Hi everyone,

I've been contacted by one of the drivers of the Big Dance Bus, formerly RML 2635.

The bus is an initiative set up by the Mayor and Arts Council, promoting dance across the capital.

For the last few months the bus has been touring the capital stopping off at festivals and events promoting dance.

They are looking for a driver for two dates in September, to pick the bus up from its Enfield base and drive it to the location of the day. They then set up a dance stage in front of the bus and do their thing for a few hours.

At the end of the event the driver, naturally has to return the bus to its Enfield base.

Pick up time is roughly 7:30AM, with return between 6PM and 6:30PM.

They are offering to pay the driver for their services.

The dates are;
September 3rd QE2 Park Stratford
September 10th Hounslow High Street.

If you are interested, or know someone who would be, please drop me an e-mail and I can put you in touch with them.

Many thanks.

Lynda

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

Initiative???? Huh! hadn't the mayor better get onto Mr Hendy about borrowing his bus for the event? Because that's the only Routemaster which is ULEZ compliant.

When does the ULEZ come into force ?

I thought that it was 2020. And which vehicles are exempt ? I think it is time to check all the facts and write a definitive understanding of what is happening / how it affects our vehicles.

My bus number (if any): RM1368

The new Mayor has brought it forward to 2019 I believe - two stages one central London then out to the North and South Circulars a year later - I thought RM's still exempt but who knows if goal posts have been changed ? Tfl website will have up to date details no doubt somewhere.

My bus number (if any): RML2747

Vehicles built before the relevant date will be exempt, however this only applies to those taxed as historic. The TfL site makes quite clear that vehicles used commercially will NOT be exempt from the ULEZ.

So owners can breathe a huge sigh of relief until it dawns that the £ in their Routemaster is now worth less.

I was at a a meeting of the local branch of the Confederation of Passenger transport last week and asked the question of the top bods there. They didn't know the answer but will raise the matter with TfL.

The current exemption is for ALL historic vehicles to be exempt from LEZ regulations regardless of use. When the LEZ was mooted about 14 years ago I was given the task of researching how many historic buses were likely to be in use on any one day in London. Apart from the TfL RMs, it worked out that there were about 60 historic buses in operation or available for psv operation in the London area. The concern of the authorities was that there was a fleet of elderly coaches that operators would suddenly bring back into service overnight to overcome the LEZ regulations.
They were assured that such a fleet didn't exist as coach operators usually replaced their tourist fleets every 5 years or so.

Today the number of RMs operating in and around London seems to have increased with everyone and his dog thinking they can make a fortune out of running them for weddings. It would be interesting to see how many there are today in regular psv service in London.

To exclude ALL historic psv's from the ULEZ would be a serious retrograde step. How would they define a psv? By taxation? Whether it has a CoIF? Age? Some are taxed "historic" in winter, PSV in summer. Some of the more interesting vehicles include the Tilling ST and K type from the London Bus Museum; the operating fleet in the LT Museum, the Ensign museum fleet, the Roger Wright fleet, my own couple of buses, the tea and scones fleet...

Facts given at my recent meeting were that 78% of emissions in London come from central heating boilers. Had psv's been responsible for a lot of pollution, why have pollution levels gone up considerably since the introduction of all those very low emission buses and taxis?

I will be on the case along with the top bods at the CPT.

My bus number (if any): RML2532

TfL are only too pleased to have vintage buses in service when the RMT call another strike on the Undergound about manning levels and safety (and I am in FULL support of them). Hopefully if the commercial opearation of such vehicles is subject to the ULEZ the 01ers will learn how to walk.

Lots of thoughts off topic there.

It's a shame the charity can't find a driver though.

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

Sorry about going off-topic!

There seems to be a lot of RM enthusiasts around who say they want to drive them but when it comes to the crunch they're not interested. Sorry I can't be of help.

My bus number (if any): RML2532

That's ok Roy,

I appreciate your words.

They still have a month, you never know what might happen.

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

Are you looking for a paid driver or voluntary driver?

My bus number (if any): RML2532

I'm told they are willing to pay at least £100 per day.

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

might be worth contacting the routemaster association to see if they can put the word around for you about a volunteer driver

My bus number (if any): RML2391

I'm disappointed to report that in the words of the Routemaster Association, they won't assist non-members, even if it is for a charity.

