A Conversation for The Routemaster Bus - Big, Red and Shiny

O Regulations

Post 1

RM owner

"In the 1970s, new regulations came into force. One Person Operation 2 (OPO) was made legal and bus companies were encouraged to purchase buses that had engines in the rear. They were also asked to buy existing models rather than commissioning their own."

London Transport was using OPO buses in 1955. What happened in "the 70s" was it became legal to use double deck OPO buses.
Grants were paid to bus companies by the Government to use rear engined front entranced buses, making it uneconomical it seemed to develop specific buses for London. History was to show what a false economy this was as LT scrapped 100s of single deck and double deck OPO buses after very short periods of service due to their total unsuitability for London conditions.


O Regulations

Post 2

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

You're right - I remember travelling on the 250 route in the 60s which had RFs running on it with no conductor. It was so strange to be on a single decker and pay the fare to the driver.

I'll amend that section.


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