New RM conductors to go

[the101]

Who saw this coming?!

http://www.route-one.net/articles/Bus%20routes/TfL_to_bid_farewell_to_conductors

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that the six routes currently using New Routemasters and staffed with conductors will become one-person operated from September.

TfL says that having conductors aboard the buses makes only a modest difference to customer satisfaction, increasing scores from an “already high” 86.7 to 88.4. Removing the conductors will save around £10m per year, which will be reinvested into the transport network.

19 other New Routemaster routes have operated without conductors since receiving the buses and those on the six to be converted will run with all doors closed between stops.

Work is now taking place with bus operators to provide support and job opportunities elsewhere in London’s transport industry, says TfL Surface Transport MD Leon Daniels.

“The conductors on these routes have done a great job, but the New Routemaster services that don’t have conductors also operate very effectively and we can no longer justify the £10m of extra costs that could otherwise be invested in modernising the transport network.

“We are now working with the bus operators to find conductors other opportunities within the transport industry so that they can continue to play a part in keeping London moving,” says Mr Daniels.

Routes affected are the 9, 10, 11, 24, 38 and 390. The heritage AEC Routemasters on route 15 will continue to operate with conductors.

 

[Be3G]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

(Well, I don't care that much about whether we have conductors or not – but I do care about the fact that yet another selling point for the bus, which my money was spent on, has been rendered moot.)

 

[ivanhoe]

Having travelled on the 59 on Saturday, I really can't see the need for a conductor on the new RM.Its cashless . What does a conductor do?

 

[PeterC]

It was always obvious that they wouldn't last, all the job involved was decorating the rear platform.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Quick, do your dangerous/fun jumping on and off while you can
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Having travelled on the 59 on Saturday, I really can't see the need for a conductor on the new RM.Its cashless . What does a conductor do?

Nothing other than be a human door, basically.

 

[Antman]

Having travelled on the 59 on Saturday, I really can't see the need for a conductor on the new RM.Its cashless . What does a conductor do?

There are no conductors on the 59.

On routes where there are conductors they generally assist passengers and give the starting signal, many elderly and disabled people in particular have found them very useful but clearly they are a luxury that can no longer be justified and it makes the whole NBFL project rather pointless.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

There are no conductors on the 59.

On routes where there are conductors they generally assist passengers and give the starting signal, many elderly and disabled people in particular have found them very useful but clearly they are a luxury that can no longer be justified and it makes the whole NBFL project rather pointless.

An interesting line in the article

“The conductors on these routes have done a great job, but the New Routemaster services that don’t have conductors also operate very effectively and we can no longer justify the £10m of extra costs that could otherwise be invested in modernising the transport network.

“We are now working with the bus operators to find conductors other opportunities within the transport industry so that they can continue to play a part in keeping London moving,” says Mr Daniels.

Union Unite says that the conductors “should not be made scapegoats for the vanity product of former Mayor Boris Johnson.”

Surely they wouldn't have had a job but for the vanity project in the first place???
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Who saw this coming?!

http://www.route-one.net/articles/Bus%20routes/TfL_to_bid_farewell_to_conductors

And in other news, we look at the toilet habits of the Ursa family in areas of forestry.....

 

[Antman]

An interesting line in the article

“The conductors on these routes have done a great job, but the New Routemaster services that don’t have conductors also operate very effectively and we can no longer justify the £10m of extra costs that could otherwise be invested in modernising the transport network.

“We are now working with the bus operators to find conductors other opportunities within the transport industry so that they can continue to play a part in keeping London moving,” says Mr Daniels.

Union Unite says that the conductors “should not be made scapegoats for the vanity product of former Mayor Boris Johnson.”

Surely they wouldn't have had a job but for the vanity project in the first place???

Vanity project? What you mean doing what he said in his manifesto?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Vanity project? What you mean doing what he said in his manifesto?

That's what the union said.

That said, just because BoJo put it in his manifesto doesn't mean it wasn't a vanity project. The two things aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[jon0844]

I guess in a way, some people had a job that probably never should have existed, and got some money.

I'm sure conductors all knew they were on borrowed time.

Sent from my PLK-L01 using Tapatalk

 

[ivanhoe]

There are no conductors on the 59.

