Thursday 20 May 2010

The New Routemaster

Is here. Why do I not believe that the 'open platform at the rear, shared with the Routemaster of old, which can be closed off at quiet times' will ever be open? Perhaps partly because, if you watch the video (and, incidentally, how much did this little production cost?) David Brown, who is identified as MD Surface Transport, says: 'With the open platform we have deliberately designed it so that people can hop on and off, but we've also designed it so that when we don't need a second crew member on the back of the bus we can close it off as well, so we can be as efficient as we possibly can in terms of providing value for money.' So when exactly is there going to ever be a 'second crew member on the back'? Plus this little incident doesn't inspire much confidence that the desires of the public will be heeded.
It's also slightly disturbing that Mark Nodder (CEO the Wright Group - presumably this is the design company responsible) says in the video that he thinks they've come up with something that is 'genuinely a world breaking design.' World fixing might be more useful, although an ambitious ask, I'll admit.
(And could we have a bit less of the word 'icon'?)

4 comments:

  1. "world breaking design" haha.. I love it. I wonder if his speech writer also styled his hair

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  2. C'mon, don't they look good though?

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  3. Nurse - I must have another look.
    Gaw - The only thing I wanted was to have the hop on, hop off bit back, and I don't think it will end up being in use much at all (is there any talk of bringing back lots of conductors?) The fact they've made it optional suggests to me that it isn't going to be used much and therefore to me the project seems a huge waste of money. If they do bring conductors back and have the bit at the back open then I will take everything I've said back, but the shut in element adds to the stress of living in an overcrowded city - being stuck in a bus in a traffic jam just 10 yards from the stop and not being let off makes me grind my teeth and question the concept of progress.

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