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CAPITAL slams one-person operations
Page 20
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• CAPITAL, the London passenger transport users' pressure group, wants all oneperson-operated (OPO) buses banned from central London. It claims that the rapid switch by London Buses to OPO vehicles is creating increased traffic congestion, longer waiting times, and now fears for passenger safety.
The group says that OPO buses "have proved deeply unpopular with passengers, and have provoked local protest campaigns in various parts of London. They have also been condemned by staff, the Metropolitan Police and London MPs."
According to CAPITAL, the case for using OPO buses hinges on their speed and reliability," but it claims that "London Regional Transport calculations show OPO buses are 10% slower. Also, because of the inability of a large number of people to board quickly OPO buses are much less reliabile than driver/ conductor vehicles."
The result, believes CAPITAL, "is slower buses which tend to run in herds. This discourages people from taking the bus and delays other traffic."
CAPITAL also says that LRT's claims that OPO buses save money is not true "in real terms".
CAPITAL is further concerned with the safety of passengers using OPO buses, particularly with their middle doors. It reports that "drivers cannot see the exits clearly, and as more conversions are implemented, an increasing number of passengers — mainly elderly people who need time to get off — are being caught in the doors and injured".
CAPITAL's co-ordinator, Jon Lansman, has written to Transport Secretary Paul Channon saying that LRT's plan to make inner London routes driver-only is a "grave mistake".
He also says Channon should ban OPO double deckers from an area roughly corresponding to the central fare zone.