let's take a look at history

The first eight (of a batch of 98) TA class Dennis Tridents for Stagecoach East London are due this month at Leyton. They will also have Alexander ALX400 bodywork, and will be used on routes 48,55 & 56. Note that all these routes (including the 242) serve Hackney town centre.
Four DLA class DAF SB250RS/Alexander ALX400 - DLA2,3,5&6 entered service on 5 November on route 242 between Homerton and Tottenham Court Road. These are the first low floor double deckers in service in London.
Sovereign has taken delivery of eight new Northern Counties Olympians which are due to take up service on route 292 from next Saturday, 5 December. These are thought to be the last new standard floor double deckers to enter service on an LT contract. All outstanding orders are for low floor models. There is no further news on imminent deliveries of these types. Route 242 is still being operated by a mixture of new DAFs, Metrobuses and Olympians.

Metroline Travel, North West London's leading bus company, is now running a fleet of new Dennis Trident low floor double decker buses on local bus routes 140 and 182, following the changes to local bus services introduced by London Transport Buses on 4 September.



The 36 new generation vehicles represent part of an investment of £7.3 million in new buses by the company. They feature a low floor for easier boarding and alighting for the elderly and less agile as well as passengers with buggies. In addition, they have a facility for carrying one passenger in a wheelchair.



As part of Metroline's commitment to improving the environment, the buses are powered by the latest 'Euro 2' engines, run on low sulphur fuel and are fitted with catalytic converters to reduce emissions, making them some of the cleanest and greenest buses around.



"Gordon Tennant, Managing Director (London) said, "We are pleased to be making this considerable investment in these new generation buses. They will provide a considerably higher standard of comfort and quality for passengers on Routes 140 and 182".

Stagecoach East London are introducing new low floor double deck buses on routes 48, 55, 56 and 277 over the next few weeks. The new buses are built on a Dennis Trident super low floor chassis with Alexander ALX400 bodywork and will replace the current vehicles in use on these services. A total of 98 of these vehicles have been ordered and the remainder will be in use on routes 5 and 115 (currently 15B) by the summer.



The vehicles are fitted with a kneeling mechanism on the suspension so that the floor height is reduced to allow passengers easy access. Once aboard there are no steps to encounter on the lower deck other than at the very rear of the vehicle. This makes boarding and alighting much easier for the elderly or those travelling with heavy shopping or young children.



Each bus has the facility to carry one wheelchair user and to assist with boarding a ramp can be activated which will act as a bridge between the bus and the pavement. Inside the bus a special bay is provided to park the wheelchair without the need for it to be clamped to the floor.



With a well designed space inside the bus set aside for a range of uses - parents with buggies, people with heavy luggage, those in wheelchairs and passengers simply choosing or, during rush hours, needing to stand - low floor vehicles clearly have an advantage over their predecessors in genuinely being better for all passengers.



These new buses meet the latest EU Regulations on vehicle emissions and therefore are environmentally friendly.