Future of Step Entrance Buses

[nick]

What is the future for the step entrance bus?

I mean now all bus companys seem to be buying Eclipse Urban's and Eclipse Gemini's so soon a fleet for leeds for example will all be the same. Am just wondering, could we see a next generation Royale, or are we heading for a future full of the same bus no difference.

[jackh]

Well 2017 is when all registered bus routes will have to be operated by low floor easy access vehicles to comply with DDA. So all step entrance buses will be gone by then.

I can't see a next generation Alexander Royale will come along, styling wise, it would be dated now. Nick, what do you mean by all bus companies are buying Wright products? West Yorkshire or Nationally? Well whatever you mean you're quite wrong. We will be seeing new ADL E400s and E200s for Arriva Yorkshire West.

On a National Scale, there is large orders going to Alexander Dennis and Optare so there is still a bit of variety.

Ten years ago, many areas were dominated by similar styled buses, London the Routemaster, West Midlands the MCW Metrobus and Leeds swamped by Leyland Olympians and Antlanteans, the latter could of been described as the city's Routemaster due to the large number once in service.

[jimbob90]

Nick, are you sure about the Wright products for all companies?

As Jack said, Arriva Yorkshire West are due to receive Alexander Dennis products in the near future, whilst bus companies arund the country are purchasing many different products.

For example, Brighton & Hove are continuously purchasing Scania products, such as the OmniDekka and OmniCity.

As for the Royales, they are very dated now, and would be like suggesting bringing out a Low-Floor Atlantean, or a Low-Floor Volvo Ailsa! Interesting but probably way too dated now.

[nick]

When i say wright products for all companys i mainly mean for First West Yorkshire.

[Davidc]

First do have Wright Bus as their main supplier for buses so they are bound to have lots working in the bigger fleets.

Stagecoach have Alexander Dennis and Optare as their main supplier. Is only Arriva that don't seem to have a main supplier (that I know of). They have bought different types of buses over the years.

This doesn't stop any of the companies purchasing other types of bus, it just depends on what requirements they are after.

As for step entrance buses then I think its the end of the line for a lot of areas and fleets. They will be still around with the independents and smaller fleets though.

David.c

[kendall17]

will step entranced buses last that long? i mean the first of the low floors came into place around 1998 time so the buses before that date will have been step entrances, the majority after were low floors apart from a minority so can you see buses that will already be a minimum of 10years old lasting another 9? I know it can happen if they go to the right home but the 'big 4' have too many step entrances and not enough 'right homes'

[westyorkshirebus]

Theres still loads of Leyland Olympians in service allover the country with First, so it's quite possible that late model Volvo Olympian/Royales will have many more years left on schools and in rural areas

[6u3zr]

Survival is largely a question of body build quality - as JackH says, we have 9 years left of step entrance motors.

If we're talking specifically about Royales, Alexander used to have a formidable reputation for build quality. It was only when individual operators - eg Glasgow with their Panoramics, NBC with their PE's etc - started devising individual specifications that this reputation began to diminish.

The Royale is a pure Alexander design and if you'd like to understand the implications and ramifications of that have a look at the "Y" types - built like brick plockyhouses and generally withdrawn only due to chassis obsolescence or fleet upgrades.