Part2: 2001PVL179-208 for 343 (New Cross) and 118 (Merton)A new batch of PVLs arrived in January/February 2001, PVL179-194 at New Cross for route 343, a twisty urban route renumbered from P3, and PVL195-208 to Merton for the suburban 118. The New Cross buses started a move towards TfL's new policy regarding front destination displays: these now required just a prominent route number and a single line ultimate destination - no via points. All other information was to be on all bus stops. It seems that people had been confused by buses showing via points that the bus had already passed! People were now supposed to read the spider maps and timetables on the stops. It gave the buses a secondhand look, with just a narrow single line in the large front panel. Not beautiful. As a fashion it was short-lived, although the affected buses kept the reduced displays.Illustrating the "letter-box" style of front display, PVL187 heads through Sidcup for Lewisham in May 2005, while PVL194 passes New Cross Garage on the 21 in January 2005.Still with a proper display, PVL228 leaves New Cross Garage for London Bridge via the twisty 343, in January 2005. Merton's PVL98 pulls away from Morden Station on the 118 in August 2008.
PVL209-249 for New CrossNext in line for PVLs should have been New Cross' 172, which used Titans. But Arriva's decision to give up operations in Crawley meant that London Central needed to send dual-doorway NV Olympians to Metrobus in Green Street Green, which in turn could displace single-doorway NVs to Metrobus in Crawley. So the 171 lost some of its NVs in favour of PVLs, and the 172 kept its Titans for just a little longer. Soon there were enough PVLs at New Cross to displace them too. Once they had arrived they were also able to take over the Sunday allocation on route 36. Route 21 also regularly saw a few PVLs now. Odd forays onto other routes followed, such as the 321, where they could meet a sprinkling of Bexleyheath PVLs. This delivery of PVLs reverted to proper blind displays.PVLs on the 171: PVL 201 at High Holborn in October 2007, PVL209 passing New Cross Garage in January 2005.
PVL238 on the 172 at Brockley Rise. Behind is RT1702. The occasion was the last day of crew working on the 36 from New Cross, January 2005.PVL213 At the Lewisham Bus Station terminus of route 21, about to set off to Newington Green, November 2009.From September Stockwell re-equippped the 77A, and regularly outstationed three PVLs at Waterloo, for use on it. Four PVLs that had been at Putney for the 37 returned to Stockwell.
Ian's Bus Stop. 2000. 2002. PVL histories. PDL histories. PVL photos.
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