如說倫敦的紅色雙層巴士 (公共汽車)是這裡的一個著名標誌,相信不會有太多異議。很多遊客來到倫敦,都忍不住要跟這裡的巴士拍照。現在還有幾輛雙層的, 圓圓的舊款Routemaster 巴士行走 9 號和15號路線 (聽說七月中開始9號路線不會再用舊款 Routemaster)。筆者雖然不是一個瘋狂巴士迷,但由於這裡的巴士歷史悠久,加上使用巴士既方便,也可以看風景, 所以自搬到倫敦以來對這裡的巴士漸感興趣,曾經到過位於市中心 Covent Garden 的倫敦公共交通博物館 (London Transport Museum)和在倫敦西郊的 Acton Depot 車庫參觀。
上週末風和日麗,在星期天早上,平常交通繁忙, 途人熙來攘往的 Regent Street 被封路,然後差不多五十輛不同年代的巴士緩緩駛至,停泊在馬路上。由於二零一四年是「巴士年」,倫敦公共交通局和倫敦公共交通博物館合辦了一個大型巴士展覽,讓這些平時只能在不同博物館和舊車庫裡才能難得一見的巴士都停泊在一起讓市民參觀。除了歷史最悠久的馬動巴士外,其他的在當天都讓市民登上, 一些長者都不忘坐上舊巴士上懷舊一番, 而從沒有見過這些舊巴士的年輕人就帶著好奇的心理在車上拍照。
其實倫敦巴士歷史真的十分悠久,早在十九世紀初期便已經有由馬匹帶動的巴士在繁華的首都路上行駛。由於這種馬動巴士十分受歡迎,所以在很短的時間便有好幾家巴士公司相繼成立去爭取生意。當時的巴士公司為了標榜自己的巴士,不同公司的巴士車身被塗上不同顏色以資識別。其中一家巴士公司叫 London General Omnibus Company (簡稱 LGOC), 他們把巴士車身塗上紅色,好讓乘客不論晴天雨天也能從老遠便看見。後來 LGOC 把其他巴士公司歸立旗下,從此以後所有倫敦的巴士都給塗上紅色。
在巴士展覽裡得悉,用汽油行駛的巴士原來早在二十世紀初便投入服務。那時候馬動巴士和汽油引動的巴士共存,但當一九一四年第一次世界大戰爆發時,負責帶動馬動巴士的馬兒都給送往戰場上作戰,馬動巴士便從此消失。當時也有不少的新型汽油引動巴士被送到戰場用作運送士兵之用。至於遊客都熟悉的經典 Routemaster 巴士,其實是在一九五零年代才開始出現在倫敦的街上, 一直到八十年代慢慢退役。現在一般的巴士都是從車前方的門上車,車中央的門下車,但是時常有坐在上層後座的乘客還沒及下車司機便開車, 十分不便。加上不少人都懷念舊款的 Routemaster 巴士,倫敦市長在聽取民意後便找人設計了全新的 Routemaster 巴士。 這些 Routemaster 巴士在二零一二年正式投入服務,由於這款巴士是市長的主意,而市長名叫 Boris Johnson,所以人們都喜歡叫這款巴士做 Boris bus。 這款新型巴士的特色是有前,中,後三扇門,每扇門旁都設有智能卡閱讀器, 乘客可從任何一扇門上下車。巴士上設有前後兩條樓梯, 坐在上層後座的乘客也能很迅速下車。現在有好幾條路線全是採用這種新型巴士,在市中心不難遇上。
倫敦有好幾家經營觀光巴士的公司,路線大概相同, 都是圍繞倫敦市內不同的名勝行駛。但是這些觀光巴士絕不廉宜, 成人一天車票要二十五英鎊左右。近幾年倫敦的巴士票價逐年遞增, 現在成人單程票價劃一要一鎊四十五便士, 但相比觀光巴士,坐普通巴士到處觀光還是既廉宜,又方便。倫敦市中心有很多路線縱橫交錯,讀者如果打算來倫敦旅遊,不妨從倫敦公共交通局的網站下載一個市中心巴士地圖,便能容易找到適合的巴士線用作觀光用。除了曾提及的9號和15號外,還有11號,24號,RV1號等路經大笨鐘,聖保羅大教堂等的名勝。
最後是兩個小提示,倫敦巴士從七月六日開始不再收取現金,只接受 Oyster 智能卡或附有智能輕觸式科技的信用卡/銀行卡 (contactless credit/debit cards),如想坐巴士最好先到地鐵站買 Oyster 智能卡。還有,每個巴士站的路線牌上都寫有該巴士站的五位編號,如有智能手機可以上網便能上倫敦公共交通局的網頁,在巴士到站倒數功能內輸入巴士站編號來查詢下一班巴士到站時間。這功能在冬天尤其方便,如查到巴士還有十分鐘才來,便可以躲在室內長一點才走到巴士站上車。
上週末風和日麗,在星期天早上,平常交通繁忙, 途人熙來攘往的 Regent Street 被封路,然後差不多五十輛不同年代的巴士緩緩駛至,停泊在馬路上。由於二零一四年是「巴士年」,倫敦公共交通局和倫敦公共交通博物館合辦了一個大型巴士展覽,讓這些平時只能在不同博物館和舊車庫裡才能難得一見的巴士都停泊在一起讓市民參觀。除了歷史最悠久的馬動巴士外,其他的在當天都讓市民登上, 一些長者都不忘坐上舊巴士上懷舊一番, 而從沒有見過這些舊巴士的年輕人就帶著好奇的心理在車上拍照。
