Original London Sightseeing Tour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
The Original Tour Logo
Arriva Logo

The Original London Sightseeing Tour is an open-top tour run by Arriva in London. They also hold the franchise to run City Sightseeing's London tour. The main competitior of the tour is The Big Bus Company.

Contents

[edit] Routes

[edit] Sightseeing routes

Arriva OLST operates four sightseeing routes:

  • Yellow - T1: The Original Tour - English commentary/live guides
  • Red - T2: City Sightseeing - Language Commentaries Plus Kids Club
  • Green - T3: Da Vinci Code (Previously T3: Loop Line) - Live Guides
  • Blue - T4: Museum Link (Only came into existence when the previous blue route was withdrawn - See below)
  • Purple - T6: Capital Connector - This tour has started running once more, as seen on the Tours section of the Tour Website. However, it is not shown on the tour Map or Brochure.

There also used to be the blue Capital Connecter Routes, the Blue T5. The Purple T6 has also started running again after period of it not doing so. These routes brought in passengers from the hotel districts.


Local fares are available on the sighseeing routes, but the main tickets are valid for 24 hours, which is sometimes extended to 48 hours in Winter to attract custom.

[edit] Other routes

From their Wandsworth bus garage, Arriva OLST also operate route 337 (Clapham Junction-Richmond), on contract to Transport for London (TfL) using Volvo B7TLs with Alexander Dennis ALX400 bodywork.

[edit] "Tх" Route Numbers

The 'Tх' route numbers came with the arrival of the Ayats Volvo B7Ls, which came with electronic destination displays. Previously, the routes were only distinquishable by a coloured triangle, proped up on the dash on the bus, although some had a meatal holder on the front of the bus. Now the triangle (which still exist for the older tour buses) have 'Tх' printed on them for the appropriate coloured triangle. Also, some buses now have destination display blinds, traditionally deleted from these buses, which have the coloured triangle on them with the 'Tх' route number inside that.

[edit] Fleet

724/729/748/840/863/895/927/1227/1239/1265/1310/1401: MCW Metrobus DR101/14 MCW PO43/28D 1981

  • ML 10-5/7/19-22/4-5/7-9/33: MCW Metroliner DR130/3 MCW O63/20F 1984
  • OA 320-3/5-7/30/3/5-6/8/40-5/7-9: Leyland Olympian ON2R50C13Z4 Alexander RH PO43/25D 1992
  • VLY 601-610: Volvo B7L Ayats Bravo City O51/24F 2005

[edit] Fleet Changes

DAF DB250/Plaxton Presidents made redundant by the arrival of Citaro articulated (bendy) buses have been converted to partial open top form by Arriva-owned Picarings, all the buses are now in service.

In November 2006, an order was made for 10 East Lancs Visionaires, worth £1.6 million. They will have, now mandatory, Euro 4 engines. MORE

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../o/r/i/Original_London_Sightseeing_Tour_f3cc.html"