On routes where there are conductors they generally assist passengers and give the starting signal, many elderly and disabled people in particular have found them very useful but clearly they are a luxury that can no longer be justified and it makes the whole NBFL project rather pointless.

Yes I was aware of that. Just making the point of why they are they needed? As for the bus itself, I can't really see any city or town where these buses would be of any use. Whilst with three doors, they help speed up the boarding and alighting,the main issue is that London buses are cashless. I have to say however, that Londoners have a great bus network which is relatively cheaper than what the rest of the country have to stomp up. They tend to be my choice when visiting London. I have yet to use them in peak though!

 

[traji00]

Route 38 CA here. As much as I enjoy the job, the writing has been on the wall for a few weeks. and whilst the regular passengers will lose the 'get-on-and-off-while-stuck-in-traffic' privilege, times have surely moved on.

 

[Antman]

Route 38 CA here. As much as I enjoy the job, the writing has been on the wall for a few weeks. and whilst the regular passengers will lose the 'get-on-and-off-while-stuck-in-traffic' privilege, times have surely moved on.

Passengers will have to go back to using the emergency controls when stuck in traffic, all rather similar to the guards on trains argument really!

 

[northwichcat]

It was always obvious that they wouldn't last, all the job involved was decorating the rear platform.

They had conductors because Boris wanted them not because they needed them. The same way all bendy buses were banned because Boris said so not because they were no suitable routes for them.

 

[Antman]

They had conductors because Boris wanted them not because they needed them. The same way all bendy buses were banned because Boris said so not because they were no suitable routes for them.

You clearly are obsessed about Boris.

Of course public opinion didn't come into it at all:roll:, I don't remember too many 'save our bendybus' demos, do you?

 

[Clip]

You clearly are obsessed about Boris.

Of course public opinion didn't come into it at all:roll:, I don't remember too many 'save our bendybus' demos, do you?

The bendys were awful things thats for sure. Glad they went.

 

[northwichcat]

You clearly are obsessed about Boris.

I don't remember too many 'save our bendybus' demos, do you?

It was a political move. Ken Livingston rejected the idea of a new Routemaster bus because the bendy bus option was cheaper and allowed a higher total number of passengers. The Conservatives had wanted to replace old Routemasters with new Routemasters - Boris got in and decided to get new Routemasters despite the replacement buses for the original Routemasters already existing.

Why would the Londoners object to buses which are a few years old being cascaded to Brighton, Liverpool and Malta and being replaced by brand new buses? Londoners are used to getting brand new and seeing perfectly usable vehicles being cascaded elsewhere, aren't they Did they object to their old Volvo Olympians being cascaded to Yorkshire while getting brand new buses to replace them? If not why would they object to bendy buses seeing a similar fate?

 

[Antman]

It was a political move. Ken Livingston rejected the idea of a new Routemaster bus because the bendy bus option was cheaper and allowed a higher total number of passengers. The Conservatives had wanted to replace old Routemasters with new Routemasters - Boris got in and decided to get new Routemasters despite the replacement buses for the original Routemasters already existing.

Why would the Londoners object to buses which are a few years old being cascaded to Brighton, Liverpool and Malta and being replaced by brand new buses? Londoners are used to getting brand new and seeing perfectly usable vehicles being cascaded elsewhere, aren't they Did they object to their old Volvo Olympians being cascaded to Yorkshire while getting brand new buses to replace them? If not why would they object to bendy buses seeing a similar fate?

This is all old hat that has been done ad nauseam.

The thread is supposed to be about todays decision to remove conductors.

Might as well remove the centre doors and having passengers boarding through the front door and alighting by the rear with a one way system upstairs.

 

[northwichcat]

This is all old hat that has been done ad nauseam.

Well why did you object to me saying the decision to introduce Routemaster buses with conductors was down to Boris then and asked why they didn't complain about their modern buses being replaced by brand new ones? :roll:

 

[robertclark125]

I've an idea. Perhaps reopen ticket offices at tube stations, and the affected staff can be redeployed there.

 

[Antman]

I've an idea. Perhaps reopen ticket offices at tube stations, and the affected staff can be redeployed there.

Reopen a few coal mines as well eh?:roll:

 

[jon0844]

Passengers will have to go back to using the emergency controls when stuck in traffic, all rather similar to the guards on trains argument really!

