On the Brink

Almost not so rare and almost twice in one week! This time, it was a chance escape yesterday for the Wilts & Dorset driver of the 0655 Ringwood to Christchurch service 176, as his Leyland Olympian left the road and teetered perilously on the brink of toppling, between Burley and Thorney Hill. The police attributed the near miss to icy conditions and indeed I saw a rather interesting spectacle of a Renault Clio perched above the road, having slid off to rest in a hedge. In the Clio’s case, this was driver error though no doubt the highways department will get the blame.

Fortunately, since the W&D open top toppling of 2008 and the London toppling a few days ago, no one has suggested double decks are inherently unsafe (unlike the reaction to articulated buses). It was nevertheless amusing to read some of the (predictable) Echo comments, which included (and I paraphrase), “Why operate a double deck for four passengers?” and “Perhaps a minibus would’ve been more appropriate”.

If I had a fiver for each time I heard these particular arguments. People make assumptions when they see an empty bus. It may be mid-route, operating against the peak flow, at off-peak times or during the evening, yet they feel there should be a waiting minibus parked up ready to operate at less busy times, effectively doubling garage space, maintenance overheads and depreciation costs.

Why would an operator run a double deck when a minibus might do? The answer is simply that it wouldn’t and doesn’t. In the case of the 176, it returns as a 175 carrying pupils to Ringwood, on school days.

Ah, but yesterday was a school holiday. Bring out that minibus, then. In fact, rural Ringwood, population 12,500, sustains an almost total double deck fleet in its cramped garage, thanks to school and college movements. It has three Solos, three single decks and 17 double decks. Not bad for a town of just 12,500.