On Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:44:23 +0100
Basil Jet wrote:
The original ones such as the W8 were flat fare routes, before all bus
routes were flat fare. Many of them replaced existing numbered bus
routes, for instance the W3 was called the 233 before it went flat fare
in 1968. Some or all of them had a coin box with a slot and gave no
change, and some or all took multi-ride clipper strips in a turnstile
lane opposite the driver. Other routes such as the W5 were introduced
after all buses went flat fare, so there is no good reason for them to
have the letter.

Interesting. I wonder why they keep the letters now? Seems an odd anomaly.

B2003

On 2012\06\08 14:32, d wrote:
On Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:44:23 +0100
Basil wrote:
The original ones such as the W8 were flat fare routes, before all bus
routes were flat fare. Many of them replaced existing numbered bus
routes, for instance the W3 was called the 233 before it went flat fare
in 1968. Some or all of them had a coin box with a slot and gave no
change, and some or all took multi-ride clipper strips in a turnstile
lane opposite the driver. Other routes such as the W5 were introduced
after all buses went flat fare, so there is no good reason for them to
have the letter.

Interesting. I wonder why they keep the letters now? Seems an odd anomaly.

Getting rid of them would cost money and confuse people, and would lead
to you criticising them.

On Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:26:44 +0100
Paul Corfield wrote:
However there are are very few "normal" routes numbered in the 6xx,
7xx, 8xx or 9xx series. One of the reasons for the expansion in

I think I've seen a 6xx bus - its a red bus but runs to a school. Can't
remember which one. I bet the drivers draws straws for that one.

I don't claim the above is anywhere near to being comprehensive as a
history but it gives you a flavour of what has gone on.

Cheers.

B2003

In message , d
writes
Why do some london bus routes have a letter in them? Its not like numbers are
in short supply. Do the letters signify something special?
I remember a bus with a flat fair turnstile on entry at Harrow in about
1969, I think it was the H1 and I think the fare was 50p.
--
Clive

In article ,
Clive wrote:
In message , d
writes
Why do some london bus routes have a letter in them? Its not like numbers are
in short supply. Do the letters signify something special?
I remember a bus with a flat fair turnstile on entry at Harrow in about
1969, I think it was the H1 and I think the fare was 50p.

Did it take notes ? ;-)

Nick
--
"The Internet, a sort of ersatz counterfeit of real life"
-- Janet Street-Porter, BBC2, 19th March 1996

On 2012-06-08 14:19:31 +0000, Clive said:

In message , d writes
Why do some london bus routes have a letter in them? Its not like numbers are
in short supply. Do the letters signify something special?
I remember a bus with a flat fair turnstile on entry at Harrow in about
1969, I think it was the H1 and I think the fare was 50p.

It would have been the H1, but the fare would have been 6d (2.5p).

On Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:35:22 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote:

I have not been to Barcelona so don't know its size relative to
London. I doubt TfL could deliver the same objectives as Barcelona has
by introducing 28 new routes.

Barcelona is tiny compared to London.

Paul Corfield wrote:

What it looks like to me is a mix of "core route" design as practised
so much by our deregulated operators combined with some classic
planned network touches like planned interchanges, bus priority and
easy interchange.

It also seems not dissimilar to the German Metrobus concept, where you have
a set of routes that fill in gaps in the rapid transit rail system and are
publicised far more heavily than the "local buses for local people" that
are also there in the background. The usual way this is done number wise
is to use 2 digit numbers for Metrobusse and 3 digit ones for local
services.

This could in itself be applied to London without changing the routes
around much - there are a good number of obvious primary routes e.g. 73,
38, 25, 59/(1)68, 205 and one that has already been differentiated i.e. the
RV1, and a good number of very secondary routes, often run using smaller
buses. You'd just have to renumber a bit and slightly rationalise some
combinations e.g. 59/68/168/X68 a bit.

As for V and H bus routes, this gets proposed in Milton Keynes from time to
time, but it's usually conceded in the end that people would prefer a
slower through bus than a need for most people to change to reach the
centre.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.