"Rob Latchford" {rob}.latchford{@}ntlworld{.}[com] wrote
Broadly speaking I agree with your observations about red livery in
London,
although there are a few cases where the blanket policy ought to be
questioned, Metrobus for instance, whose livery was part of the build up a
very strong and respected local image.

I don't believe however that LBSL have got it right in the way it is being
implemented - all over red needs some sort of relief even if it is just a
central band.

There were also some very attractive liveries lost, personally I think
London United had a very nice livery and would have liked to see this
adopted as the London standard! But that's down to personal taste.

I can't answer your question about percentages, but it should take no
longer
than 7 years from the original policy decision to get to 100% red, based
on
contract renewals and possible extensions under the Quality Incentive
regime. In reality probably most will have been done within 5 years. The
repainting of existing buses would always be negotiated as a contract
requirement for a renewal, and in any case no bus should go without a
repaint for more than 5 years which helps facilitate this.

Finally, you mention Bexleybus as an example - I agree with you about the
gruesome colour scheme however by far the worst thing that happened as a
result of Bexley and other similar "low cost" operations in the 80's was
what the staff were put through in terms of worsening of pay and
conditions.

Rob L.


Thanks, glad someone read the actual question in my post!

Interesting point about the need to repaint every 5 years, didn't realise
they needed it that regularly. And I agree about London United; you'd think
that as that has a long London pedigree they might have got an exemption,
though I expect that others would complain.

And again, I agree about Bexleybus; as I said, the colour thing was
something which probably bugged me out of proportion, by which I mean that
there were more serious flaws than this. However thankfully the position of
pay and conditions for drivers has changed much for the better since then,
as has reliability!