Trivia - Bus Stop Oddities

[markymark2000]

A counter-example, at some bus stations all buses must reverse because there is a building directly forward from the perspective of vehicles parked in the bus stands. I believe Gloucester is an example of this.

Also occasionally a bus will need to reverse if the driver slightly misjudged in a lay-by type stop, to allow them to turn safely back onto the road.

So yes. That's completely false.

Not sure on the laws but it's a Stagecoach rule apparently to not reverse without a banksperson except in DIRO bus station or where you have to as part of the route (normally tenders, I don't think Stagecoach do any reversing into side streets commercially)

I'm sure it's similar at the other big companies. It's a rule which is there to protect the company so if you reverse and hit something, they can say they told you not to and put more blame on the driver. It isn't actively enforced.

 

[James101]

I don't know if this is common elsewhere in the country, but in rural Cheshire there are lots of bus stop signs which are completely blank, with not even a timetable mounted on the pole. I am unware if this is a bad batch which faded quickly, a mistake, or a deliberate effort to save on printing costs founded on the assumption that local residents will know roughly where stops are and when buses serve them

I’ve seen these about and thinking of the ones in Scholar Green particularly they appeared within the past few years, replacing classic ‘Cheshire Bus’ flags.I’m sure they arrived plain. It was around the time the largest subsidy cuts were being proposed so perhaps they thought they might not need it for long?

 

[Contains Nuts]

At one time, approval had to be obtained from the Traffic Commissioner for each instance of One Man Operated buses reversing. Abolished about '75 I think, by which time it had become quite widespread.

There’s nothing illegal about a bus reversing on a public road, especially where common sense prevails when in a tight spot, but if a reversing manoeuvre is part of a bus route then it is a legal requirement to specify this within the registration.

 

[Pat1105]

There’s nothing illegal about a bus reversing on a public road, especially where common sense prevails when in a tight spot, but if a reversing manoeuvre is part of a bus route then it is a legal requirement to specify this within the registration.

Whilst it isn’t illegal for a bus to reverse on a public road, company policy may state otherwise. For example, as I understand, NXWM and Arriva drivers aren’t allowed to reverse without a banksman. On the 42 route (West Bromwich - Tipton/Dudley) buses often get stuck on Cupfields Avenue in Tipton where there the buses meet head on and one of them has to reverse (there are multiple videos of this on youtube by angry residents). Obviously, as you mentioned, drivers use common sense and reverse to let each other past. In bus stations, there is no need for a banksman as these are controlled areas, meaning there are no pedestrians etc behind the buses.

 

[Ian Hardy]

Arriva North East X18 between Newcastle upon Tyne & Berwick upon Tweed has to reverse to serve the bus stop called The Heugh in Craster.

 

[Geordie driver]

We live in the Scottish borders, many of the services we have used go to villages that are dead ends and the bus has to reverse as part of it's route. Locals are fine and know where not to park, but visitors can be a pain with their entitlement attitude.

 

[MotCO]

In London, there used to be some routes terminating in a pub car park. The R11 used to terminate in the Rose & Crown in Green St Green until the mid-2000's. Not sure if there are still any pubs where buses terminate.

(Image shows a Robin Hood Iveco in Roundabout livery alongside a Metrorider in Bexleybus livery (pending transfer) on route R11 in the Rose & Crown car park.)

 

[Pat1105]

Not sure if there are still any pubs where buses terminate.View attachment 77334

If it counts, buses terminate on the High Street outside the Harp Inn in Bridgnorth. Also, buses terminate outside Philharmonic in Cardiff

 

[PeterC]

In London, there used to be some routes terminating in a pub car park. The R11 used to terminate in the Rose & Crown in Green St Green until the mid-2000's. Not sure if there are still any pubs where buses terminate.View attachment 77334

(Image shows a Robin Hood Iveco in Roundabout livery alongside a Metrorider in Bexleybus livery (pending transfer) on route R11 in the Rose & Crown car park.)

