London Buses route 73

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73
LT 468 (LTZ 1468) Arriva London New Routemaster (17236751253).jpg
New Routemaster in May 2015
Overview
Operator Arriva London
Night-time Night Bus N73
Route
Start Stoke Newington
Via Newington Green
Angel
King's Cross
Oxford Circus
End Victoria bus station

London Buses route 73 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Stoke Newington and Victoria bus station, it is operated by Arriva London.

History[edit]

Route 73 commenced on 30 November 1914, and originally ran from King's Cross to Barnes via Euston Road, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Hammersmith.[1]

In August 1994 the route, at the time operated by Leaside Buses, was used to test satellite monitoring of buses in an effort to reduce bunching.[2]

On 4 September 2004 route 73 was converted to one-man operation, with the AEC Routemasters replaced by Mercedes-Benz O530G articulated buses.[citation needed] This change was intended to improve peak capacity and decrease boarding times; however, a Transport for London advertising campaign to this effect was prohibited by the Advertising Standards Agency as the claims were misleading.[3] Fare evasion on the route increased after the introduction of articulated vehicles, leading some passengers to nickname the route 'seventy-free'.[4] The route was used to test the iBus system in 2007.[5]

The bus route passes many tourist attractions such as Marble Arch, British Library, and Clissold Park.[6] The Daily Telegraph called the route one of the "best routes for sightseeing on a shoestring".[7] In August 2014, two buses on the route were fitted with equipment designed to enhance bus drivers' awareness of pedestrians and cyclists as part of a six-week trial.[8][9][10][11] The route was chosen because it was "most likely to encounter packed seas of distracted shopping people and cyclists".[12]

New Routemasters were introduced on 16 May 2015. The rear platform remains closed at all times except for when the bus is at bus stops.[13]

Current route[edit]

Route 73 operates via these primary locations:[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Motor Omnibus Routes in London, Vol 3: January 1913 - February 1915 London Historical Research Group of the Omnibus Society 1991
  2. ^ Gulf war satellites track the No 73 bus The Independent 18 August 1994
  3. ^ BBC News | London | Bendy bus ads complaints upheld
  4. ^ "Final Day Of The Bendy Bus On Route 73". londonist.com. 2 September 2011. 
  5. ^ The London Daily News - One more death on London roads caused by London buses
  6. ^ Wittich, John (1997). London Bus-Top Tourist. Sigma Leisure. pp. 109–114. ISBN 9781850584308. 
  7. ^ Edwards, Rhiannon (29 April 2014). "Tube strike? See more of London by bus". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 April 2014. 
  8. ^ Rasiah, Janine (4 August 2014). "Groundbreaking bus sensors to be piloted on Stratford route". Newham Recorder. Retrieved 5 August 2014. 
  9. ^ Hedges-Stocks, Zoah (6 August 2014). "London buses to get free wifi and cycle safety sensors". London 24. Retrieved 10 August 2014. 
  10. ^ Murphy, Margi (4 August 2014). "London buses get safety sensor technology". Computer World UK. Retrieved 10 August 2014. 
  11. ^ "London bus technology to detect cyclists trialled". BBC News. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014. 
  12. ^ Cutlack, Gary (1 August 2014). "Four London Buses Kitted Out With Radar and Cameras in New Safety Push". Gizmodo. Retrieved 10 August 2014. 
  13. ^ Press Release Transport For London
  14. ^ Route 73 Map Transport for London

External links[edit]