Why is the UK the only place where double deck buses are commonly used?

[Samuel88]

In most other nations double deckers are reserved for sightseeing tours etc, why is that?

 

[Bletchleyite]

In most other nations double deckers are reserved for sightseeing tours etc, why is that?

In many European countries standard bridge height is lower than the UK. The other thing is that buses tend to be used for shorter journeys connecting to rail in other countries, which means a "standee bus" with lots of doors and fast boarding/alighting works better.

You do get them "as standard" elsewhere though. Berlin is a notable user of them.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

In most other nations double deckers are reserved for sightseeing tours etc, why is that?

Double deckers are also used extensively in Hong Kong, Singapore and Berlin.

Reasons for more single deckers elsewhere:

• more use of metro/suburban trains so buses are used as feeders = lower bus journey duration so seating is less important and standees are more widely accepted
• height restrictions = many countries have a 4m limit
• speed of passenger handling = many countries have focussed on getting passengers on/off as quickly as possible (UK is behind on this)
• money is less of a consideration = whereas UK operations have historically had to be more or less self supporting over the years, other countries have spent money on buses so higher frequencies have meant that singles can be employed

Cue lots of posts now talking of European utopias, bus lane design, off bus ticketing, integrated travel in places known only for their cheese etc

 

[Robertj21a]

In many European countries standard bridge height is lower than the UK. The other thing is that buses tend to be used for shorter journeys connecting to rail in other countries, which means a "standee bus" with lots of doors and fast boarding/alighting works better.

You do get them "as standard" elsewhere though. Berlin is a notable user of them.

As are Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

[AndrewE]

Double deckers are also used extensively in Hong Kong, Singapore and Berlin.

Reasons for more single deckers elsewhere:

• more use of metro/suburban trains so buses are used as feeders = lower bus journey duration so seating is less important and standees are more widely accepted
• height restrictions = many countries have a 4m limit
• speed of passenger handling = many countries have focussed on getting passengers on/off as quickly as possible (UK is behind on this)
• money is less of a consideration = whereas UK operations have historically had to be more or less self supporting over the years, other countries have spent money on buses so higher frequencies have meant that singles can be employed

• Not sure I agree with the bolded bit. (speed of passenger handling)Lots of places have centre entrance into a standee area with ticket-cancelling machines and front or rear exits.

I have often wondered when road-space at junctions will become too precious to allow great long articulated tram-trains to waste it and we go back to double-deckers. Accessible ground floor and congestion-busting top deck. Please don't whinge that it would be illegal because you can't afford to put a lift in every tram...

 

[Busaholic]

Paris used to have one double deck route in the 1970s, the 64. Coincidentally, the one remaining trolleybus route in Rome when I was there in 1964 was also numbered 64.

 

[GusB]

Iran and Iraq were at one point big purchasers of double-deck buses, and Sweden purchased 50 Atlanteans as part of a large order when they switched from driving on the left.

 

[Ianno87]

Double deckers are also extensively used in Dublin.

 

[overthewater]

Double deckers are also extensively used in Dublin.

By gum there were ugly

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

• Not sure I agree with the bolded bit. (speed of passenger handling)Lots of places have centre entrance into a standee area with ticket-cancelling machines and front or rear exits.

I have often wondered when road-space at junctions will become too precious to allow great long articulated tram-trains to waste it and we go back to double-deckers. Accessible ground floor and congestion-busting top deck. Please don't whinge that it would be illegal because you can't afford to put a lift in every tram...

Double deckers have longer dwell times because of the need to ascend/descend stairs. Even with centre/multiple exits and ticket validators, this is a delay compared to equivalent single decks.

Don’t really understand your “whinge” comment

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

By gum there were ugly

RH types and ALX400s? Think you need to be more specific!

 

[overthewater]

This one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57727...byF-DHWbz2-HKmUco-Fm3w8o-G6d1gj-Fm3w9f-Fm3w9q

 

[Bletchleyite]

This one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57727...byF-DHWbz2-HKmUco-Fm3w8o-G6d1gj-Fm3w9f-Fm3w9q

That looks like someone erroneously mixed the front up with the back.

 

[gazthomas]

Skopje in Macedonia has a whole fleet of Chinese “Routemasters”

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

This one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57727182@N08/27442291802/in/photolist-nnuqWK-n14BKD-HNYVh7-fqu7HM-Y66uVJ-JuaMTo-DKgXn4-nyk6q3-[URL]https://flic.kr/p/pnF9v4cPQV2o-DKgXo6-Fzui4V-dmEbLq-Fzui4z-DHWbyF-DHWbz2-HKmUco-Fm3w8o-G6d1gj-Fm3w9f-Fm3w9q[/URL]

That was the GAC Bombardier that they had no choice in buying. They also had these pups https://flic.kr/p/pnF9v4 as well bodying their own Titans. Some competition for ugly types.

