Paul Weaver wrote:
Mizter T wrote:
I fundamentally disagree with that. The bus service has improved
dramatically since his reforms

Perhaps, it's must have been really bad before in that case.

services are now far more reliable and

I see half a dozen broken down buses a day.

frequent. For many people going by bus is now a good alternative to
taking the car, not least as good bus services open up the rest of the
public transport network to those not in the immediate proximity to a
station.

I've caught a bus a few times from Ealing to Shepherds Bush when the
central line has been on the blink. It took forever, almost faster to
walk, and this was on a saturday!

Occasionally there are bus jams - but the increase in buses on the

If by "occasionally" you mean "permanently" from Marble Arch, along
Oxford Circus, down to Piccadilly circus and trafalger square, then
yes.

Because buses are so large and opaque, it's hard to filter through on a
bike, where filtering through stationary cars and taxis is easy.

streets is IMO a very good thing - and it hasn't created "massive
congestion". Road congestion existed beforehand, and is probably
inevitable at certain pinch points.

Buses go where the routes are, and they are the only traffic on oxford
street, congestion is designed by the people who design the routes.

The new killer buses (the massive 17m long ones that jut out in the
centre, mount kerbs, and take forever making manouvers) are even worse,
frequently blocking junctions causing even more traffic problems (one
inconsiderate driver -- not hard to find -- can bring trafalger square
to a halt for 2 minutes easilly)


I think I have to agree with you on querying the improved reliability.
I accept that according to very specific criteria, eg the number of
buses arriving at their destination on time, reliability may have
improved.

But in terms of the overall likelihood of arriving where you want to
go, and the level of comfort in doing it, I am not so sure.

Much of the reliability has been achieved by cutting short the bus
routes, often short of a popular destination, requiring more changes
etc (and extra fares if on PAYG).

Much of the rest of it has been achieved by making all bus stops into
request stops. You certainly don't get where you want to go if you
can't get on, or if you get whisked off beyond where you are going.

As for bendy buses, what can I say? Monstrous, ludicrous vehicles,
creating traffic chaos and a huge hazard to pedestrians, cyclists etc
(I know some people on the group think all cyclists should be killed,
and would think this was a good thing).

I've tried to cross the roads in the Trafalgar Square and Whitehall
area, and repeatedly found a pedestrian crossing on green, with a bendy
bus parked across it, so that people have to walk around and sometimes
find themselves trapped in the middle of the road when the traffic
starts again.

And how many times does a 29 park across the entire width of Whitehall
when trying to get out of the side road they drive round? What
insanity led to buses designed for wide open boulevards and airport
terminals being crammed into the windy streets of London?

On the other hand, night buses really are improved and are a major
contribution to a "24-hour city". I never worry about lateness of
getting home now.