Double doors on buses

[Dylan4579]

Who Thinks we should have two doors on our buses, but NONE of the other london features, such as the ramp in the middle door

[richie]

The ramp in the middle door would be better for disabled access it would also be more sturdy as the ramps on the front step bow over time and with modern buses cause doors to function incorrectly and interlocks stay on when the doors are shut. The platform is a weaker point than further up the bus.

[Dylan4579]

The ramp in the middle door would be better for disabled access it would also be more sturdy as the ramps on the front step bow over time and with modern buses cause doors to function incorrectly and interlocks stay on when the doors are shut. The platform is a weaker point than further up the bus.

Ok I didn't know that

[PM]

IS there an option for not on any buses!!?

[Tony]

Who Thinks we should have two doors on our buses, but NONE of the other london features, such as the ramp in the middle door

No-one in their right mind!

[PM]

Who Thinks we should have two doors on our buses, but NONE of the other london features, such as the ramp in the middle door

No-one in their right mind!

I agree as my previous post suggested. Improved passenger movement offset by less capacity for passengers, more expensive and weaker buses which are more complex. Also, causes confusion at stops as the driver has to park somewhere where people can not only get on at the front but also get off too!! Theres the problem of far dodging and people entering through the other set of doors and the safety issue of can the driver properly see when people have/are unloaded. People have been killed on dual door buses, think the NOV...G fleetlines and the time lag devices are complex and dont work. In short, not the sort of feature I think would be useful. To solve the problem, we need to make sure buses arent too crowded and people move down the buses so as people can get on and off.

[Tony]

Who Thinks we should have two doors on our buses, but NONE of the other london features, such as the ramp in the middle door

No-one in their right mind!

I agree as my previous post suggested. Improved passenger movement offset by less capacity for passengers, more expensive and weaker buses which are more complex. Also, causes confusion at stops as the driver has to park somewhere where people can not only get on at the front but also get off too!! Theres the problem of far dodging and people entering through the other set of doors and the safety issue of can the driver properly see when people have/are unloaded. People have been killed on dual door buses, think the NOV...G fleetlines and the time lag devices are complex and dont work. In short, not the sort of feature I think would be useful. To solve the problem, we need to make sure buses arent too crowded and people move down the buses so as people can get on and off.

Correct. The big advantage of double door buses when they were originally introduced was that while people were leaving the vehicle the driver could sell the first few fares to boarding passengers. In places like London when drivers were selling tickets ang giving change this was quite a useful way of saving some time. You still couldn't unload and load a full bus at the same time because there was still a point just in front of the middle doors where people had to wait for people getting off before they could get to seats.

Even in London I think the time saving is minimal now because Oyster has speeded up boarding times so much. The Borismaster does go some way to solving this with people able to leave via rear stairs and rear doors so in theory you could load a full bus at the same time as it is emptying although the fact you are allowed to leave by any of the three doors partly negates this

[nitromatt1]

They would be completely useless at bus stations, as our stations are only designed for single door vehicles.

Personally I have never been a fan of the second door, with the risk of passengers sneaking on without paying. I also like to thank the driver, so wouldn't usually alight through the second door

[mranon]

main reason not a good idea is fraud/fare evasion. its hard enough getting some people to produce a valid ticket etc. i bet bus companied loose lots of revenue this way. centre doors would encourage it more

[PM]

They would be completely useless at bus stations, as our stations are only designed for single door vehicles.

Personally I have never been a fan of the second door, with the risk of passengers sneaking on without paying. I also like to thank the driver, so wouldn't usually alight through the second door

Completely agree Matt it would require a complete change in all our infrastructure which is something centro have done well on and spent a lot of money on and generally people do like to be able to say thanks to the driver on getting off so I dont think double doors are a good idea.

[Mike K]

I remember double doors being the norm as a kid in the 70s as I lived on the Pershore Road routes and close to the Bristol Road routes (NOV---G and SOE---H Fleetlines). They worked ok on these routes because that's what people were used to but they didn't offer any benefits in terms of quicker loading and unloading times. When they were used on other routes, the middle door was often not in use. Can't see why 2 doors should ever make a comeback in the West Mids.

Anyway, showing my age there...

[Stuharris 6360]

Weren't middle doors used in the mid 70s in Birmingham, but banned after an accident?

[old50niner]

Yes, some of the Fleetlines at Hockley were centre exits They used to send them down to Miller Street to cover shortages in the fleet due to
breakdowns, etc.   With the extra controls and extra checks needed, we found them a pain in the backside.   Don't think they would work now.

[The Real 4778]

We had over a hundred at one stage.  The NOV8XXG fleet that were solid on the Pershore Road (the old 45 to Cotteridge) that used to load on John Bright Street.  These were based at Cotteridge garage at one stage - here's a great photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8050359@N07/5167906188/in/set-72157600409513878

The SOE9XXH hundred split between Selly Oak for Bristol Road 61-63 services and Wolverhampton along with the low TOC4XXH Fleetlines.

The dual door fell out of favour because of loss of seating capacity, expense, and in the case of the Jumbos, the stretch bodywork (to make up the capacity) gave problems I believe.

Oh, and where's the vote option 'None,' because that's how I'd vote as well.

[D10]

Wasn't the last batch of Midland Red D13 Fleetlines dual door too?

Certainly I seem to have heard it mentioned that the ones that passed to WMPTE had their centre doors removed.