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Boris Bus Reaches End of Road


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Old 31-12-2016, 21:45
Dotheboyshall
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...sadiq-khan-end

It was always too expensive for even a hybrid bus, just another of Boris's self glorification projects
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Old 31-12-2016, 21:49
John146
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...sadiq-khan-end

It was always too expensive for even a hybrid bus, just another of Boris's self glorification projects
Well unless Wrightbus can find customers for those buses that London Transport would have bought, then there will be redundancies at Wrightbus
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Old 31-12-2016, 22:02
LostFool
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Well unless Wrightbus can find customers for those buses that London Transport would have bought, then there will be redundancies at Wrightbus
Promising a fare freeze was always going to be a stupid thing for Khan to do even if it was electorally popular. The public transport system in London needs extra investment and that money has to come from somewhere.
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Old 01-01-2017, 01:33
lemoncurd
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How can one single bus cost a third of a million quid??? I guess the NRE of a London-specific design. Ridiculous.
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Old 01-01-2017, 01:36
Under Soul
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I got used to them - liked that you could get into the bus at front,middle or back rather than loads of people queuing to get to the front.
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Old 01-01-2017, 02:03
Dacco
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Lucky London, what a brilliant mayor you have........
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Old 01-01-2017, 02:18
Dingbat
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Lucky London, what a brilliant mayor you have........
Could be worse. He could have spent the money on water cannon.

Or a cable car across the Thames.

Or a zip wire to nowhere.

Or a garden bridge across the Thames.

Or plans for an airport on an island in the Thames.
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Old 01-01-2017, 02:48
Fizzbin
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How can one single bus cost a third of a million quid??? I guess the NRE of a London-specific design. Ridiculous.
Indeed, I had to use one the other week (for the first time - they don't operate in my area) and it looked lovely, was fairly spacious, but - the seats were really hard and uncomfortable. Give me a cheap but properly upholstered older type any day.
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Old 01-01-2017, 10:25
glasshalffull
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I passed the first of these buses broken down on the motorway while it was on the way to the first formal testing...bit of a clue there I would say to the likely outcome...
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:06
jmclaugh
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It seems dumping your predecessor's bus is the done think for a new London Mayor.
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:32
dosanjh1
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It seems dumping your predecessor's bus is the done think for a new London Mayor.
Or every London mayor likes spanking money on novelty busses. Hopefully Kahn can break this cycle. Perhaps by being the last London mayor.
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:34
Englishspinner
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Heatherwick also designed the cauldron for the opening of the 2012 London Olympics as well as the so-called Garden Bridge, yet to be built across the river Thames.
Ideal person to design a bus.
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:46
burneside
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Promising a fare freeze was always going to be a stupid thing for Khan to do even if it was electorally popular. The public transport system in London needs extra investment and that money has to come from somewhere.
The fares freeze is a con, it only applies to PAYG fares. Travelcards, which is what most commuters use, are increasing in price as they always do. Just another of Khan's broken promises.
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:47
Ads
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These buses were always a pointless vanity project, a bit like the cable car in the docklands.

The only benefit of the Boris buses is they have aircon - but surely there is nothing stopping us ordering normal buses with aircon going forwards.
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Old 01-01-2017, 17:03
TelevisionUser
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Well unless Wrightbus can find customers for those buses that London Transport would have bought, then there will be redundancies at Wrightbus
Not necessarily. If you read the comments appended to that Guardian article, you will read the frustration and annoyance that many commuters have with these Boris buses. Yes, they are nice to look at but there are issues in terms of overheating and difficulty in getting to the seats, etc.

All that will happen is that Wrightbus' more conventional double decker buses will be bought instead at a lower cost.
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Old 01-01-2017, 17:13
andykn
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The fares freeze is a con, it only applies to PAYG fares. Travelcards, which is what most commuters use, are increasing in price as they always do. Just another of Khan's broken promises.
Did Khan promise to freeze fares on rail services too (which travelcards cover)? Of course not, that's outside his control.

Edit: So 7 day Bus & Tram passes are frozen too.
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:44
burneside
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Did Khan promise to freeze fares on rail services too (which travelcards cover)? Of course not, that's outside his control.

Edit: So 7 day Bus & Tram passes are frozen too.
I don't remember Khan being quite so specific about the extent of the fares freeze in the run-up to the election, all he ever said was "fares freeze". It was a massive con on his part, the man is totally untrustworthy.
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:45
Caxton
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Caused by the threat of Brexit, no doubt
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:51
CLL Dodge
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They were better than this bus:

http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibti...risjohnson.jpg
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:54
andykn
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I don't remember Khan being quite so specific about the extent of the fares freeze in the run-up to the election, all he ever said was "fares freeze". It was a massive con on his part, the man is totally untrustworthy.
Were you expecting Heathrow air fares to be frozen too? Pedicabs?

He can only freeze fares he sets, he promised to "Freeze all TfL fares"
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Old 01-01-2017, 22:18
Nilrem
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How can one single bus cost a third of a million quid??? I guess the NRE of a London-specific design. Ridiculous.
A fairly typical modern coach can cost 250k+ for a standard model that is produced in much larger numbers than something like a double decker bus, and I think the tractor unit on a lot of trucks can cost around that.

They're not exactly your mass produced car, but something that is made in relatively small numbers (hundreds rather than tens of thousands), have to undergo a lot of testing, and are quite expensive in raw materials alone.
The fact they're not "mass produced" also tends to mean they require a lot more manpower as they tend to be built using fewer robots and automated systems.
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Old 01-01-2017, 22:28
Multimedia81
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I understand that, while production is to cease once the current order has been built, they will continue for some time. They are not being withdrawn prematurely; like when Boris withdrew Ken's bendibuses.

For those of you who are curious, they already operate routes 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 24, 38, 55, 59, 68, 73, 88, 91, 137, 148, 149, 159, 168, 189, 211, 253, 390 & 453. They are entering service on route 21 and are then due to convert routes 48, 76, 254, 387 (which will be renumbered EL3), EL1 & EL2 by next June.
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Old 02-01-2017, 16:22
rjb101
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These buses were always a pointless vanity project, a bit like the cable car in the docklands.

The only benefit of the Boris buses is they have aircon - but surely there is nothing stopping us ordering normal buses with aircon going forwards.
The air con doesn't work properly, the battery packs give up the ghost, the seats are hard and nearly half the downstairs ones face backwards, if you're over 5'10 you hit your head on a light if using the back stairs and they're 50k more than a bus that works.

They look nice though
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Old 02-01-2017, 19:04
RecordPlayer
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I like them.

They look better than the huge square ones.
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