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

Charity? it may meet the criteria with HMRC, but the man on the Clapham Omnibus tends to view these things with a little more circumspection. He probably see this as load of arty-farty luvvies poncing about and showing off. There are plenty of drivers willing to volunteer to crew historic buses, but they tend to be a little choosy about whom they wish to support. The offer of £100ish for what appears to be at least an 11hr London shift is not particularly attractive either. Should this have been an appeal by the likes of the RNLI, NSPCC etc. then there would probably have been numerous offers to volunteer, but the involvement of the mayor is probably the kiss of death to this one.

As it's an event supported by the Mayor, I'd expect that Leon Daniels' office is the place to look for assistance. Other than that, they could probably hire a driver from Sullivans or Ensigns.
Have they asked you officially to get a driver or are there others trying to recruit drivers from within the organisation, with the risk that it's already been sorted out. Nothing on their website about wanting drivers!?
Also, I don't understand why the Mayor supporting this event which is part of a worldwide initiative that brings enjoyment to thousands of people able bodied and disabled would cause a problem getting people to volunteer...

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RM 1585, RMC 1458 and several RTs

Hello linda

It simply isn't the case of not helping a non member, not even for charity and I believe this to be somewhat misquoted.
As a non member we know nothing about you, the charity or indeed the vehicle and its operation. Is it an HGV or PSV? Is it maintained to the required standards? Where is your usual driver? I assume as a bus operator the charity have all these things in place but we simply do not know. The association is manned by volunteers with limited time available. If the Routemaster is a big part of the charity why would they not be members or is it just a bus to them and simply a mode of transport? Perhaps the drivers or the charity need to contact us.
We try to help where we can but need to prioritise. Currently we are busy dealing with many issues for members leaving little time for other items to be dealt with. Of course were you to become a member we would have to include it in our priority list.
There are benefits in being a member. Reductions on parts prices for one and running a routemaster will mean buying parts. We always welcome new members especially those with a bus AND a story to tell. As press and publicity officer I would be happy to call them to do a peice for our magazine. Alternatively please email me information of the events with bus related photographs and I will have something written. My contact details are on the RMOOA website.
I am not a Facebook user so do not fully understand how it works. Can you not post a request on our Facebook page for all to see?

My bus number (if any): M1001 RML2276 T806

They only wanted the driver to drive to the event and then drive the bus back afterwards.

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

I was approached by one of the drivers who had my contact details because I had taken some photos of the bus. I've given then some other contact details.

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

Hi David,

It's not a misquote.

To be honest, I'm just trying to help them out. They came to me, as they didn't know where else to go. I didn't want to stir up a hornet's nest over this. I've contacted everyone I could think of, so I'm out of ideas now.

They have a website at http://www.bigdance.org.uk/bus/

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

Not a misquote? You said the line you wrote were the words of the association. That is untrue. The email sent to you clearly said, and I quote;

This is a service that we offer to members, but we do not think that this vehicle is owned by one of our members.

Sorry that we cannot help.

It appears you have reworded that email and added the line not even for a charity. That is at best mischievous, at worst defamatory. Unfortunately these things remain in the public domain forever and someone reading this may get the wrong impression. As such I feel strongly I have to dispute your statement and look forward to its correction or withdrawal.

My bus number (if any): M1001 RML2276 T806

Ok,

I didn't mean it to be defamatory. It wasn't my intention at all. To assume I'm intentionally being mischievous is a misinterpretation of what I was saying.

It still stands that what I'm saying is correct at its core. There was no interest in helping the charity because the owners of the bus were not members.

To make this watertight clear, I will say that the response indicates that the owner has to be a member to Association, regardless of their background. I understand this, and I don't want to single this out as an anti-charity thing, which it isn't.

I wasn't actually asking the Association for help as such. I just thought someone might know someone who would want the job and the cash.

I have an immense respect for people who take the time, effort and investment in protecting the transport heritage of London. That goes without saying. People who have encountered me know me to be enthusiastic and supportive of the circuit. A number of my donations sit in the Brooklands museum.

The greatest problem with the modern technical world of e-mail and forums is that misinterpretation is commonplace and you can't read someone's real feelings and intentions in a message.

Clarity rarely appears immediately and it's easy to take offence when none is intended.

My bus number (if any): RML 2561 (The bits I saved anyway!)

I'm closing this thread now but not deleting it.

My bus number (if any): RMs 238, 471 and 2213, GS17