London Buses route 24
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24
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| Overview | |
| Operator | Go-Ahead London |
| Garage | Stockwell (SW) |
| Vehicle | Alexander Dennis Enviro400 Alexander Dennis Enviro400H Hybrid Wright Pulsar Gemini HEV |
| Peak vehicle requirement | 29 |
| Nighttime | 24-hour service |
| Route | |
| Start | Pimlico |
| Via | Victoria Trafalgar Square Camden Town |
| End | Hampstead Heath |
| Length | 7 miles (11 km) |
| Service | |
| Level | 24-hour service |
| Frequency | About every 5-10 minutes |
| Journey time | 35-56 minutes |
| Operates | 24-hour service |
| Transport for London • Performance |
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London Buses route 24 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
This route dates back to 1910, when it ran between Hampstead Heath and Victoria. The 24 was extended in August 1912 to Pimlico and has continued in that form until the present day, making this the oldest unchanged bus route in London.[2]
Originally, the route was operated by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), and later the British Automobile Traction Co Ltd until September 1933 when the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB), later London Transport Executive, was formed and ran under the name "London Transport".
During its life with London Transport, the 24 was operated mainly from Chalk Farm Garage in Harmood Street (Nr Camden Town). It was also run at times from Victoria (Gillingham Street) garage. The route was selected to be the first London's red bus route to use front entrance, rear engined buses in 1965. The route was crew operated until 1986, apart from two short periods in 1965/1966 and 1975.
The route was the first in central London to be tendered following the introduction of contracted operation; it was won by Grey-Green in 1988, using vehicles its own grey, green and orange livery from its garage in Stamford Hill.[3] Grey-Green were at the time owned by Cowie Group, later Arriva, and became part of Arriva London following the company's acquisition of two other London operators.[4]
In November 2002 the route was transferred from Arriva to Metroline run from Holloway Garage, and later in 2006 it was the first London bus route to be operated by Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double deckers. On 10 November 2007 operation of route 24 passed to London General, with 29 new buses replacing the Enviros.[4]
Five hybrid buses were introduced to the route in early 2009.[5]
On the 11 February 2008, a bus on diversion due to the Camden Town fires was deroofed, after the driver drove into the side rather than under the middle of an arch bridge.[6] Six people were injured, one seriously.[7] TfL said the diversion was safe if drivers followed instructions, and had been operating successfully for over 24 hours. This came just 3 months after another 24 lost its roof in the same place while out of service.[8]
A night element to the route was introduced on 27 November 1999, in the form of route N24, to replace part of the withdrawn route N2 between Hampstead Heath and Pimlico. The N prefix was dropped during April 2004, thus making it a 24-hour route.
Bus 24 made it into the news in February 2010 when a Muslim bus driver, new to the country, pulled the bus over near Gospel Oak, locked passengers in and prayed to Mecca.[9] The Sun newspaper had to pay out £30,000 after allegedly misrepresenting the incidents stating that the driver was a fanatic who had forced passengers off the bus.[10]
[edit] Current route
- Pimlico Grosvenor Road
- St George's Square for Pimlico Station
- Victoria Station
- Westminster Station
- Trafalgar Square for Charing Cross Station
- Leicester Square Station
- Tottenham Court Road Station
- Goodge Street Station
- Warren Street Station
- Mornington Crescent Station
- Camden Town Station
- Chalk Farm
- Hampstead Heath South End Green (for Hampstead Heath Station and Royal Free Hospital)
[edit] Gallery
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One of the hybrid Alexander Dennis Enviro400Hs that run on the route.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Service contract to London General
- ^ London's oldest bus routes - The London Magazine
- ^ Wolmar, Christian (14 September 1992). "Hold tight on the Clapham omnibus: Next stop, privatisation". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/hold-tight-on-the-clapham-omnibus-next-stop-privatisation-christian-wolmar-surveys-the-route-to-change-on-red-buses-1551323.html.
- ^ a b Aldridge, John (April 2007). "Third operator in 19 years to run high-profile route 24". Buses (Ian Allan Publishing) (625): 20.
- ^ London steps up hybrid trials :: Bus and Coach Magazine
- ^ BBC News - "In pictures: Camden Bus Crash Retrieved 12 February 2008
- ^ BBC News - "Six hurt as roof ripped from bus" Retrieved 12 February 2008
- ^ BBC News - Bus roof ripped off by low bridge
- ^ Blake, Heidi (8 February 2010). "Muslim bus driver locks passengers aboard as he stops to pray". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7187511/Muslim-bus-driver-locks-passengers-aboard-as-he-stops-to-pray.html.
- ^ Holmwood, Leigh (26 February 2009). "Sun pays £30,000 damages to Muslim bus driver accused of fanaticism". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/26/sun-pays-damages-to-muslim-bus-driver.