其實倫敦巴士歷史真的十分悠久,早在十九世紀初期便已經有由馬匹帶動的巴士在繁華的首都路上行駛。由於這種馬動巴士十分受歡迎,所以在很短的時間便有好幾家巴士公司相繼成立去爭取生意。當時的巴士公司為了標榜自己的巴士,不同公司的巴士車身被塗上不同顏色以資識別。其中一家巴士公司叫 London General Omnibus Company (簡稱 LGOC), 他們把巴士車身塗上紅色,好讓乘客不論晴天雨天也能從老遠便看見。後來 LGOC 把其他巴士公司歸立旗下,從此以後所有倫敦的巴士都給塗上紅色。
在巴士展覽裡得悉,用汽油行駛的巴士原來早在二十世紀初便投入服務。那時候馬動巴士和汽油引動的巴士共存,但當一九一四年第一次世界大戰爆發時,負責帶動馬動巴士的馬兒都給送往戰場上作戰,馬動巴士便從此消失。當時也有不少的新型汽油引動巴士被送到戰場用作運送士兵之用。至於遊客都熟悉的經典 Routemaster 巴士,其實是在一九五零年代才開始出現在倫敦的街上, 一直到八十年代慢慢退役。現在一般的巴士都是從車前方的門上車,車中央的門下車,但是時常有坐在上層後座的乘客還沒及下車司機便開車, 十分不便。加上不少人都懷念舊款的 Routemaster 巴士,倫敦市長在聽取民意後便找人設計了全新的 Routemaster 巴士。 這些 Routemaster 巴士在二零一二年正式投入服務,由於這款巴士是市長的主意,而市長名叫 Boris Johnson,所以人們都喜歡叫這款巴士做 Boris bus。 這款新型巴士的特色是有前,中,後三扇門,每扇門旁都設有智能卡閱讀器, 乘客可從任何一扇門上下車。巴士上設有前後兩條樓梯, 坐在上層後座的乘客也能很迅速下車。現在有好幾條路線全是採用這種新型巴士,在市中心不難遇上。
倫敦有好幾家經營觀光巴士的公司,路線大概相同, 都是圍繞倫敦市內不同的名勝行駛。但是這些觀光巴士絕不廉宜, 成人一天車票要二十五英鎊左右。近幾年倫敦的巴士票價逐年遞增, 現在成人單程票價劃一要一鎊四十五便士, 但相比觀光巴士,坐普通巴士到處觀光還是既廉宜,又方便。倫敦市中心有很多路線縱橫交錯,讀者如果打算來倫敦旅遊,不妨從倫敦公共交通局的網站下載一個市中心巴士地圖,便能容易找到適合的巴士線用作觀光用。除了曾提及的9號和15號外,還有11號,24號,RV1號等路經大笨鐘,聖保羅大教堂等的名勝。
最後是兩個小提示,倫敦巴士從七月六日開始不再收取現金,只接受 Oyster 智能卡或附有智能輕觸式科技的信用卡/銀行卡 (contactless credit/debit cards),如想坐巴士最好先到地鐵站買 Oyster 智能卡。還有,每個巴士站的路線牌上都寫有該巴士站的五位編號,如有智能手機可以上網便能上倫敦公共交通局的網頁,在巴士到站倒數功能內輸入巴士站編號來查詢下一班巴士到站時間。這功能在冬天尤其方便,如查到巴士還有十分鐘才來,便可以躲在室內長一點才走到巴士站上車。
London buses is such an icon of this city that one can find all sorts of bus souvenirs in souvenir shops around the West End. Although the tube is convenient, but it was really the buses which helped me recognise places and landmarks when I first moved here six years ago. And thanks to buses, I have discovered many more interesting places the city has to offer. From the centre of the city, one can pretty much cover all of London by bus, and even all the way to the home counties such as Essex and Surrey. I cannot say I am a bus nut, but I have been to London Transport Museum in Covent Garden and Acton Depot so I have seen quite a few buses from different eras in my time.
