London Buses route 73

73

New Routemaster in May 2015
Overview
Operator Arriva London
Night-time Night Bus N73
Route
Start Stoke Newington
Via Newington Green
Angel
King's Cross
Oxford Circus
End Victoria bus station

London Buses route 73 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Stoke Newington and Victoria bus station, it is operated by Arriva London.

History

Arriva London AEC Routemaster at Victoria bus station in March 2004
Arriva London Mercedes-Benz O530G on Oxford Street in July 2010

Route 73 commenced on 30 November 1914, and originally ran from King's Cross to Barnes via Euston Road, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Hammersmith.[1]

In August 1994 the route, at the time operated by Leaside Buses, was used to test satellite monitoring of buses in an effort to reduce bunching.[2]

On 4 September 2004 route 73 was converted to one-man operation, with the AEC Routemasters replaced by Mercedes-Benz O530G articulated buses. This change was intended to improve peak capacity and decrease boarding times; however, a Transport for London advertising campaign to this effect was prohibited by the Advertising Standards Agency as the claims were misleading.[3] Fare evasion on the route increased after the introduction of articulated vehicles, leading some passengers to nickname the route 'seventy-free'.[4] The route was used to test the iBus system in 2007.[5]

The bus route passes many tourist attractions such as Marble Arch, British Library, and Clissold Park.[6] The Daily Telegraph called the route one of the "best routes for sightseeing on a shoestring".[7] In August 2014, two buses on the route were fitted with equipment designed to enhance bus drivers' awareness of pedestrians and cyclists as part of a six-week trial.[8][9][10][11] The route was chosen because it was "most likely to encounter packed seas of distracted shopping people and cyclists".[12]

New Routemasters were introduced on 16 May 2015. The rear platform remains closed at all times except for when the bus is at bus stops.[13]

Current route

Route 73 operates via these primary locations:[14]

References

  1. ↑ Motor Omnibus Routes in London, Vol 3: January 1913 - February 1915 London Historical Research Group of the Omnibus Society 1991
  2. ↑ Gulf war satellites track the No 73 bus The Independent 18 August 1994
  3. ↑ BBC News | London | Bendy bus ads complaints upheld
  4. ↑ "Final Day Of The Bendy Bus On Route 73". londonist.com. 2 September 2011.
  5. ↑ The London Daily News - One more death on London roads caused by London buses
  6. ↑ Wittich, John (1997). London Bus-Top Tourist. Sigma Leisure. pp. 109–114. ISBN 9781850584308.
  7. ↑ Edwards, Rhiannon (29 April 2014). "Tube strike? See more of London by bus". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Rasiah, Janine (4 August 2014). "Groundbreaking bus sensors to be piloted on Stratford route". Newham Recorder. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  9. ↑ Hedges-Stocks, Zoah (6 August 2014). "London buses to get free wifi and cycle safety sensors". London 24. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Murphy, Margi (4 August 2014). "London buses get safety sensor technology". Computer World UK. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "London bus technology to detect cyclists trialled". BBC News. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Cutlack, Gary (1 August 2014). "Four London Buses Kitted Out With Radar and Cameras in New Safety Push". Gizmodo. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  13. ↑ Press Release Transport For London
  14. ↑ Route 73 Map Transport for London
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