§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the increase in journey times resulting from the replacing of two-person crews with one-person crews on central London bus routes in the last live years. [125607]
§ Mr. Hill[holding answer 12 June 2000]This is a matter for London Bus Services Ltd (LBSL), formerly London Transport Buses, as the organisation responsible for providing bus services in London.
LBSL have estimated that replacing open platform, crew-operated buses with one person operated vehicles increases journey times by between 12 per cent. and 20 per cent. The smallest increases in journey time are achieved on the latest generation of fully accessible low-floor buses, which have wide 'easy flow' entrances.