Being the Year of the Bus, TFL and London Transport Museum held a cavalcade on Regent Street last Sunday. It was a fantastic event as the street was closed for pretty much the whole day, and some fifty buses from 1829 to present day were on show, plus there was music and food stalls, giving it a festival atmosphere. Some of these buses are normally housed in depots and garages, some in museums, so it was a rare occasion for them all to be in one place. Except for the oldest horse drawn omnibus, the public were allowed on all the buses that day. While some elderly people hopped onto the old buses to reminisce the good old days, younger people, having never seen these older buses in their lives, were curiously snapping away with their smartphones.
I learnt in the cavalcade that the first bus appeared in London in 1829. At the time, buses were drawn by horses and the first services were between Paddington and the City. These horse drawn buses quickly drew popularity especially for those who had to commute to the city for work from the countryside. As demand soared, in the short space of time several bus companies sprung up, all competing for business. In order to distinguish themselves, different companies would paint their buses in different colours. London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) painted theirs red to make them stand out, as potential passengers could spot them from a long distance away. Eventually LGOC bought out and consolidated bus business in the capital, and since then all buses have been painted red. They also introduced the numbering system of buses.
Motor buses were introduced as early as 1902, and in the next ten years or so both horse drawn buses and motor buses ran alongside each other in the streets of London. However, with the onset of World War I in 1914, the horses which were used to run the horse drawn buses were sent to the battlefields in Flanders, and since then horse drawn buses disappeared. During the war, some of motor buses were also sent to relief war effort by transporting soldiers. As for the iconic Routemaster buses, they did not appear in London until the 1950's. They kept London going for several decades before slowly retiring in the 1980's. Nowdays, only route number 9 and 15 still runs a small number of old Routemasters, and it's been said that they will be taken out of service on route number 9, so one needs to be quite lucky to spot one on the street.
Buses nowadays only have the front door for boarding and centre door for exiting, which makes it quite difficult at times for passengers who sit at the back of the upper deck to get off before the driver shuts the door and takes off. Given that, and the fact that people miss the old Routemasters, the mayor ordered new Routemasters to be designed and built. The first new Routemasters rolled out of the factory in 2012, and have three doors - front, centre and back and there are stairs at both end of the bus. Passengers can get on and off from any door, as there are Oyster card readers at each. This makes the journey much smoother as it takes less time for people to board and disembark. Aside from some teething problems, they have been proved popular. Since it was the current mayor Boris Johnson who introduced these buses, people here generally just call them Boris bus.
There are a number of sightseeing bus companies in London, and they're hugely popular with tourists. But as tourists, I personally think it's more interesting, not to say much cheaper, to sightsee using London buses. While sightseeing buses would set you back £25 a day (for adults), despite bus fares being raised each year in the last few years, it is still only £1.45 per bus ride, and it's capped at £4.40 per day if you pay by Oyster. Anyone who wants to utilise London buses to sightsee can download a central London bus map from TFL website. Several routes are particularly scenic, aside from routes number 9 and 15 mentioned above, routes number 11, 24 and RV1 etc are also great for seeing all the famous sights in the city.
