Transport for LondonNew Bus for London
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The New Bus for LondonIt's the first bus in more than 50 years to be designed specifically for the Capital's streets.
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Where to catch the bus
Prototype buses first entered passenger service in February 2012 and remain in service on the route 38 between Victoria and Hackney.
The first full route conversion will take place on Saturday 22 June 2013, on the route 24 between Hampstead Heath and Pimlico.
More than 600 New Bus for London vehicles will enter passenger service by 2016.
New Bus for London on a trial run past Big Ben
The New Bus is the first in over 50 years designed for London
The bus was designed with Heatherwick Studio, creators of the Olympic Cauldron
View from the upper deck of the New Bus for London
Over 600 New Buses will enter service by 2016
New Bus for London prototypes debuted on route 38 (Victoria - Hackney)
The Mayor supervises the New Bus for London's rear platform
Lord Nelson looks down on his first New Bus for London
The New Bus for London outside St Paul's Cathedral
New Bus for London is the most environmentally-friendly vehicle of its kind
Using the bus
The bus has three sets of doors, each with Oyster card readers, making it easier to get on and off. Inside, there are two staircases, one near the front and one at the back, for easy access to and from the upper deck.
The bus will run with a conductor for most of the day. Conductors will not collect fares but will supervise the rear platform when they are on board, ensuring passenger safety when hopping on or off and providing travel advice.
When conductors are not present, the rear doors will be operated by the driver.
How to pay
Oyster card holders or passengers using contactless payment cards can use any of the doors to board.
In central London, many stops have a roadside ticket machine. Where such a machine is provided, passengers paying with cash must buy their ticket from the machine before boarding. Elsewhere, passengers must board through the front door and buy a ticket from the driver. Passengers with a printed Travelcard or other printed pass or ticket must use the front door and show these to the driver.
Watch your step
When getting on or off using the open rear platform, please only do so when the bus is stationary and watch out for moving traffic.
About the bus
Design and innovation
The design makes use of lightweight materials, with glass highlighting key features and producing a light and airy feel inside the bus. The interior and external styling of the bus was developed with help from our design partner, Heatherwick Studio. The buses are manufactured by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland.
Accessibility
The bus has a step-free gangway on the lower deck from the front to the back, allowing ease of access for people with mobility impairments and passengers with buggies. There is a large wheelchair bay directly opposite the ramped centre door. Passengers are alerted to the next stop by audio and visual announcements. There's also a T-Loop system which transmits announcements for passengers with hearing aids.
Better for the environment
The bus uses the latest green diesel-electric hybrid technology and is the best performing bus of its kind in the world. In test conditions the New Bus produced around half the carbon dioxide and a quarter of the particulate matter and nitrogen oxides of conventional diesel buses and is more fuel efficient.
How does it work?
A battery pack powers the electric motor which drives the wheels on the bus. The battery is charged by a generator and through regenerative braking (where the system recycles the energy lost during the braking motion). Stop-start technology means the engine only runs when it needs to charge the battery.
Vital statistics
- Length: 11.2m
- Height: 4.4m
- Width: 2.5m
- Turning circle: 21m
- Capacity: 87 (40 seated on upper deck, 22 seated and 25 standing on lower deck
- Unladen weight: 12 tonnes
- Engine: 4.5 litre diesel
- Max speed: 50 mph
Watch as the New Bus for London is built
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