Double deck routes temporarily operated by single deckers

[MotCO]

During this Coronavirus pandemic, bus routes are generally operating reduced timetables. Nonetheless, many are carrying few passengers. Are there any examples, either in London or elsewhere, where the usual complement of double deckers has been replaced by single deckers, both to more closely match demand, but presumably on the grounds of running costs since single deckers are generally more fuel-efficient than double deckers?

 

[JonathanH]

During this Coronavirus pandemic, bus routes are generally operating reduced timetables. Nonetheless, many are carrying few passengers. Are there any examples, either in London or elsewhere, where the usual complement of double deckers has been replaced by single deckers, both to more closely match demand, but presumably on the grounds of running costs since single deckers are generally more fuel-efficient than double deckers?

Looking at London Vehicle Finder https://lvf.io/ doesn't appear to indicate this happening. The London fleets aren't particularly well suited to this in any case.

 

[MotCO]

The London fleets aren't particularly well suited to this in any case.

Why do you say this? I'm thinking that Metrobus (Orpington) have a number of single deckers (Darts of various lengths) which could replace double deckers on routes 208, 320 and 353. I can't believe that all their Darts will be out during a Sunday timetable.

 

[JonathanH]

Why do you say this? I'm thinking that Metrobus (Orpington) have a number of single deckers (Darts of various lengths) which could replace double deckers on routes 208, 320 and 353. I can't believe that all their Darts will be out during a Sunday timetable.

They do but most of the single deckers are fairly short ones. All of the vehicles out on the 208, 320 and 353 today are double deckers.

 

[MotCO]

They do but most of the single deckers are fairly short ones. All of the vehicles out on the 208, 320 and 353 today are double deckers.

They are mostly short ones, but 731 to 750 (approx) are long ones. The shorter ones could cover the longer ones on the 126 etc, and the longer ones cover double deckers.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Double deckers will also allow those who do need to travel to socially distance more effectively. This is also one of the reasons that TPE's stopper is running as double units.

 

[ValleyLines142]

If anything, it would be the opposite, because of social distancing. My bus route is entirely double decker operated at the moment.

 

[yorkie]

I've only seen double deckers on the 1 and 5 in York, as normal. They are running to a Saturday timetable. I've never seen more than about 6 people on board in total on either of these routes this week.

 

[jcrwey]

Over the past few days the Jurassic Coaster routes in Dorset (X51, X53, X54) have been nearly exclusively worked by single deck Streetlites & B7RLEs, with the normal branded double deckers on Weymouth town routes.

 

[PG]

Since the 30th March (when reduced frequencies were further reduced) I've observed both 12m single deckers and 9m Optare Solo's operating Stagecoach North Scotland's 68 route (Aberdeen - Fraserburgh) instead of the more usual Plaxton Elite i/Volvo B11RT's.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

Stagecoach South East's "Wave" 99 (Eastbourne to Hastings) is now being exclusively run using single-deckers rather than the route branded double-deckers. It's moved to a half hour frequency instead of every 20 minutes, which still seems excessive at least at the Eastbourne end, as I've seen plenty of completely empty buses going past.

 

[Andyh82]

The X10 between Newcastle and Middlesbrough has traded in its usual Streetdeck double decks for E200MMC single decks

But on the flip side, the 20 between South Shields and Durham has swapped Streetlites for Gemini's

 

[Tetchytyke]

The buses here are on a winter Sunday timetable and it still seems to be pot luck what operates. I've seen the Streetdecks and Geminis out on the same routes as the short-wheelbase Citaros.