The ones that I can think of have all gone.
150 used to use the Maypole at Chigwell Row. Much earlier the 175 used to use the Royal Oak at Stapleford Abbotts, without that terminus the 375 now has to trundle all the way to the Passingford Bridge roundabout. You could still work out where the buses turned at the pub for over a decade after the change. Up to the 1960s Chase Cross terminators on both 175 and 103 would do a U turn in the middle of the cross roads.

I don't know what the ownership was but in Upminster the 248A used what looked like a patch of waste ground next to the Huntsman and Hounds in Corbets Tey which has now been taken into the pub car park.

 

[Busaholic]

In London, there used to be some routes terminating in a pub car park. The R11 used to terminate in the Rose & Crown in Green St Green until the mid-2000's. Not sure if there are still any pubs where buses terminate.View attachment 77334

(Image shows a Robin Hood Iveco in Roundabout livery alongside a Metrorider in Bexleybus livery (pending transfer) on route R11 in the Rose & Crown car park.)

I think that was the last one in London, unless any are still allowed for unscheduled turns. Others that used to exist not too far away were Welling, Guy, Earl of Warwick on the 89 and 160, and Blackfen, Woodman. The Royal Forest Hotel at Chingford was the daddy of them all, though, being host to the 38 and a plethora of more local routes.

 

[Simon75]

There is a bus stop by Hanley bus station, before you go in. People still get off at the bus stop

 

[TheSel]

In Macclesfield on the High Peak 14, the terminus in Langley requires you to 3 point turn into Forest Drive.

Still in Cheshire but this time Cheshire East, there is a terminus in Parkgate which is between two roads. This is used by Arriva Birkenheads 487 service on an evening or Sunday (can't remember which)

Spoiler: Photo

View attachment 77289

Yep - been there for years. Here, in Merseybus days:





... and this is what happened to one Crosville driver at that stop. Failure to apply the handbrake, or faulty handbrake? You decide.

 

[TheSel]

If we're talking about unusual turning circles there's this one apparently in the middle of nowhere on the A621 on the edge of Sheffield. Road signs say "Bus terminus ahead" which makes it sound much grander than it actually is.

I think that was the last one in London, unless any are still allowed for unscheduled turns. Others that used to exist not too far away were Welling, Guy, Earl of Warwick on the 89 and 160, and Blackfen, Woodman. The Royal Forest Hotel at Chingford was the daddy of them all, though, being host to the 38 and a plethora of more local routes.

Neatly linking these two together, I think @vlad you're thinking of the one approaching Totley Brick works, about half a mile out of Sheffield from Totley?



This was specifically put in to prevent the need to turn on the car park of the Cross Scythes pub.




And not a million miles away, the 286 (which conveniently became the 143 when converted from double- to single- deck operation back in the mid 1990's - someone with a sense of humour, obviously!), used to terminate on the car park of the Horns Inn at Holmesfield. I can't find a picture to illustrate this, but I've just looked on Google maps and not only the car park, but the pub has now vanished, with new housing in its place.

 

[Taunton]

A generation ago Western National had a bizarre form for rural bus stops in Somerset. Broadly, there weren't any outside towns, and buses would stop anywhere on request. But each village centre had a formal bus stop. It was a large green roadside board, headed up Western National. On this was pasted a large yellow paper sheet, 2 feet square or more, quite closely printed, of detailed timetables of every rural bus route around Taunton. I think they were probably all the pages from the timetable book. Diagonally across this, in large pale red overprinting, were the words BUS STOP. It was only on one side of the road, generally that towards Taunton. Quite often the actual bus stop you were at, amid all the mass of detail, had been underlined in red biro, sufficiently consistently that one of the inspectors must have done it when they were put up.

I wonder if any remain.

Regarding buses in car parks, the independent Hutchings & Cornelius buses in Taunton, just a couple of routes amid Western National territory, were not allowed in the town bus station, but started from the car park of the Kings Arms pub in Staplegrove Road. As principal demand was commuting in to town, several vehicles were left there all day. After they had gone, pub patrons used the spaces in the evening.

