LBL staff slate plans
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• Engineering staff at London Buses (LBL) have slated Government plans to restructure the company into 14 autonomous companies arguing that the plans would mean "commercial suicide".
In their latest submission to London Regional Transport (LRT), the engineers say the reorganisation means that new operating companies will not benefit from the economies of scale gained under the present fleet and district structure.
The warning follows hot on the heels of the news that plans to deregulate London's bus service — expected to go through before the end of the decade — have been shelved.
LBL has denied that the restructure would mean commerical suicide. A spokesman told Commercial Motor "The economies of scale remain unaffected by the restructures, as LBL will retain central control of all bus operations. It is up to the Government to decide if and when these sections could be privatised." LBL is currently split into five districts: Leaside, Wandle, Selkent, Cardinal and Forest. It maintains that 14 divisions in London would help "meet the needs of local passengers and put us in an effective and competitive position".
According to Transport & General Workers Union official Tom Holland: "Now that deregulation has been postponed we have the ideal opportunity to re-examine the need to restructure London Buses. Even with deregulation, restructuring was pointless. Now deregulation is even further away and it makes even less sense."
LBL is intending to use 70 new Alexander-bodied Mercedes Benz midibuses on two of its busiest route. These are: route 28 from Golders Green Station to Wandsworth and route 31 running from Camden Town to Chelsea World's End.
The high frequency midibus services could be fully operational by the end of the year.