80-466: The Leyland Atlantean is a predominantly double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland Motors between 1958 and 1986. Only 17 Atlantean chassis were bodied as single deck from new. It pioneered the design of rear-engined, front entrance double deck buses in the United Kingdom , allowing for the introduction of one man operation buses, dispensing with the need for a bus conductor . In
160-698: A national symbol of England. Most buses in London, as in the rest of the UK, are double-deckers. A particular example was the AEC Routemaster bus, which had been a staple of the public transport network in London for nearly half a century following its introduction in 1956. The remaining Routemasters in use were finally retired from general service in 2005 because of cited difficulties accommodating disabled passengers. Transport for London kept these vintage buses in operation on heritage route 15H until 2020, when it
240-556: A seating capacity of 78. Leyland christened this prototype the Lowloader. Though two prototypes were thoroughly tested, the same problem of a front-engined bus remained, they had rear entrances with the space alongside the driver being wasted. An amendment to the Construction and Use Regulations in 1956 saw the maximum length for double-deckers increased to 30 feet (9.1 m), allowing a wider entrance to be located ahead of
320-579: A Metal Sections body by Soon Chow and the other half an Alexander L body by SBS Woodlands Depot. They were deployed on the roads in between 1979 and 1980 and all units were retired by 1993. All 100 of the Alexander-bodied buses were sold to Citybus of Hong Kong for use on Network 26 and 37 of the Metal Sections-bodied buses to Shanghai , China, where they would continue revenue service. The Citybus' buses would be refitted with
400-461: A capacity of 132 passengers - 80 seated and fifty standing. Sweden bought in 1965 50 Leyland Atlantean double-decker buses with Park Royal bodies. Leyland claimed they were the first double-decker buses with one man operation. They had two staircases and two pairs of doors. The Atlanteans were not replaced at the end of their revenue service life in 1974. However, in 2011 double-deckers returned to Sweden on revenue duties with VDL Synergy on in
480-575: A county of itself, the Lord Provost has also acted as Lord Lieutenant of the city. The current Lord Provost, elected in May 2022 after that month's election , is Jacqueline McLaren. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council . The council changed from an executive-led governance system to a committee-led system in September 2017, with the leader of the council since then chairing
560-566: A district within the Strathclyde region. The local authority was therefore renamed the " City of Glasgow District Council ". The Glasgow district covered a larger area than the pre-1975 city, gaining Baillieston , Cambuslang , Carmunnock , Carmyle , Garrowhill , Mount Vernon , Rutherglen , and Springboig . Local government was reorganised again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 , which abolished
640-866: A drop-centre rear axle was available as an option for the Atlantean; the Atlanteans with drop-centre rear axles became known as the Atlantean PDR1/2 and, for the later version, the Atlantean PDR1/3. In 1967, Leyland launched the Atlantean PDR2/1 which could be fitted with 33-foot-long bodywork (10 m). In 1965, London Transport purchased a fleet of 50, initially operating on routes 7 , 24 , 67 and 271 before being transferred to Croydon . Though some operators initially continued to buy front-engined vehicles for reliability,
720-631: A feature of Alexandria 's bus network. In 2017, as part of a larger order of 850 new buses, the city of Addis Ababa purchased a fleet of 50 double-decker buses to operate routes on its public transportation system. Of these, 25 are operated by the Anbessa City Bus Service Enterprise and 25 are part of the Sheger bus company's fleet; both are government-owned. A fleet of double-decker buses operate in Mombasa , running
800-562: A fleet of 224 were bodied by Pressed Metal Corporation for the Public Transport Commission , Sydney between 1970 and 1973. Reliability and industrial relations issues plagued the fleet with withdrawals commencing in 1979. A deal was concluded to sell the fleet to China Motor Bus , however the incoming Government of New South Wales blocked the deal. The final examples were withdrawn in 1986, by which time they were concentrated on route 190 to Palm Beach . These were