 

[Busaholic]

Yep - been there for years. Here, in Merseybus days:

View attachment 77363

View attachment 77364

... and this is what happened to one Crosville driver at that stop. Failure to apply the handbrake, or faulty handbrake? You decide.

View attachment 77365

Is that Michael Caine standing on th left of the photo?

 

[carlberry]

Is that Michael Caine standing on th left of the photo?

You were only supposed to roll until the door was off!

 

[PeterC]

A generation ago Western National had a bizarre form for rural bus stops in Somerset. Broadly, there weren't any outside towns, and buses would stop anywhere on request. But each village centre had a formal bus stop. It was a large green roadside board, headed up Western National. On this was pasted a large yellow paper sheet, 2 feet square or more, quite closely printed, of detailed timetables of every rural bus route around Taunton. I think they were probably all the pages from the timetable book. Diagonally across this, in large pale red overprinting, were the words BUS STOP. It was only on one side of the road, generally that towards Taunton. Quite often the actual bus stop you were at, amid all the mass of detail, had been underlined in red biro, sufficiently consistently that one of the inspectors must have done it when they were put up.

I wonder if any remain.

Regarding buses in car parks, the independent Hutchings & Cornelius buses in Taunton, just a couple of routes amid Western National territory, were not allowed in the town bus station, but started from the car park of the Kings Arms pub in Staplegrove Road. As principal demand was commuting in to town, several vehicles were left there all day. After they had gone, pub patrons used the spaces in the evening.

I can remember Western Welsh having some "stops" like that as well. However the ones that I remember didn't have the routes for that stop highlighted.

 

[carlberry]

A generation ago Western National had a bizarre form for rural bus stops in Somerset. Broadly, there weren't any outside towns, and buses would stop anywhere on request. But each village centre had a formal bus stop. It was a large green roadside board, headed up Western National. On this was pasted a large yellow paper sheet, 2 feet square or more, quite closely printed, of detailed timetables of every rural bus route around Taunton. I think they were probably all the pages from the timetable book. Diagonally across this, in large pale red overprinting, were the words BUS STOP. It was only on one side of the road, generally that towards Taunton. Quite often the actual bus stop you were at, amid all the mass of detail, had been underlined in red biro, sufficiently consistently that one of the inspectors must have done it when they were put up.

I wonder if any remain.

Regarding buses in car parks, the independent Hutchings & Cornelius buses in Taunton, just a couple of routes amid Western National territory, were not allowed in the town bus station, but started from the car park of the Kings Arms pub in Staplegrove Road. As principal demand was commuting in to town, several vehicles were left there all day. After they had gone, pub patrons used the spaces in the evening.

An example from Moretonhampstead bus station in the late 1970s. I have a Western National example in the attic, however I dont recall seeing a live one for many years.

 

[delt1c]

Manor House In North London was always an unusual turning point on the 230, 253 and 279's. The last stop was just before the traffic lights on Seven Sisters road. You then had to do a U turn across 4 lanes of traffic. Conductor used to Stand on the platform to signal to car drivers the bus was going to do a U turn. When the 230 was converted to OPO it was extended to Finsbury Park to avoid the U turn. Strangely though even after OPO conversion 279' continued to terminate at Manor House

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A one from just a few years ago. First Bristol's route 4 followed a route around a fair bit of north Bristol and South Gloucestershire terminating outside the Blue Bowl pub in Hanham.

As you can see https://www.google.com/maps/@51.446...4!1s9BV6JDc78T5M0_3xY65hiA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 there is a gap in the island before the traffic lights to allow a Dennis Dart to turn right and then park down the road.

 

[90019]

also I know a Lothian route does too, possibly the 31?

It's the 3 at Mayfield, which comes down Westhouses Road, turns right and serves the stop then reverses back into the terminus.

