London General

London General

An Enviro 400 in use with London General on route 24
Slogan	The Best Seats in Town
Parent	Go-Ahead Group
Founded	1988
Service area	Greater London
Service type	Bus
Routes	63
Operator	Go-Ahead London

London General is a bus company operating in Surrey and Greater London. It is owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to London Buses. The company was named in honour of the London General Omnibus Company, the principal operator of buses in London between 1855 and 1933.

History

The modern-day London General was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited, its original logo being an omnibus in reflection of the name's history. With the privatisation of LBL in 1994, the company was originally subject to a management buy-out, before being acquired by the Go-Ahead Group in May 1996.

The company has recently moved its offices to an address in Merton, adjacent to the Merton bus garage. Prior to this they were in Mitcham.

In August 2008, Go-Ahead's London bus operations took up the new trading name of Go-Ahead London.

On 29 July 2009, Transport for London announced that East Thames Buses would be sold to London General, part of Go-Ahead London. The sale of East Thames Buses was for around £5m, which includes all assets. Although it is normal practice in London to tender for additional routes, London General will also begin a new five year contract for all East Thames Buses routes without the tendering process. The sale was completed on 3 October 2009. They operate a contract with Coulsdon College in south London to provide a school-bus service between West Croydon and the college.

Garages

The company has nine bus garages in Merton, Putney, Stockwell, Sutton, Waterloo, Waterside Way, Mandela Way and Belvedere.

Sutton (A)

Sutton bus garage

The Sutton garage holds 82 buses, and runs London bus routes 80, 151, 154, 164 (on Sundays), 413, 24-hour routes 93 and 213, and Night route N155. They also run LSP routes Tesco New Malden and Sutton services, 866.

History

Opened by the LGOC in January 1924 at cost of £30,000, Sutton bus garage had a capacity for 100 buses. During its early years, less than half of the garage was put to use, holding only 40 buses by 1926. This would change somewhat by the extension of the Underground to Morden and major house-building projects in the area. Between 1945 and 1953, it had an allocation of exactly 100 Utility Daimlers (classed as D's) numbered from D182 - D281. By 1952, the garage had a PVR of 128, achieved mainly by parking buses in surrounding streets. However, this would soon fall again, to 100 in 1966, 82 in 1976 and 62 in 1987. The garage was passed over to the re-born 'London General' bus company in the run-up to privatization in 1985. Sutton Garage also partly took control of route 200 at a yard in Colliers Wood (AA) in 1989, after Cityrama withdrew from their contract. Sutton was responsible for providing drivers for the service, whilst Merton Garage were contracted to do the maintenance. By 1994, the garage PVR had grown to 85 and again to 92 in 2001, including 10 buses subcontracted to Surrey County Council.

Sutton also helped when Carshalton closed in 1964.

Sutton previously ran another night bus, the N213 (between Kingston and Sutton on the 213 then on most of the 154 route to Croydon), but was discontinued by TfL in July 2009, claiming it was not well used. As a replacement, they made the 213 a 24 hour service which, as a result, was not good enough to help the people living in between Sutton and Croydon, and in Carshalton and Wallington. There has been a few protests by local people to bring the bus back saying it was used a lot for people commuting back from late nights out and people getting to work early in the morning. Local people still want the bus back, as this is causing people to walk home or pay for a over priced cab at night. TfL has not realised the problems its caused with people living between Sutton and Croydon.

Bus types in use

• Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (LDP) for route 866.
• Volvo B7TL 10m Plaxton President (PVL) for route 213 and for contract hire.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for route 213.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m / Optare Olympus (DOE) for routes 93, 151, 154 and N155.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m / Optare Esteem (SOE) for routes 80 and 164.
• Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine II (NV) for special hire and events.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) for route 413.

Putney (AF)

Putney bus garage

The Putney garage holds 112 buses, and runs London bus routes 22, 74, 424, 430, 670, 24-hour routes 14 and 85, and Night routes N22 and N74.

