This article covers the New Bus for London’s visit to Singapore in 2016.
For the 2014 visit, refer to this article.
The New Bus for London (other names: New Routemaster, NBFL, Borismaster) visits Singapore for the second time in March-April 2016, preceded by an earlier stint in February 2014. The bus, with vehicle number plate LTZ 1665, belongs to Go-Ahead Group’s bus fleet in London with fleet code LT665. It was shipped into Singapore on 29 February 2016, and parked inside Loyang Bus Depot, which Go-Ahead Group was then occupying as the successful tenderer of the Loyang Bus Package.
Originally speculated to appear at LTA’s Our Bus Journey Carnival, the bus did not show up at the first carnival at Ngee Ann City on 11-13 March 2016. The Go-Ahead Group booth at the event only featured an image cutout of the New Bus for London, enticing visitors to take photos with the image to stand a chance of winning an EZ-Link Card with $20 stored value.
An image of the New Bus for London inside Loyang Depot, which was posted online by an individual with depot access prior to the start of the carnival, was widely spread through a Facebook post captioned “New Bus in Singapore. Going to launch soon…”. The image found itself on multiple online platforms and misled many netizens believing that the bus was entering trials on local roads. Go-Ahead Group later clarified on the news that the bus was not meant for service in Singapore, but only for publicity purposes.
First Appearance
On 24 March 2016, prior to the second LTA Our Bus Journey Carnival at Vivocity on 25-27 March 2016, Go-Ahead Singapore posted the following on their Facebook page:
Spot our Routemaster on the roads this weekend or join us at the LTA Carnival at VivoCity and stand a chance to win an EZ-Link card with $20 stored value! ….
The Go-Ahead Group booth at the bus carnival also featured a poster, which listed road names under the heading “Spot Our Routemaster on the roads.” The bus would travel through the city areas, running between Harbourfront and Orchard, passing through Chinatown, Central Business District, Esplanade and Marina Bay.
According to Go-Ahead employees manning the carnival booth, the bus will appear on the roads after 12 noon on the 3 days of the bus carnival, 25-27 March 2016. On 25 March 2016, the bus was seen parked inside Harbourfront Bus Interchange for a short duration after making its stints around the city.
The bus performed 2 trips on around the city according to the following route for the 3 days.
Route:
Second Appearance
The New Bus for London appeared once again during the carnival at Toa Payoh HDB Hub, on 1 – 3 April 2016. The bus was driven around Toa Payoh, Bishan and Ang Mo Kio towns.
On 1 April 2016, the bus arrived Toa Payoh Bus Interchange at 12:30pm, and left for its first trip at 1:30pm. A second trip was performed at 2:30pm before returning back to the depot.
Characteristics
As per London specifications, the company logo “Go Ahead London Central” only features on the front section of the bus. Banner advertisements on both sides are recruiting for new staff for the company’s local operations.
As the bus was shipped to Singapore prior to entering service, revenue service equipment such as Oyster card readers and other fare equipment have not been installed.
Visitor’s License
All foreign-registered vehicles (except Malaysian-registered vehicles) must have a valid Visitor’s License (VL) during their stay in Singapore. The license was displayed on the left side of the front windscreen under LTA’s regulations.
The New Bus for London was licensed for the period starting on 26 March 2016 and ending on 07 April 2016. After the license’s expiration, the bus return to London for revenue service.
The bus in brief:
| New Bus for London | |
 |
|
| Other names | NBfL, NB4L, Borismaster |
| Manafacturer | Wrightbus |
| Year | 2012– |
| Technical Data | |
| Length | 11.2m |
| Width / Height | 2.5m / 4.4m |
| Entry | Fully low-floor |
| Engine + Transmission | Cummins ISBe and PMSM powered hybrid drive system |
| Emission Standard | Euro V (SCRÂ + Hybrid drivetrain) |
The New Bus for London (NB4L, sometimes called the New Routemaster or Borismaster) is a low-floor wheelchair-accessible double-decker transit bus operating in London. Based off the original AEC Routemaster, the bus features the ‘hop-on-hop-off’ rear open platform of the original Routemaster. The bus is currently manufactured by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland.
Design effort:
The need for a new Routemaster was due to a number of factors. The ageing Routemaster fleet of the 1960s was being replaced in favour of more modern wheelchair-accessible low-floor buses, which offered greater comfort and safety. Newer buses also did away with the need for a conductor at the rear of the bus to manage fare payment, reducing operating costs. The iconic Routemaster was formally withdrawn from service in 2005, but in 2008, elected mayor Boris Johnson pledged for a new Routemaster to replace the former.
Following an open design competition in 2008, Northern Ireland-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus was awarded the contract to build the bus at the end of 2009. The final design was unveiled in May 2010, and in December 2011, the first working prototype was on the roads. The first new bus, fleet number LT 2, entered revenue service with Arriva London on 27 February 2012, plying route 38.
Basic Specifications:
- Cummins ISBe 4.5Â engine
4 cylinder, 4.5-liters, 185 horsepower, 580-760 Nm (150-210 PS) @ 2300 rpm - Siemens hybrid motor and transmission
Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), delivering 185kW - Euro-V compliant
Diesel engine utilising Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology coupled with hybrid drive-train. Selected units fitted with Euro-VI engines. - Wrightbus Bodywork
Buses built by Wrightbus in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and shipped to London. - Printed rolling destination blinds for front, side and rear displays
- Licensed capacity of 87
40 upper deck seats, 22 lower deck seats, 25 standing
The hybrid drivetrain of the NBfL is unique in that buses do not use a mechanical gearbox. Instead, the rear axle is powered solely using an electric motor. The engine drives a generator that supplies energy to a lithium-phosphate battery pack, which in turn provides electrical current for the electric drive motors, replenished by regenerative braking technology.
Gallery: (Exterior)
Gallery: (Interior)
References
- ç˝‘ç»śç››äĽ äĽ¦ć•¦ĺ·´ĺŁ«äşŽćś¬ĺś°č˝¦ĺŽ‚ç…§ç‰‡ Go-AheadďĽšĺ·´ĺŁ«ĺŹŞäľ›ĺ®ŁäĽ ç”¨é€”, Channel 8 News
- Snap a photo with the Routemaster and win! – Go Ahead Singapore
See Also
LTZ 1665 is part of a later batch of New Routemaster that does not have the ability to operate with a conductor and open platform, and has been designed and built as a OMO bus with 3 driver-controlled doors. The curved glass panel at the rear exit is fixed and cannot be opened.
The sliding door is probably a remedy of the previous inward-folding doors, which has a tendency to hit passengers waiting to alight because of its above-average width leading to an increased travel distance backwards into the cabin.