Leeds trolleybus scheme delayed further

[mhoulden]

What happened to quality bus contracts? No new infrastructure or vehicles needed, just a few documents to agree contracts and services. I know drawing up legally enforceable contracts can be expensive, but not as complex as what's needed to string wires from buildings and buy new buses to use them. As far as I can tell Metro and WYITA have had lots of meetings to agree to have more meetings, but not a lot of action.

[simong]

mhoulden wrote: What happened to quality bus contracts? No new infrastructure or vehicles needed, just a few documents to agree contracts and services. I know drawing up legally enforceable contracts can be expensive, but not as complex as what's needed to string wires from buildings and buy new buses to use them. As far as I can tell Metro and WYITA have had lots of meetings to agree to have more meetings, but not a lot of action. They were a Labour policy and the Tories simply wouldn't pursue them. In addition I believe First withdrew from all or most of the routes that would have been subject to the initial round of quality contracts, which is why Centrebus suddenly picked up a lot of routes.

[Brunel]

From Leeds Civic Trust[Quote]: The new Leeds trolleybus of the future? Here is option one based on the "Borismaster". These designs are fictional and don`t reflect how NGT may look, but maybe we can gather opinion and have some influence!Apparently METRO are in favour of doubledeck.

[Phill_dvsn]

Brunel wrote: Apparently METRO are in favour of doubledeck. Chimpanzee...He says no         

[BLAKEY]

Oh dear oh dear - for Pity's sake let's not bring Boris's incredibly lunatic, ill founded, expensive and impractical "big boy's toy" into what is already a discussion under serious controversy.    Boris had a barmy infantile idea that it would be nice to go back to the familiar old London Routemaster, and incredibly due to the failure of anyone with the guts to scupper his whim a few of the comical things are now on the streets of the Capital. One feature is that friendly helpful conductors of the old school are carried - at a cost per vehicle of, I believe I saw quoted, £62,000 per year in wages. Also, in what is thankfully a safer age nowadays, the practice of passengers baling out into the traffic at speed from the open rear platform is revived for a little sport in the proceedings. I'm rather surprised that Boris didn't go the whole hog and go back a bit further to the petrol engined solid tyred beauties of the early twentieth century. I must make clear that my current views are in no way a reflection on the wonderful "REAL ROUTEMASTER" introduced in the 1950s and undeniably the finest vehicle ever mass produced - built like everlasting tanks but, being chassisless, very lightweight and economical to run - efficient, comfortable, and above all extremely likeable for everyone - AND capable of achieving a service life of anything up to an incredible forty years. A further fabulous design feature - when the original 64 seaters were found to be too small for many routes it was a matter almost of simplicity for the manufacturers to insert an extra bay into the centre of the bodywork, allowing an extra 8 seats without any major mechanical alteration - sheer brilliance.Sorry to deviate from the Leeds trolleybus discussion - but the very suggestion of any "Boris based" feature entering the already fatuous plans lights the blue touch paper for me !!    

[Phill_dvsn]

I got sent a secret L.C.C fact finding report sent to me by a disgruntled whistle blower. The council leaders went to Yorkshire Wildlife park and showed these photos to ten monkeys to get their opinion. Alpha male 'Pogo the spokesperson' monkey was asked if this bus was value for money. He nodded that it was very good value for money indeed, It was a bog standard bus design with no gimmicks, and it could run on the roads already built. It carried exactly the same number of passengers as a double decker trolley bus could. Pogo was then asked if this trolley bus was good value for money.He shook his head no it wasn't, stuck his tongue out and blew a loud raspberry sound. He concluded this trolley bus was very poor value for money, firstly it was a non standard design totally incompatible with any roads without overhead wires. In fact it could only run in one strange town, Mr Silly's Northern town was a very different place to everywhere else.He also deducted it would cost a lot of money to fix these overhead wires to run these electric buses under, and with the time and inconvenience it would cause he wondered why anyone would want to do this. It didn't carry any extra passengers, and it couldn't go any faster. It would cost 10 times as much to run as a normal bus. This was very clear for Pogo to work out.The report found that 10 out of 10 monkeys thought the trolley bus was a very silly idea, be it a double decker, or in articulated form.For the monkeys good work they got rewarded 10 bananas each And the top brasses with the bright ideas at L.C.C, Metro, and First bus each got a big fat bonus of £250.000 per annum.                     

[BLAKEY]

By gum Phill - the monkeys have got it spot on haven't they ??I assume that any apparent resemblance to a somewhat fairer haired personage in London is purely coincidental ??

[Phill_dvsn]

BLAKEY wrote: By gum Phill - the monkeys have got it spot on haven't they ??I assume that any apparent resemblance to a somewhat fairer haired personage in London is purely coincidental ?? I really wouldn't know what you mean Blakey

[BLAKEY]

Oh you're really wicked Phill I can't imagine why you thought such a thing !!

[Leodian]

Which is the one connected with London? It looks as if both are having an electric shock, probably from a faulty earthed trolleybus!