It seems Biglorryblog's recent post on the futuristic Routemaster 2020, with its front and rear steering modules, developed by Carl Henderson at Silvertip design has created a bit of a stir in terms of feedback and comments...Carl says: "Brian, the Routemaster page looks well. In answer to Russ's initial comment on the Routemaster please find attached are a couple of additional images"
"One showing the body mounted mirrors more clearly and the other a view through the off-side mirror. On your main blog page at one point the comment count on the RM article went to ten but there is only eight shown on the web page. I appreciate you will likely be busy but is there a problem with the automated link updating process. If possible/appropriate I would like to continue the discussion with Russ and Peter on your blog. Carl." Well Russ and Peter carry on commenting!
Gday Carl, I just posted a link http://lovefrankston.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/landliner-bus2.jpg
to a photo of the landliner I found. As you say, it is a pity they were not allowed to go further with it. Peninsula buslines was flat out during WW2 with both military and civilian transport and the authorities allowed them to get on with it, running semi trailer buses etc. But once the war was over the rules were tightened again to reduce competition for the railways.
Anyhow I have wandered off into the past there and back to your latest design.
It does make best use of road space but I suspect that loading / unloading / grannies buying tickets going to reduce efficiency.
What about an old fashioned bus conductor.
well, it certainly looks impressive! Full marks there.
Am i assuming that this is intended for London only? Would there be plans to role it out around the globe???
I think it represents a great piece of 'all things British', and i wonder, if working in accordance with town planners, that it could have its own special route.
If these things were in operation between say, London airports and the 2012 games, it could be a good follow up to our fantastic exhibition in china. A tourism marketing opportunity, perhaps???
As for the old streets of the capital, i think there needs to be a re-think on the whole planning situation. It just looks so frightening at times!!!
The good news is, traffic lights in London are to be fitted with mirrors to enable lorry drivers (i take it buses too!) to see cyclists that might be in their blind spots.
60 per cent of the cyclists killed in London last year and all of those fatally injured so far this year were in collision with a lorry (ie - long articulated vehicle). In most cases the lorry was turning left and the driver 'failed' to see the cyclist (well, its not as if the cyclist failed to see the lorry - but you never know!).
Maybe the buses could be fitted with motion detector brakes or something - like the trams in Holland?
But what do i know? I haven't hit a cyclist. Yet.
Would love to see one of these buses!!
There are no plans to role the vehicle out around the globe. We simply stuck to our brief for 'a new [viable] bus for London'. But with the modular design anything is possible.
I have driven in London with a 17t rigid - we were delivering to Harrods early morning. Cyclists and motorbikes came at us from all directions - fortunately I had a second man (map reader) who would shout up 'in coming'. I can imagine it was something like the battle of Britain on wheels. The funniest thing I remember was the two of us stood up leaning forward over the dash peering down at bikes passing back and forth in the two foot gap between us and the car in front at the lights. Seated I would not have known they were there - funny because like you I have not hit one yet.
Have you ridden a bike? You imagine that the cyclist must have seen the truck but when turning left the front wheels on the trailer move sideways across the path of the cyclist. This is not obvious nor always expected. And blind spot mirrors for the driver would not always help - unless they have eyes like a fly. I like the idea of mirrors of the traffic lights so long as they don't obscure the view.
The steered bogie (above) is predictable and simply goes where the wheels are pointing. The wheels articulate but the body is in effect rigid.