latest technology to speed ticket checking and aid bus location and provide passengers at principal stops with waiting time information, and possibly also with sophisticated micro chip smartcard and ticket-checking equipment. These developments will ensure that the bus will continue to play a leading role in London's public transport network.
Revised Summer 1997
Original by London Transport (http://www.londontransport.co.uk/ltbuses/b_fact00.htm
)
Revised by Christian Masuch March 19th,2000