History

With its ancestry going back to the horse bus days of the 1880s, Chelverton Road Garage was converted to a motor-bus garage in 1912. The garage is well hidden in a side road with a modest frontage, yet it has an allocation of 112. It has been modernised twice, firstly in 1935 and then again in 1985. The garage was well known for being allocated the pre-war RTs in 1940 which displaced the STLs. During the war the garage was underutilised and was used to store de-licensed buses. Re-named to Putney in 1963 after the closure of Putney Bridge garage (F) it started to receive RMs and later RMLs for its central London routes. The RMLs remained at the garage until July 2005 when both the 14 and 22 were converted to low floor one-person-operated buses.

Bus types in use

• Dennis Dart SLF 8.8m / Alexander Dennis Pointer 2 (LDP) for route 424.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for routes 14, 22, 74, 85, 430, 670, N22 and N74.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Enviro 400 (VE) for route 85.

Merton (AL)

The Merton garage holds 162 buses, and runs London bus routes 44, 77, 118, 155, 163, 164 (Monday to Saturday), 200, 201, 219, 270, 280, 355, 655 and the first few outbound journeys on Night Bus route N155. It also operates some duties on route 22 on Sundays. It also runs the St. Bedes School private bus services 514 and 519, which run between the Caterham area and the school, on behalf of Surrey County Council.

History

Merton was for many years the largest of the LGOC's garages, and continued to boast high allocations in the early days of London Transport, including 222 STL-class AEC Regents in 1935, and all of the first 181 D-class utility Daimlers in 1950.

The garage was modernised in 1960, and again in 1991 when a new roof was fitted and various stores and welfare areas were moved to provide a larger, unobstructed parking area, which had previously been renowned for being long and narrow. Some buses were parked at a yard in nearby Colliers Wood during the rebuilding project. Over recent years, the allocation total has fluctuated between 83 and 134, never really coming close to the garage's original high capacity. Merton was also responsible for the maintenance of vehicles for route 200 in 1988/9 after the withdrawal of the Cityrama sightseeing company, whilst the route was operated from Sutton garage.

The garage has recently become Go-Ahead London's head office, following the sale of Raleigh House (Mitcham) and the acquisition of the former pub next door.

London General have successfully gained the contract for route 249 and from 31 March 2012, it will be operated from this garage.

Bus types in use

• Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (LDP) for routes 201, 219 and 355.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (PVL) for routes 44, 77, 155, 200, 270, 280 and 655.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for route 118.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) for route 200.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m / Optare Esteem (SOE) for routes 163 and 164.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 9.9m / Optare Olympus (DOE) for route 163.
• VDL SB120 9.2m / Volvo Merit (DW) for route 201.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for routes 44, 77, 155, 163, 270, 280 and 655.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) to be introduced on route 249 from March 2012.

Belvedere (BV)

The Belvedere garage holds 27 buses, and runs London bus routes 180, 244, 669 and Night route N1.

History

Belvedere was purchased by Harris Bus in 1998 to house its operations that moved from Crayford. Harris Bus went into receivership in 2000, and its routes and garage were taken over by London Buses under the guise of East Thames Buses. Since then, East Thames Buses has become a unit taking over routes from defunct operators such as London Easylink's 42 & 185. Following the move to Mandela Way the engineering is now done there, however limited engineering facilities exist at Belvedere.

East Thames Buses was sold to Go-Ahead London (London General) in October 2009. As a result of the purchase by Go-ahead some route and allocation movements have taken or are due to take place. On 7 November 2009 route 132 transferred to Nearby Bexleyheath Garage (BX) and its contract placed with London Central. On 1 May 2010 route 108 transfrred to New Cross garage, 185 to Camberwell garage and 661 and part of 669 to Bexleyheath garage.

