#Double decker bus london drivers#
#Double decker bus london driver#
#Double decker bus london full#
#Double decker bus london free#

The RT buses remain in service thanks to the services of Wally Mellor, the former director of Unitrans Maintenance. The Daimler double-deckers were retired from service in 1999, as upkeep was difficult (the parts were and still are simply unavailable). The majority of the double-deckers were of the RT type, though both RTL, RLH and Daimler models were also part of the fleet over the years. Over the years, other double-decker buses were procured from London. This was the inception of Unitrans, the only transit company in the United States to use authentic London double-deck buses in daily service.Ĭalifornia Aggie article Davis Enterprise article Two of these buses were purchased back in 1967 by ASUCD direct from England to attract people to use the service. This unique system is owned and operated by the Associated Students of UC Davis Campus and serves the UC Davis Campus and the City of Davis with a regularly scheduled bus service during the school year.' -From the back of a Unitrans bus postcard, available for sale in the UCD Bookstore. 'The University Transport System owns nine of these imported London double-decker buses. If bus driving sounds like it might be for you, then you can find more details about the apprenticeship scheme on Go-Ahead's site.See Unitrans Buses for information on other buses. I can't say I'll be swapping the desk job for a driver's cab anytime soon, but my experience behind the wheel has given me a newfound appreciation for the skills involved.

#Double decker bus london free#

Apprentices receive a salary (earn as you learn), and also get a free transport pass for all TfL services. The course lasts between 12 and 36 months, depending on your flexibility. Recruits get a heady mix of classroom lessons and driving experience. Go-Ahead's apprenticeship scheme runs out of a new recruitment and training academy, bolted on to Camberwell Bus Garage. You just need to apply for a Category D entitlement, the provisional licence for driving these big beasts. Fancy a go yourself?Īnyone with a UK licence (held for at least two years) can learn to drive a double-decker. 'It's mostly bus lanes, so it's not that scary,' my instructor explains. New recruits are often treated to this baptism of fire. The bus might be easy to manoeuvre, but I'm not yet ready to deal with all the random hazards of Camberwell's streets. We're not going out on the roads today, for which I am grateful.

What looks like a certain collision is avoided by the bus's ability to turn on an Oyster-tapped sixpence.

#Double decker bus london driver#

You know that thing when you're sat on the top deck and you think 'no way is the driver going to make that corner'? Well it's the same in the driver's seat. 'Keep going don't worry,' says my instructor.

#Double decker bus london full#

We curve out on full lock, but I'm going to clip the bus to my front-left. Inside the bus garage.Īs I swing forward again, it seems I've fluffed it. Here, in my ridiculously stretched box, it feels like I need to take the curvature of the Earth into account. In my tiny Corsa, I can practically stick my hand out the window and touch the vehicle behind. It's not clear from the mirrors exactly how close I am to the parked bus behind. The main challenge is to understand the length of the vehicle.

#Double decker bus london drivers#

Can I do something that most drivers don't need to tackle on-route: perform a three-point turn and drive out again? Other vehicles and pedestrians cross my path. Modern buses look a bit less vintage.Īfter a few turns around the yard, I'm asked to manoeuvre into the garage itself. The bus continues on auto at a steady 5 mph, no brakes or gas necessary. In contrast to the cliched oil tanker, the double-decker's turning circle is tight as a button. The secret is to wait until your body is level with the object you want to turn past, and only then move the wheel. Once I have the hang of the transmission, these beasts are a joy to drive. Note the disconcerting lack of seat belts. It's enough to fluster this rookie driver - and that's before we get to the 10 metres of omnibus trailing behind my seat. The bus moves forward as the brake is released. All London buses are automatic, and I have never driven an automatic vehicle before. My first three seconds of motion are bewildering.

Go-Ahead has an ambitious programme to recruit 1,000 new apprentices by the end of the year. I'd been invited to Camberwell Bus Garage by the Go-Ahead Group, one of the major bus operators in London. My one-hour career as a bus driver was underway.