Bus route 12

[tomy]

Just seen the new double deckers in use... man I will not miss the bendy buses!

[James Barber]

Last weekend i was talking to no.12 bus drivers. They were lamenting them turning back from bendy buses to double dekcers as bendy bus drivers are paid more. But one reason they felt sad was where would the homeless go. Apparently a aprinkling of homeless people ride each bus backwards and forwards all day.

The snits of Etherow and Friern will be delighted.

[the-e-dealer]

Suely the Homeless can still ride on Double Deckers?

[uncleglen]

About time. I was on the 12 once when a uniformed inspector got on, went up to a young hooded gentleman who stood up to get off. The inspector asked for his ticket/Oyster etc and the young gentleman tried to get past him. The inspector asked again, the lad head-butted him in the face and ran off the bus. He was spotted by the other (plain clothes) inspector getting on a bus behind. The inspector said we'll get him at Downing Street (there's a policeman there). They must have radio-ed the bus he was on to prevent him getting off and at Downing Street the Transport Police turned up and caught the thieving little scrote!>:D

[James Barber]

Hi the-e-dealer,

Homeless don't have to pay to board the bendy buses and I suspect ticket inspectors let them of any fine as pointless to try imposing it. Whereas double deckers homeless probably don't get past the bus drivers.

[tfwsoll]

I don't have a particular problem with the bendy buses. I travel home by bus in the rush hour and double deckers are just as dirty, crowded and full of dodgy people as the bendy buses. As for the changeover there so seem to be a lot more 453's on the road since they switched over to double deckers but I'm wondering how long that will last.

[the-e-dealer]

The new so called Boris Vanity Buses have 3 doors so the homeless will be fine.

[Bic Basher]

tfwsoll Wrote:

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> I don't have a particular problem with the bendy

> buses. I travel home by bus in the rush hour and

> double deckers are just as dirty, crowded and full

> of dodgy people as the bendy buses. As for the

> changeover there so seem to be a lot more 453's on

> the road since they switched over to double

> deckers but I'm wondering how long that will last.

There are less buses on the 453 outside peak hours now.

http://853blog.com/2011/10/06/all-bent-up-bendy-bus-cuts-put-pressure-on-the-53/

[TheArtfulDogger]

thank the stars

does this mean that I may now get a seat on a 12 in the morning, and that the horrible Mums with babies that try and squeeze on throught both double doors when the bus is packed* will have to fold their prams up and not push everyone out of the way.

Horray - this will save TFL and the bus companies a fortune now as the non fair payers will either have to walk or pay their way (?5 gets you ?10 that over the next week anyone who uses the 12 will see people atempt to get on through the back doors and not pay !!)

(* the mums and buggies who insist that they should take the wheelchair spaces despite the fact their is not enough room to swing a ticket inspector ! - however NOT all mums are that bad, just a handful)

[tfwsoll]

Unless you are getting on at Barry Road or Oxford Circus, the answer is 'no'. The double deckers are smaller and there will still be the same number of people with buggies/prams/shopping trolleys/luggage etc cramming into an even smaller space

[Ameliesmum]

ibilly99 Wrote:

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> Damn no more free buses.

There's still 436 ;)

[Nero]

Perhaps the 'lack of space' (not really--double decker buses can hold up to 90+ people) might make people overcome their fear of heights/backward facing seats and go upstairs/to the back instead of congregating around the doors. If you CBA to move out of the way, don't roll your eyes or tut or worse when someone asks you to make room.

[Bic Basher]

tfwsoll Wrote:

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

> Unless you are getting on at Barry Road or Oxford

> Circus, the answer is 'no'. The double deckers

> are smaller and there will still be the same

> number of people with buggies/prams/shopping

> trolleys/luggage etc cramming into an even smaller

> space

Really? Route 12 might actually bring in revenue for TfL instead of being the 'free bus' it's become known as since the Routemasters were axed.

[tfwsoll]

It might bring in more revenue but there's still the capital outlay for the new buses and wages for twice as many bus drivers. It's not the fault of the buses that they were see as a free ride in London - they seem to operate OK in Germany. In Switzerland the trams and buses have more than one door and fare dodging doesn't appear to be such a huge problem.

In any case, most of the people that bunk their fares on the 12 will still need to get from A to B so I am not sure that the change to double deckers will mean less congestion. I am sure the regular 12 commuters will find out tomorrow.

[JohnL]

12s are empty going past peckham rye now. Didn't used to be.

Wrote:

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

> It might bring in more revenue but there's still

> the capital outlay for the new buses and wages for

> twice as many bus drivers. It's not the fault of

> the buses that they were see as a free ride in

> London - they seem to operate OK in Germany. In

> Switzerland the trams and buses have more than one

> door and fare dodging doesn't appear to be such a

> huge problem.

>

> In any case, most of the people that bunk their

> fares on the 12 will still need to get from A to B

> so I am not sure that the change to double deckers

> will mean less congestion. I am sure the regular

> 12 commuters will find out tomorrow.

[spanglysteve]

I got the 12 back last night at 3am. Normally at that time of morning I try to get on at Whitehall and its packed. Last night I was out near Waterloo so got on just south of Westminster bridge and I was able to get a seat downstairs easy which I guess is down to the increased frequency.

I did notice though that people are still treating it as a free bus. Many were getting on through the back doors then heading straight upstairs.

[ibilly99]

It's all good I walk more to Peckham now and that's as free as it comes.

[Bic Basher]

At most I saw 10 people on the 12 while in Peckham today, with at least 3 buses parked up in Friern Road/LL.

At the end of Rye Lane by Poundland, paying passengers were still getting on, yet still plenty of room upstairs, however as mentioned above, the real test will be tomorrow morning's rushhour.

[Bic Basher]

Ameliesmum Wrote:

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

> ibilly99 Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Damn no more free buses.

>

>

> There's still 436 ;)

Until November 19th!

[ibilly99]

Paid for the privilege today at around 2.00pm - bus virtually empty and chilled in a way the old bendies never were - heard some yoof on a 78 prior to that bemoaning the change. There must have been a hell of a lot of free riders if the first results are anything to by. Bit of a white ghetto now though !

[spanglysteve]

yep, I got a 12 back from Peckham Rye Station tonight and I was pretty much the only person on it. Have also noticed that the 63 and 363 seem to be quieter now as well, perhaps the increased frequency is generally redistributing all traffic

[Medley]

Oooh I feel smug at the demise of the free riders on these. Some will try it on for a bit no doubt - someone posted about people using the exit doors as entry - but gut instinct says that won't last. Har har.

[the-e-dealer]

If you were the only one on it - i wonder how long the high frequency will run? Boris has already reduced it on many routes

[Medley]

Yes I wonder that about frequency.

Presumably the buses would be reassigned to other London routes? Too much bother to repaint etc and send somewhere else?

[the-e-dealer]

Or turn around at Peckham like a lot of them do!