London contracts

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Ray
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London contracts

Post by Ray »

I'm trying to understand how the London bus contracts work. It looks like they tender individual routes every five years, rather than regions? And also, it seems that most depots are owned by the operator rather than the government. So if a route changes operator, it will change depots too.

This seems to be a factor in routes being operated by depots which are not always close to the route. For example, route 159 is operated by Battersea depot even though there are other depots closer to the Streatham terminus. My understanding is that this is because Abellio won the tender and Battersea was the closest depot for them. Alternatively, perhaps the logic was that Battersea is closer to Marble Arch/ Oxford Circus.
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Linto63
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Re: London contracts

Post by Linto63 »

Routes are tendered individually for five years with a two year extension if performance criteria is met. The depots are owned by the operators, having been sold as part of the privatisation process in the 1990s. The operators also own the buses, with the exception of the Borismasters which are Transport for London owned and hence transfer with the routes they operate.

Generally the depot that operates the route will be that closest to it owned by the operator. This can result in the depot moving from one end of the route to the other when a route changes operator.

A detailed explanation of the process can be found here.
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Ray
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Re: London contracts

Post by Ray »

Thanks for this. That system must keep the operators on their toes. Not to be parochial, but the NSW system of tendering contract areas seems more efficient. Admittedly London routes are often cross-regional but most routes seem to fit into a scheme of South, North and so on.
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Titan B15
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Re: London contracts

Post by Titan B15 »

Tendering, in London came about in 1984, with the privatisation of London buses, alas, opened Tendering To private companies … LT folded in 1994 when all remaining subsided companies, namely, east London, London northern, leeside, London central, centre west, London general, selkent , London United, etc …mand the rest, can’t remember them .. London forest folded in 1991, and ensign bus took over, then came in cowie , go ahead etc …. All tenders are open to suitable preferred bidders, TFL put out a trance ie 876 for routes, some are won singular, some are. Won as a batch… it depends on the QSI , and also other factors… some depots , such as Ash grove are still owned by LT and leased to arriva and CT plus etc …
Enviro 500
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Re: London contracts

Post by Enviro 500 »

Even if most London buses are privately owned by various operators, they all must be in the standard red livery of TfL. I believe though, that the operators are allowed to display a small logo of the company on the side of the vehicles.
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