The next Routemaster has been delayed, for a second time
There is little surprise when a bus runs late so it was perhaps inevitable that the arrival of the new £1 million Routemaster has been delayed for the second time
It should have started service last year, was rescheduled for yesterday and now has been put off again until next week. Transport for London said the bus was not yet ready because it was still being tested.
And when a much-hyped, new-look Routemaster does reach the streets of London next Monday it will be on its own. The other seven prototypes will not begin service until some time this summer.
The first of the buses will begin service on route 38 between Victoria station and Hackney.
It is currently being tested on the same route. The tests, for emissions, steering, braking, seat fixtures, lights and alarm systems, are required by the Department for Transport.
Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the London Assembly Lib-Dem group and the transport committee, attacked the latest delay.
She said: "We were promised that the new Routemaster bus would be up and running in 2011, but the harsh reality is that just one of these incredibly expensive buses will be on our roads before this summer. This latest admission exposes once and for all Boris Johnson's real record on bus services. He promised to deliver a new bus for London within his four-year term. In reality his record has been to hike up bus fares by 50 per cent and to allow buses to become more crowded."
Mike Weston, TfL operations director for London Buses, said: "The first new bus for London is set to enter full passenger service next week. The vehicle is currently taking part in final road tests, which will take place across this week. We originally hoped that the first bus would start taking passengers from this week, but this has been slightly delayed as a result of the certification process required for new vehicles taking a little longer than anticipated."
A TfL spokeswoman said: "We are now working hard on final preparations to ensure the remaining buses are ready as soon as possible."
Transport commissioner Peter Hendy said: "A week late after three-and-a-half years is pretty good. The original bus took 12 years from conception to service."
The old open-platform Routemasters were scrapped in 2005 - sparking vehement protests from passengers. A few survivors still operate on tourist routes.
The new models have attracted criticism with claims that they could turn into new "freebie" buses with fare dodging as high as on the bendy buses they are replacing. Bus fare evasion is running at more than £30million a year.
The bus has three doors - the same as the one-person-operated bendy buses, enabling fare evaders to board without paying the driver. It will have conductors but only some of the time.
TfL confirms in a leaflet: "The conductor will not collect fares, check passes or validate Oyster cards."
The first Routemasters have cost more than £1million each. Further ones are expected to cost £300,000.
(Evening Standard)
