On Oct 19, 12:29*pm, "Tim Roll-Pickering" T.C.Roll-
wrote:
Yesterday I had to get the 25 for a joyful journey and I noticed that the
official capacity listed at the front of the bus is 49 sitting, 149 total
(or 142 with a wheelchair). But that wasn't remotely the capacity level beig
followed by the bus driver when not stopping at a number of stops that had a
handful, no more, waiting at them. By my reckoning (from the front) there
were about 30-40 people standing. Even if it was 50 that's still 1/3 of the
official capacity (which would never have all fitted in) not being used.

Is this just a case of poorly trained bus drivers or have the bendies been
given an absurdly high official capacity that can never be achieved? Or is
there some other reason?

It's not possible for us to know the driver's motives. I have had half
empty double deck buses drive past stops with people waiting at them
and I have seen drivers fail to appreciate that while the lower deck
may be rammed the upper deck has seats. It's no fun when you're the
poor soul trying to get on the bus and you can see there is space.
Your driver might just have been having a bad day - who knows?

I don't know if the bendies have been tested to 149 but the stated
capacity isn't just pulled from the sky. As all buses have stated
capacities I would guess they are all established in a similar manner.
I have travelled on some extremely packed bendy buses (route 29, route
521) but whether there were 149 people on board I cannot say. Ditto
for double deckers and I'd guess they were well over their 80 person
capacity given people were stuffed to the windscreen, standing on the
stairs and on the upper deck (all 3 being a breach of the rules but it
happens). It might the case that the maximum capacity on bendies is
not achieved because people "self limit" the capacity by not moving
down the aisles, preferring to remain close to the doors. The same
behaviour is evident on tube trains in busy conditions and I dare say
also on London Overground. I recognise the driver of a train is much
less likely to have any view as to what conditions are like in the
carriages but given dwell times will be extended at station stops
they'll have an impression as to how busy their train is. Short of
closing doors on people to control the load they have less control
than bus drivers - they can't decide to swan through a station without
stopping for example.

Paul Corfield