After that, it’s been RH types, ALXs and Geminis

 

[Robertj21a]

Plenty of double deckers nowadays in Canada and USA.

 

[route101]

Skopje in Macedonia has a whole fleet of Chinese “Routemasters”

Yeah they look odd and they are red too.

 

[route101]

Sydney has some deckers too .

 

[Peter Mugridge]

This one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57727...byF-DHWbz2-HKmUco-Fm3w8o-G6d1gj-Fm3w9f-Fm3w9q

Well, it looks better than the London DMS class did...

 

[Dentonian]

That was the GAC Bombardier that they had no choice in buying. They also had these pups https://flic.kr/p/pnF9v4 as well bodying their own Titans. Some competition for ugly types.

After that, it’s been RH types, ALXs and Geminis

But lovely seating. Irish equivalent of Scania Metropolitans - wonderful buses from an era when average off-peak bus speeds were in double-digits. Unlike today's moulded plastic abominations that only Sofie Hagen could find comfortable. Though somehow, I don't see her travelling with the great unwashed. Diversity has its limits, don't you know....what?!!

 

[Busaholic]

Lisbon had double deck AEC Regents. Sri Lanka has operated many dds, mostly ex-London. South Africa certainly had dds, not sure how recently.

 

[martinsh]

In India Mumbai / Bombay has over 100 locally built double deckers.

Kobenhavn also introduced them about 15 years ago, but they weren't a success

 

[Mugby]

This one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57727...byF-DHWbz2-HKmUco-Fm3w8o-G6d1gj-Fm3w9f-Fm3w9q

Ugly, certainly, but in a way, a very clever design because no panels anywhere had double curvature, the definitive 'box on wheels' - quite small wheels too.

I had the dubious pleasure of riding on them once and with their Detroit Diesels two-stoke engines, they were unbelievably noisy as well.

 

[GusB]

Ugly, certainly, but in a way, a very clever design because no panels anywhere had double curvature, the definitive 'box on wheels' - quite small wheels too.

I had the dubious pleasure of riding on them once and with their Detroit Diesels two-stoke engines, they were unbelievably noisy as well.

They're certainly not the prettiest of vehicles. Vaguely reminiscent of stuff churned out by East Lancs...

 

[Cowley]

I had the dubious pleasure of riding on them once and with their Detroit Diesels two-stoke engines, they were unbelievably noisy as well.

Really interested to hear that they were powered by Detroit Diesel engines.
When I was an apprentice mechanic for British Road Services in the late 80s we used to maintain the Lynx Roadline fleet that had a depot in the same yard.

Lynx had two Ford Cargos with drop bodies and dolly connectors that did the night trunking service fitted with Detroit Diesel engines (probably the same ones as these buses).
Yes they were thirsty (like all two strokes), and a bit unusual to repair.
But my word they sounded good!
I used to relish the chance of driving them around the yard when the boss wasn’t looking out of his office window...

Interesting thread guys .

 

[GusB]

Really interested to hear that they were powered by Detroit Diesel engines.
When I was an apprentice mechanic for British Road Services in the late 80s we used to maintain the Lynx Roadline fleet that had a depot in the same yard.

Lynx had two Ford Cargos with drop bodies and dolly connectors that did the night trunking service fitted with Detroit Diesel engines (probably the same ones as these buses).
Yes they were thirsty (like all two strokes), and a bit unusual to repair.
But my word they sounded good!
I used to relish the chance of driving them around the yard when the boss wasn’t looking out of his office window...

Interesting thread guys .

Off topic, I know, but what's a "dolly connector"?

 

[Bletchleyite]

That was the GAC Bombardier that they had no choice in buying. They also had these pups https://flic.kr/p/pnF9v4 as well bodying their own Titans. Some competition for ugly types.

That looks backwards as well.

 

[Cowley]

Off topic, I know, but what's a "dolly connector"?

Basically one of these Gus...
A way of attaching a two axle trailer behind a two axle rigid truck via a towing bar and fifth wheel.
Quite complicated to couple up, and devilishly difficult to reverse around a corner when as a seventeen year old you didn’t know what you were actually doing...
Australian ‘Road Trains’ would use a similar system to connect three trailers together.

 

[GusB]

Basically one of these Gus...View attachment 43472
A way of attaching a two axle trailer behind a two axle rigid truck via a towing bar and fifth wheel.
Quite complicated to couple up, and devilishly difficult to reverse around a corner when as a seventeen year old you didn’t know what you were actually doing...
Australian ‘Road Trains’ would use a similar system to connect three trailers together.

Thanks for clarifying. I certainly wouldn't want to have to reverse such a combination. I got stressed enough having once had to reverse a Volkswagen Caravelle.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Whilst Lisbon is now the preserve of single deckers, Porto has a double deck route. Switzerland and Mexico City have both taken Enviro 500 deckers in recent years