Even Though Belvedere is a London General Garage it now operates as a satellite of London Central's Bexleyheath Garage (BX). All BV's Engineering and fleet management is done at or organised by BX, in addition BV's staff and Operational Management is also undertaken by BX.

Bus types in use

• Volvo B7TL 10.6m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (VWL) for routes 180 and N1.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (VP) for route 669.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) for route 244.

Mandela Way (MW)

The Mandela Way garage runs London bus routes 1, 453, 507, 521, 624, 658 and N1.

Bus types in use

• Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro 12m (MEC) for routes 507 and 521.
• Volvo B7TL 10.6m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (VWL) for route 1 and N1.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for routes 624 and 658.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for routes 453, 624 and 658.

Waterside Way (PL)

The Waterside Way garage runs London bus routes 39, 485 and G1. This depot also acts as a storage for the training bus fleet.

London General have successfully gained the contract for route 493 and from 31 March 2012, it will be operated from this garage.

Bus types in use

• Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Alexander Dennis Pointer 2 (LDP) for route 39 and 485.
• Dennis Dart SLF 8.8m / Alexander Dennis Pointer 2 (LDP) for route G1.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) to be introduced on route 493 from March 2012.

Waterloo (RA)

The Red Arrow articulated bus fleet at Waterloo

The Waterloo garage holds 36 Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses for use on Red Arrow buses 507 and 521.

History

The garage was opened as a bus garage in the early 1980s and was used as a Red Arrow garage and had the 11's as RML in 1990s. The garage is only operated Monday to Friday due to its proximity to residential properties.

Bus types in use

• Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro 12m (MEC) for routes 507 and 521.

Stockwell (SW)

The Stockwell garage holds 185 buses, and runs London bus routes 11, 87, 170, 196, 315, 333, 337, 639, 670 (AM journey), 24-hour routes 24, 88 and 345, and Night route N11, N44, and N87.

History

Opened in 1952 after nearly 4 years of planning and building with many materials short of supply and problems re-housing residents of the houses that stood on the site. Stockwell garage is a listed building, and when built was a masterpiece of architectural design incorporating a new roof structure that did not need supports which enabled for a 73,350-square-foot (6,814 m²) unobstructed parking space. The offices and workshops are on the edges of the garage but do not take up any of the parking space. In the first few days of operation the garage ran just 11 buses on route 178 which had moved from Rye Lane (Peckham), but then gained more work from the next stage of the tram replacement program for which it had been designed for, but it was still well short of capacity. More work arrived in late 1953 and early 1954 when routes 77 and 77A (now 87) moved from Victoria garage due to recruitment problems, and the closure of Nunhead which increased the PVR to 110 buses. In the early 1970s the Round London Sightseeing Tours moved to Stockwell. In 1984 Stockwell was chosen to conduct comparative testing on route 170, consisting of MCW Metrobuses, Leyland Titans, Leyland Olympians, Dennis Dominators, and Volvo Ailsas. The allocation steadied at around 120 for many years, but has increased in the last few years, partially due to taking back full control of route 11 from RA.

London General have successfully gained the contracts for routes 19 and N19 and from 31 March 2012, they will be operated from this garage.

Bus types in use

• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.8m (SE) for route 170.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for routes 24, 88, 196, 337 and 345.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro400H hybrid 10.1m (EH) for route 24.
• Dennis Dart SLF 8.8m / Alexander Dennis Pointer 2 (LDP) for route 315.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (PVL) for route 87.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / Alexander Dennis Pointer 2 (DP) for route 170.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for routes 11, 88, 333, 639, 670, N11, N44 and N87.
• Wright Gemini 2 DL 10.4m (WDL) for route 88.
• Wright Pulsar Gemini HEV (WHD) for route 24.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) to be introduced partially on routes 19 and N19 from March 2012.
• Volvo B5L Hybrid 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WHV) to be introduced partially on routes 19 and N19 from March 2012.

See also

• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

External links

• London General Website
• Go-Ahead Group Website