Two little tips for those who may consider using buses while they're in London. Firstly, from 6th July, London buses will no accept cash payments, so either get yourself an Oyster card at a tube station, or use a contactless credit or debit card for payment. Lastly, for those who have data on their smartphones, TFL website has this smart little function called countdown. You just need to note the five digit bus stop number located on the bus stop sign, key in the five digit number in the countdown site and you get to see when the next bus will arrive. I have to say this is a pretty neat little function, for it is especially handy in winter, where I would check bus times before leaving the flat, and if I know the bus is still ages away I would just stay indoors a little longer!
Being the Year of the Bus, TFL and London Transport Museum held a cavalcade on Regent Street last Sunday. It was a fantastic event as the street was closed for pretty much the whole day, and some fifty buses from 1829 to present day were on show, plus there was music and food stalls, giving it a festival atmosphere. Some of these buses are normally housed in depots and garages, some in museums, so it was a rare occasion for them all to be in one place. Except for the oldest horse drawn omnibus, the public were allowed on all the buses that day. While some elderly people hopped onto the old buses to reminisce the good old days, younger people, having never seen these older buses in their lives, were curiously snapping away with their smartphones.
I learnt in the cavalcade that the first bus appeared in London in 1829. At the time, buses were drawn by horses and the first services were between Paddington and the City. These horse drawn buses quickly drew popularity especially for those who had to commute to the city for work from the countryside. As demand soared, in the short space of time several bus companies sprung up, all competing for business. In order to distinguish themselves, different companies would paint their buses in different colours. London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) painted theirs red to make them stand out, as potential passengers could spot them from a long distance away. Eventually LGOC bought out and consolidated bus business in the capital, and since then all buses have been painted red. They also introduced the numbering system of buses.
Motor buses were introduced as early as 1902, and in the next ten years or so both horse drawn buses and motor buses ran alongside each other in the streets of London. However, with the onset of World War I in 1914, the horses which were used to run the horse drawn buses were sent to the battlefields in Flanders, and since then horse drawn buses disappeared. During the war, some of motor buses were also sent to relief war effort by transporting soldiers. As for the iconic Routemaster buses, they did not appear in London until the 1950's. They kept London going for several decades before slowly retiring in the 1980's. Nowdays, only route number 9 and 15 still runs a small number of old Routemasters, and it's been said that they will be taken out of service on route number 9, so one needs to be quite lucky to spot one on the street.
Buses nowadays only have the front door for boarding and centre door for exiting, which makes it quite difficult at times for passengers who sit at the back of the upper deck to get off before the driver shuts the door and takes off. Given that, and the fact that people miss the old Routemasters, the mayor ordered new Routemasters to be designed and built. The first new Routemasters rolled out of the factory in 2012, and have three doors - front, centre and back and there are stairs at both end of the bus. Passengers can get on and off from any door, as there are Oyster card readers at each. This makes the journey much smoother as it takes less time for people to board and disembark. Aside from some teething problems, they have been proved popular. Since it was the current mayor Boris Johnson who introduced these buses, people here generally just call them Boris bus.
There are a number of sightseeing bus companies in London, and they're hugely popular with tourists. But as tourists, I personally think it's more interesting, not to say much cheaper, to sightsee using London buses. While sightseeing buses would set you back £25 a day (for adults), despite bus fares being raised each year in the last few years, it is still only £1.45 per bus ride, and it's capped at £4.40 per day if you pay by Oyster. Anyone who wants to utilise London buses to sightsee can download a central London bus map from TFL website. Several routes are particularly scenic, aside from routes number 9 and 15 mentioned above, routes number 11, 24 and RV1 etc are also great for seeing all the famous sights in the city.
Two little tips for those who may consider using buses while they're in London. Firstly, from 6th July, London buses will no accept cash payments, so either get yourself an Oyster card at a tube station, or use a contactless credit or debit card for payment. Lastly, for those who have data on their smartphones, TFL website has this smart little function called countdown. You just need to note the five digit bus stop number located on the bus stop sign, key in the five digit number in the countdown site and you get to see when the next bus will arrive. I have to say this is a pretty neat little function, for it is especially handy in winter, where I would check bus times before leaving the flat, and if I know the bus is still ages away I would just stay indoors a little longer!