 

[MotCO]

Manor House In North London was always an unusual turning point on the 230, 253 and 279's. The last stop was just before the traffic lights on Seven Sisters road. You then had to do a U turn across 4 lanes of traffic. Conductor used to Stand on the platform to signal to car drivers the bus was going to do a U turn. When the 230 was converted to OPO it was extended to Finsbury Park to avoid the U turn. Strangely though even after OPO conversion 279' continued to terminate at Manor House

This reminds me of the Waterloo terminus for route 4 in London. Buses do a u-turn across Waterloo Road aided by a set of traffic lights with the sign 'U-Turn only'. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5...JeJIWY0p-lB7xO4kmSGA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

In the above Google earth extract, buses from Waterloo Bridge take the far right hand lane, wait for the lights to change in their favour, and swing right across the road.

 

[fgwrich]

It's a shame I never managed to get a photo of it, but some of my local bus shelters around Basingstoke where clearly on their "second homes", a number of which had come up from Portsmouth and Brighton areas. One even came with a local First Bus map and advertising for Portsmouth & The Solent, which er, rather stood out in a fully Stagecoach operated town. What was equally brilliant, was that shortly after it's installation, the only service operating past it was re-routed and it ended up having no service at all.

I believe it now is a Sunday Service stop but otherwise has been de-branded.

 

[delt1c]

This reminds me of the Waterloo terminus for route 4 in London. Buses do a u-turn across Waterloo Road aided by a set of traffic lights with the sign 'U-Turn only'. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5...JeJIWY0p-lB7xO4kmSGA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

In the above Google earth extract, buses from Waterloo Bridge take the far right hand lane, wait for the lights to change in their favour, and swing right across the road.

The 4 used to terminate in the terminal which is now the Red Arrow Base , was nce terminal with a canteen.

 

[Ian Hardy]

Manor House In North London was always an unusual turning point on the 230, 253 and 279's. The last stop was just before the traffic lights on Seven Sisters road. You then had to do a U turn across 4 lanes of traffic. Conductor used to Stand on the platform to signal to car drivers the bus was going to do a U turn. When the 230 was converted to OPO it was extended to Finsbury Park to avoid the U turn. Strangely though even after OPO conversion 279' continued to terminate at Manor House

The 279 still does the U turn without any traffic lights to help.

 

[Busaholic]

The 279 still does the U turn without any traffic lights to help.

As did part of the service on the 679 trolleybus before that, so it's operated since prior to WW2. Another trolleybus route that had it as a terminus was the 623, and the replacement 123 bus route in 1960 continued to turn there too for a few years, before it got diverted to Turnpike Lane and points north.

 

[scotrail158713]

It's the 3 at Mayfield, which comes down Westhouses Road, turns right and serves the stop then reverses back into the terminus.

Interesting to know. I’ve seen it sat at the terminus a few times but didn’t realise it reversed into there.

 

[andy1571]

I’m not sure if it still does, but the Arriva 9 in Maidstone did a U-turn in the entrance junction to Grove Wood Tesco to reach its stop. It always seemed a bit of a risky manoeuvre, especially when the driver unfortunately misjudged it!

There is a clip of YouTube (not mine, so credit to ‘Announcer Bing’) which illustrates - from about 10:30 on.

 

[andy1571]

Not sure on the laws but it's a Stagecoach rule apparently to not reverse without a banksperson except in DIRO bus station or where you have to as part of the route (normally tenders, I don't think Stagecoach do any reversing into side streets commercially)

If this is a rule, it must only be with certain operators. Certainly I can think of examples in the South East where Stagecoach (and Arriva) reverse. For instance, the 1A between Canterbury and Ashford reverses into a stop on a side road at Felborough Close, Chilham to turn round.

 

[Pat1105]

This reminds me of the Waterloo terminus for route 4 in London. Buses do a u-turn across Waterloo Road aided by a set of traffic lights with the sign 'U-Turn only'. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5...JeJIWY0p-lB7xO4kmSGA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

In the above Google earth extract, buses from Waterloo Bridge take the far right hand lane, wait for the lights to change in their favour, and swing right across the road.

The 63 does a U turn at Honor Oak