Outside TFL land, are there any operators that still use manual blinds?
Just to add, as far as I'm aware, while the Lothian buses to which you refer do still use blinds, these are selected and changed by a computer and a motor, rather than by hand, so I'm not sure they can still be described as manual blinds.Lothian do on their older buses.
I'm not sure they can still be described as manual blinds
I've worded it wrong sorry, what I mean is roller blindsWhen you put it like that! TfL use motorised blinds too, I think.
Yes, Lothian use Hanover controllers (?) and TfL use Mobitec ones.Just to add, as far as I'm aware, while the Lothian buses to which you refer do still use blinds, these are selected and changed by a computer and a motor, rather than by hand, so I'm not sure they can still be described as manual blinds.
Yes, Lothian use Hanover controllers (?) and TfL use Mobitec ones.
Yes, Lothian use Hanover controllers (?) and TfL use Mobitec ones.
The New Routemaster’s blind system was supplied by McKenna Brothers, who are also the UK supplier of the ‘Mobitec‘ brand of LED destination displays, which are fitted to a large percentage of buses these days.Boris Johnson (remember him? ) as Mayor of London made great play of the so-called New Routemasters being sourced in almost every regard from U.K. firms, including the last remaining traditional bus blindmakers, who had supplied London's needs since Victoria was Queen, or near enough. Presumably they won't survive the current crisis, which I'd find sad.
Nearly as good as this https://www.flickr.com/photos/77751...wqr-KMdoXX-B5s857-DUur57-fjPeLP-pcHrpw-SG2SJDSome companies haven't quite got up to the technology of roller blinds.
South Pennine Community Transport on Route X22 - a photo on Flickriver
Flickriver - view images as a 'river of photos' and more...www.flickriver.com
Similarly, Walsall Community Transport use a plastic sign that is stuck onto the windscreen. Many of their vehicles are specialist disabled minibuses, so don’t have any destination equipment fitted.And yet, still more informative than this https://www.flickr.com/photos/38817273@N08/14468419560/in/dateposted-public/
It is a little bit off-topic, but it was a practice undertaken by other companies too. I recall Northern using paper stickers to show origin and destination, but this was usually after a bus had been transferred from a different depot (or another company within the group), and hadn't received local blinds. Sometimes a painted destination board was placed inside the windscreen.Moving a bit of Topic who remembers Eatern Scottish when despite having fully functioning blinds used to have a habit of using stick on destinations on the front screens, not a major problem on single deckers or Fleetlines but could be see on a Loddekka , especially when both destination and return destinations were often shown.
Their single deckers (Solos, Metrocity and Versas) all seem to have digital displays. The Plaxton President double deckers did have rollers, but I think that they are being replaced by E400s, ex Quality Line - I don't know if their blinds will be replaced.Go-Coach based in Sevenoaks.
And yet, still more informative than this https://www.flickr.com/photos/38817273@N08/14468419560/in/dateposted-public/
Sullivan Buses continue to use roller blinds on their non-TfL services. But seeing as they mostly operate TfL stuff, it probably makes it easier for them to continue.