Fewer 176s in daytime

[Jakido]

Following re tendering the 176 is reducing to 6 buses per hour in daytime after rush hour ( not clear if this including early evening)

[Penguin68]

It would be nice if this meant that they actually reached their boarded destination, rather than (almost always recently) stopping at the River in the early evening. But I am sure that won't change, it'll just mean waiting even longer for a bus that doesn't even 'get there'.

[doogsey]

I noticed a new spec 185 yesterday.

Hopefully as part of re-tendering they at least have to bring in new buses? The 176 is woeful, I can't believe they upgraded the relatively new 40 last year and yet the 176 buses are still far older than the old 40s were. The 176 buses must be at least 20 years old?

[Nigello]

With the hopper fare you can board, say, a 68 at Waterloo and then change before the two lines separate at King's. It's not ideal but it does mean you have more choice and may get to your destination faster.

[Sue]

Best to change at Camberwell Green (after the lights) as the bus stops are closer together?

I don't think they are that close at Kings?

[Jennys]

Maybe best to change in Walworth Road as the 176 often stops just before Camberwell Green (by the Edwards bicycle shop) to change drivers. You do miss the chance of getting a 484 or 185 though.

[ianr]

The bit between Edwards and McDonalds is just the right length for an all-out sprint as part of your high intensity interval training.

[NewWave]

Its a pretty poor service considering its the only bus that gets me from my home near the Horniman to anywhere near where I work on Bond st.

[Bic Basher]

Every 10 minutes through the day, 12 off-peak and Sundays.

A retrograde move when the 176 is always busy.

[Applespider]

Yes, it's often standing room only even outside peak times and they're reducing the frequency? Looking at TFL, it suggests it's every 6-9 minutes during the day and 9-13 minutes in the evening at the moment.

[NewWave]

Its SO annoying makes me think a public consultation is needed.

If they'd done this because they were introducing another forest hill east dulwich-oxford st or oxford circus route fine.

But they're not.

The overground is hideously overcrowded and the buses round here are pants.

it makes getting to and from work a nightmare.

[Nigello]

I wrote to the GLA, via our MP, who sent me a reply suggesting that bus route changes/additions/tweaks were not needed because - I paraphrase - you could still squeeze your way on, Tokyo metro-style, to the 176 as it wheezed its way up LL like a stricken DC-10, it was all OK.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Transport in this area is getting unbearably bad. The trains are generally unreliable and the buses unpredictable. It's pretty clear that TFLs policy on tube expansion (see Northern and now Bakerloo) is to only investing public money where it can be used to subsidise developers, so unlikely to see any significant future investment in established areas. Best bet, seems to be a transfer of rail services to TFL, but with a Labour mayor and a Tory government, that looks a long way off too. So it's bike if you can.

[kford]

The 176s are 53-04 plate vehicles, 13 years old, probably with 500k miles on them by now. God knows how much NOx they're spewing out of their older gen diesels. They're incredibly noisy too.

[Ampersand]

You can hear them from miles away. Like a less glamorous Concorde.

[Earl Aelfheah]

They are a bit knackered - but surely an argument for introducing new ones, not reducing the service.

[doogsey]

kford Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The 176s are 53-04 plate vehicles, 13 years old,

> probably with 500k miles on them by now. God knows

> how much NOx they're spewing out of their older

> gen diesels. They're incredibly noisy too.

I'm genuinely surprised they're only 13 years old! They look about twice that old. They've definitely had a hard life.

[Bic Basher]

rahrahrah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> They are a bit knackered - but surely an argument

> for introducing new ones, not reducing the

> service.

We are getting new buses on the 176 once the cuts are implemented, but less of them compared to now.

[Townleygreen]

their heating systems are non existent too.

But that shouldn't lead to regressive cuts in the service!

[HopOne]

Bic Basher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> rahrahrah Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > They are a bit knackered - but surely an

> argument

> > for introducing new ones, not reducing the

> > service.

>

> We are getting new buses on the 176 once the cuts

> are implemented, but less of them compared to now.

More at peak time but less during the day it seems:

https://se23.life/t/176-bus-service-cut-from-november/3682/8?u=brett

[esme]

I love the 176, have found it useful for many years - from a singleton as a night route from "town" all the way home when slightly worse for wear, to present day when it is quite a nice journey to Waterloo or further if you want to avoid the train or go at a leisurely pace and read or whatever...

I do agree it could do with updating, tho if it were "updating" to a 12 type I would worry if the air con is actually going to work (I see they have started adding some small windows to stop people collapsing from heat exhaustion if it goes over 15 degrees!). I do like the routemasters tho I have to say they look smart and 3 doors very handy! :)

[NewWave]

I have to say...back to the thread title I've really noticed the lack of 176's in the day and evening in the past couple of weeks.

a 20min wait seems to be normal-not ideal after a long day at work

[geobz]

Who needs buses to get somewhere? Just use Trains... they are reliable and awesome.

[Phlox]

Noisiest buses in recent memory.

[Nigello]

Was on a 40, got on at Camberwell (so it had very likely come all the way from Aldgate) and there were six people, including me and the driver, on board, at around 1030.

More/larger/reduced-stop buses at peak times and fewer (10-15% fewer) during the day, or not, as an idea to make the service better for most people?