Robert Woolley wrote:

With roll-out of the fully accessible fleet in London, there is a
progressive withdrawal of the Mobility Bus network

Are you sure? UIVMM most of the Mobility Bus network is in the outer
suburbs, with long routes that penetrate into estates that regular
routes do not, to provide disabled and elderly people (and anyone else
who wants to use them) a 1 seat ride to the most popular destinations.

(a low frequency scheduled paratransit service).

It is low frequency (typically only two journeys, only 1 day per week)
and it is scheduled, but is it paratransit?

I thought "paratransit" referred to the (council operated) Dial-A-Ride
schemes.

On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 20:06:58 +1030, (Aidan Stanger)
wrote:

Robert Woolley wrote:

With roll-out of the fully accessible fleet in London, there is a
progressive withdrawal of the Mobility Bus network

Are you sure? UIVMM most of the Mobility Bus network is in the outer
suburbs, with long routes that penetrate into estates that regular
routes do not, to provide disabled and elderly people (and anyone else
who wants to use them) a 1 seat ride to the most popular destinations.

(a low frequency scheduled paratransit service).

It is low frequency (typically only two journeys, only 1 day per week)
and it is scheduled, but is it paratransit?

I thought "paratransit" referred to the (council operated) Dial-A-Ride
schemes.

I've used the phrase in this context as Mobility Buses have such low
frequencies and used specialised vehicles.

Don't forget that there is a progressive introduction of mainstream
bus routes in deeply residential areas....


Rob.
--
rob at robertwoolley dot co dot uk

Robert Woolley wrote:

(a low frequency scheduled paratransit service).

It is low frequency (typically only two journeys, only 1 day per week)
and it is scheduled, but is it paratransit?

I thought "paratransit" referred to the (council operated) Dial-A-Ride
schemes.

I've used the phrase in this context as Mobility Buses have such low
frequencies and used specialised vehicles.

Not that specialised - I've known them to be used on normal buses
occasionally.

Don't forget that there is a progressive introduction of mainstream
bus routes in deeply residential areas....

They're not progressing with it very quickly - it will take a long time
to get them everywhere the mobility buses go.

"Aidan Stanger" wrote:

Robert Woolley wrote:
With roll-out of the fully accessible fleet in London, there is a
progressive withdrawal of the Mobility Bus network

Are you sure? UIVMM most of the Mobility Bus network is in the outer
suburbs, with long routes that penetrate into estates that regular
routes do not, to provide disabled and elderly people (and anyone else
who wants to use them) a 1 seat ride to the most popular destinations.


You *are* very much mistaken. Robert was quite right - there is a
progressive withdrawal of the Mobility Bus network.

In Autumn 1998, 23 buses were needed to operate the Mobility Bus network.
By Autumn 2003, only 10 buses were needed. Many routes have been
withdrawn - so many, in fact, that the 8xx series of route numbers is no
longer needed (the remaining routes are all numbered in the 9xx series).

Even these figures are a little misleading. Then and now, First Thamesway
need 3 buses for their Mobility Bus routes. In 1998, their network was
fairly typical of this sort of operation - ten routes, each running one or
two days a week, with typically one return journey per day. Now, they only
serve two routes - but each route runs six days a week and has a number of
journeys. The emphasis is much more on plugging gaps in the mainstream
network, rather that providing a specialist service supplementing the
mainstream network (as before) - and it wouldn't seem strange if these two
routes were renumbered to become (albeit rather infrequent) mainstream
routes in their own right. Bearing this in mind, the "true" Mobility Bus
network has declined from 23 buses to just 7 buses over 5 years.



--
MetroGnome
~~~~~~~~~~

(To email me, edit return address)

"Robert Woolley" wrote:

I would challenge MTA's claim that it operates, "This makes New York
City Transit's system the world's largest accessible fleet." [of
accessible buses]"

According to
http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk...lowfloor.shtml

there are some 5,600 fully accessible buses in service in London,
compared to a quoted figure on MTA's web page at

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/facts/ffbus.htm

of some 4,400 buses.


Of course, if you wanted to be pedantic, you could argue that London
actually has many *separate* fleets of accessible buses, all of them smaller
than the overall NYC fleet - because almost the entire network is contracted
out to a number of private companies.

But if you wanted to be *really* pedantic, you could argue that New York
also has separate fleets - with those run by the MTA's New York City Transit
Authority being entirely separate from those run by the MTA's Manhattan and
Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority!


(Out of interest, does either the MTA's claim or the 4400-bus figure quoted
include the private bus companies running routes under contract to the
City - the ones that the MTA is trying to take over?)



--
MetroGnome
~~~~~~~~~~

(To email me, edit return address)

In misc.transport.urban-transit MetroGnome wrote:

"Robert Woolley" wrote:
I would challenge MTA's claim that it operates, "This makes New York
City Transit's system the world's largest accessible fleet." [of
accessible buses]"

of some 4,400 buses.

(Out of interest, does either the MTA's claim or the 4400-bus figure quoted
include the private bus companies running routes under contract to the
City - the ones that the MTA is trying to take over?)

those are only the NYCTA buses, the private bus companies are not included
and are not 100% accessible either

Bob





--
MetroGnome
~~~~~~~~~~

(To email me, edit return address)



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