One advantage the 'New Routemaster' has over the old other than speed, is that it has two staircases.

20% of car drivers are unfit to drive, I've found that whether driving my RM, driving my vintage Beetle, riding my bicycle and even walking.

Drove the bus along the A10 dual carriageway last weekend - terrifying the speed maniacs made it. Also had a car pull out point blank - 'sorry mate, didn't see you'!

It is not only preserved buses that travel slowly on A roads and motorways. In recent times my colleagues and I have driven the likes of Volvo B7's and Dennis Tridents on these roads when running light to rail replacement jobs and other garages. First Group used to set the speed limiters to between 30 and 37 mph. Not too much of a problem with other professional drivers, although a couple of times I saw a left hand drive artic in the mirror approaching a bit smartish. After dark it was best to put the interior lights on, or at least the offside ones, to make the bus stand out. The problem seems to be cars and vans who treat their vehicles as an extension of their front room or office, fiddling with mobile phones and various gadgets while driving. I remember the Quest tv programme about a heavy haulage firm, where a car hit the lorry's trailer when joining a motorway, The truck was a slow moving abnormal load carrying STGO Cat 1 plates and beacons and other high visibility stuff, so if the car driver did not see that what else can be done.

My bus number (if any): RT 1702 Society