Difference being that bus drivers have been known to tell people to do that to get off when in traffic, but adding they have to pretend not to notice!

I doubt train drivers would say the same! Imagine if they did...!

 

[Antman]

Difference being that bus drivers have been known to tell people to do that to get off when in traffic, but adding they have to pretend not to notice!

I doubt train drivers would say the same! Imagine if they did...!

The poor old bus driver is caught between a rock and a hard place, open the doors away from a stop and there could be trouble but if passengers do it themselves...............

 

[Deerfold]

You clearly are obsessed about Boris.

Of course public opinion didn't come into it at all:roll:, I don't remember too many 'save our bendybus' demos, do you?

I remember complaints about overcrowding on routes that used to have them.

Even the Evening Standard had an article about the "chaos" that occurred on the first day they were replaced on the 507 and 521 routes with complaints from various passengers quoted.

Like many things, public opinion was split on them and they worked better on some routes than others.

 

[Mikey C]

Typical Tory cuts, axing the jobs of ordinary workers, er hold on

If it had been Ken who introduced the NBfL, and Boris who abolished the customer assistants, I imagine the union response would have been stronger

The customer assistants may not have done anything BUT they allowed open boarding through the back platform, which I for one much appreciated when stuck in traffic

 

[Bletchleyite]

Might as well remove the centre doors and having passengers boarding through the front door and alighting by the rear with a one way system upstairs.

That would work well, but would require heavy modifications to allow wheelchairs to board at the front. It might be an option for the centre door to be wheelchair only, though, i.e. not opened unless the wheelchair button is pressed or the driver sees a wheelchair.

 

[Antman]

Typical Tory cuts, axing the jobs of ordinary workers, er hold on

If it had been Ken who introduced the NBfL, and Boris who abolished the customer assistants, I imagine the union response would have been stronger

The customer assistants may not have done anything BUT they allowed open boarding through the back platform, which I for one much appreciated when stuck in traffic

Indeed they did and many elderly and disabled people were very glad of their help.

 

[Mojo]

I think it's a real shame the "conductors" are going; I have benefitted from the open platform boarding on a number of occasions and I also think they are excellent buses to travel on from a customer point of view because of this function.

However if the financials don't add up and also I can understand that it's a bit confusing for the masses that some routes have open boarding, others don't, and also that it depends on the time of the day whether they have it or not; I once saw a 390 on Tottenham Court Road that had the rear door closed, and the one behind it had the rear door open!

 

[Busaholic]

I think it's a real shame the "conductors" are going; I have benefitted from the open platform boarding on a number of occasions and I also think they are excellent buses to travel on from a customer point of view because of this function.

However if the financials don't add up and also I can understand that it's a bit confusing for the masses that some routes have open boarding, others don't, and also that it depends on the time of the day whether they have it or not; I once saw a 390 on Tottenham Court Road that had the rear door closed, and the one behind it had the rear door open!

The 390 customer assistant rotas seem to vary from those working for other companies in that there is later working, but not for all buses, so that it is pot luck in early/mid evening whether a bus will have one or not! It used to be the same when Routemasters were still working many Central London routes, but on some of them they were replaced by opo buses in the evening. The 15, still running to East Ham at the time, used to see opo buses from about 18.00, but you might still get a RM working an eastbound journey from Central London at 19.00 or later. The 94, in contrast, never seemed to be worked by opo before 20.00 and you might get an RM at 21.00. Bow garage on the 8 were a law to themselves and would often work 2 or 3 Routemasters on a Sunday when they were all supposed to be abed, as well as putting one out for the last bus on at least one occasion, because I travelled on it!

 

[Antman]

I think it's a real shame the "conductors" are going; I have benefitted from the open platform boarding on a number of occasions and I also think they are excellent buses to travel on from a customer point of view because of this function.

However if the financials don't add up and also I can understand that it's a bit confusing for the masses that some routes have open boarding, others don't, and also that it depends on the time of the day whether they have it or not; I once saw a 390 on Tottenham Court Road that had the rear door closed, and the one behind it had the rear door open!

Presumably there was no conductor available for that 390 and so it ran in OPO mode?

I agree that it's a great shame, the open platform 'hop on/off' feature was really useful in Central London.