4 ms·

I don't get why they can't be cooled? I've been on plenty of AC'd inner city buses where I live.

Symbiote 11y ago
Indeed, the normal buses used in London have air conditioning. These buses are a special design which the mayor demanded. (I haven't used one yet, but I've yet to be convinced they're worth the additional cost over standard buses, or the articulated buses they replaced.)
- leaveyou 11y ago
  Out of curiosity, what was the problem with the old ones and what improvements brings this special design ? I might have to visit London later this month and these "new design" buses really scare me lately because I nearly had a panic attack in one last year due to same reason: very high temperatures (I suspect it was more than 50 C in the back), no windows and the driver intended to drive for ~3 hours to destination without AC !! After 40 minutes in a closed box under sun the people with kids were going crazy and the driver had to stop and troubleshoot the AC.
  - Symbiote 11y ago
    The articulated buses were used on the busiest routes, which mostly pass through poorer areas. Wealthier people, who don't use buses so often, complained that they blocked traffic and encouraged higher levels of fare evasion. (Both points have some merit, but normal buses also block traffic and have some fare dodgers.) The people that used them liked them: three double doors and a low floor made it nice for old people, parents with children, pushchairs and wheelchair users. The three doors also made boarding and alighting faster. The mayor appealed to tradition (red phone boxes, the design of the old red buses), said they weren't appropriate for London's narrow streets (they were obviously not routed down such streets), and replaced them with an expensive, bespoke design. These are more expensive in every way: vehicle cost, lower total capacity, and employing a bus conductor to supervise the rear platform. There's some background on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_buses_in_London https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_buses_in_London
    - bcraven 11y ago
      Interestingly, a lot of the bendy buses were sold to Malta (where they were even less suited to the road network). Three promptly burst into flames: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/bendy-buses-sent-from-london-to-malta-taken-off-their-roads-after-three-burst-into-flames-8788929.html http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/bendy-buses-sent-fr...
  - cmdrfred 11y ago
    First world problems: http://www.takepart.com/sites/default/files/styles/tp_gallery_slide/public/front.jpg?itok=lTHcabjM http://www.takepart.com/sites/default/files/styles/tp_galler...
    - leaveyou 11y ago
      I think you greatly underestimate what means 50C+ for more than 40 minutes in a completely sealed box packed with people and no ventilation at all. I'm a healthy male and I nearly passed out. The continuous sweating combined with the feeling of suffocation due to lack of oxygen is anything but 1st world problem.
realusername 11y ago
Or at least you should be able to open the windows a bit like the old buses...
joezydeco 11y ago
"Because of the nature of bus journeys, cooled air will be lost from the vehicle during the frequent intervals at which it stops." That's like saying you should never open your refridgerator door because releasing the cooled air would instantly turn the food to room temperature. It's dishonest.

Indeed, the normal buses used in London have air conditioning. These buses are a special design which the mayor demanded. (I haven't used one yet, but I've yet to be convinced they're worth the additional cost over standard buses, or the articulated buses they replaced.)

leaveyou 11y ago
Out of curiosity, what was the problem with the old ones and what improvements brings this special design ? I might have to visit London later this month and these "new design" buses really scare me lately because I nearly had a panic attack in one last year due to same reason: very high temperatures (I suspect it was more than 50 C in the back), no windows and the driver intended to drive for ~3 hours to destination without AC !! After 40 minutes in a closed box under sun the people with kids were going crazy and the driver had to stop and troubleshoot the AC.
- Symbiote 11y ago
  The articulated buses were used on the busiest routes, which mostly pass through poorer areas. Wealthier people, who don't use buses so often, complained that they blocked traffic and encouraged higher levels of fare evasion. (Both points have some merit, but normal buses also block traffic and have some fare dodgers.) The people that used them liked them: three double doors and a low floor made it nice for old people, parents with children, pushchairs and wheelchair users. The three doors also made boarding and alighting faster. The mayor appealed to tradition (red phone boxes, the design of the old red buses), said they weren't appropriate for London's narrow streets (they were obviously not routed down such streets), and replaced them with an expensive, bespoke design. These are more expensive in every way: vehicle cost, lower total capacity, and employing a bus conductor to supervise the rear platform. There's some background on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_buses_in_London https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_buses_in_London
  - bcraven 11y ago
    Interestingly, a lot of the bendy buses were sold to Malta (where they were even less suited to the road network). Three promptly burst into flames: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/bendy-buses-sent-from-london-to-malta-taken-off-their-roads-after-three-burst-into-flames-8788929.html http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/bendy-buses-sent-fr...
- cmdrfred 11y ago
  First world problems: http://www.takepart.com/sites/default/files/styles/tp_gallery_slide/public/front.jpg?itok=lTHcabjM http://www.takepart.com/sites/default/files/styles/tp_galler...
  - leaveyou 11y ago
    I think you greatly underestimate what means 50C+ for more than 40 minutes in a completely sealed box packed with people and no ventilation at all. I'm a healthy male and I nearly passed out. The continuous sweating combined with the feeling of suffocation due to lack of oxygen is anything but 1st world problem.

realusername 11y ago

Or at least you should be able to open the windows a bit like the old buses...

joezydeco 11y ago

"Because of the nature of bus journeys, cooled air will be lost from the vehicle during the frequent intervals at which it stops." That's like saying you should never open your refridgerator door because releasing the cooled air would instantly turn the food to room temperature. It's dishonest.