880-579: A front entrance, with some success. The Scania/Metro Cammell Weymann partnership, which produced the Metropolitan, ended in the late 1970s and forced MCW to introduce its own rear-engined product, available as an integral or chassis, the MCW Metrobus . The success of the Metrobus, particularly with West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive and London Transport, would spur Leyland on to develop
SECTION 10
#1732787798902960-471: A local referendum. For political control before 1975 see Politics of Glasgow The first election to the City of Glasgow District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing corporation until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the reforms which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of
1040-505: A maximum length of 18.65 metres (61 ft 2 in). Double-deckers operate in Jersey. In the territory of Gibraltar , Calypso Transport operates using double deckers in red livery. Notably, this is the only British territory in Europe that drives on the right and hence the buses are left-hand drive. Bus Vannin operates about 24 double-deckers on routes all across the island. In
1120-495: A modified Alexander R front and served as the bulk of their training fleet. These buses were scrapped by the mid-1990s, with a handful sold to South Africa. although one of them (Citybus fleet number A633) was a rare survivor and underwent restoration works in mid-2019. In 1982, SBS ordered another 100 units of Leyland Atlantean, all of which were imported from the UK completely built up with the Alexander L bodywork although there
1200-425: A new heavy-duty rear-engined bus, sealing the eventual withdrawal of the Atlantean from the market. Double-decker bus A double-decker bus or double-deck bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-deckers are primarily for commuter transport, but open-top models are used as sight-seeing buses for tourists, and there are coaches too for long-distance travel. They appear in many places around
1280-564: A route aimed at tourists. The buses are open top , and run on a hop-on hop-off sightseein route around the city; they are manufactured by Yaxing Coach . Since 2014, a double-decker bus owned by the City Shguttle Bus Company also provides public transportation in Nairobi . In Malawi , multiple companies utilize fleets of double-decker buses for intercity bus services . Modern Marcopolo buses run direct routes between
1360-436: A trial to test their suitability on Singapore roads. These were Singapore's first double deck buses after an AEC Regent was deployed in 1953. They were first deployed on route 86, which plied between Hougang South and Shenton Way and thereafter redeployed to other routes. These buses were withdrawn and sold to China in 1990. Satisfied with the trial, SBS ordered 200 Leyland Atlanteans in 1978. Half of this intake were fitted with
1440-671: A triple standard for the double-decker bus: highbridge bus (urban Britain), lowbridge bus (countryside Britain) and 4 metres height coach such as the Neoplan Skyliner that can traverse Europe. Outside the British Isles in Europe double-decker buses are most prominent in Skopje and Berlin. The first commercial horse-drawn double-decker omnibuses were introduced in England in 1847 by Adams & Co. of Fairfield, Bow ; it
1520-596: A vast improvement in specifications as compared to their older brethren, such as push door control buttons, a new dashboard layout, air circulation systems for use in inclement weather and fully automatic transmissions. Withdrawals began in 1996 and the last of these units retired in late 2000. A small fleet of eight Atlanteans also crossed the Atlantic, entering service in New York City . The double-deckers arrived in 1976, but proved problematic. After finally getting
1600-626: Is the red London bus , namely the AEC Routemaster . Double-deckers in urban transport were also in common use in other places, such as major cities of India , but were mostly diminished or phased out by the end of the 20th century. However it has been maintained and remains common in Britain as well as Ireland and Hong Kong, while in Singapore and Dhaka they have been introduced and expanded into large numbers after British colonial rule. There are several types of double-decker buses as shown in
1680-596: The Conservatives lost all but two councillors. The next election is due to take place on 6 May 2027. Election results since 1995 have been as follows: The council has its meeting place and main offices at Glasgow City Chambers in George Square . Glasgow Corporation was based at the Tolbooth at Glasgow Cross from at least the fifteenth century, which was rebuilt several times. The last Tolbooth on
SECTION 20
#17327877989021760-517: The Daimler Fleetline over the AN68 for its first large rear-engined double-deck order. Though over 2,000 Fleetlines would be purchased, reliability problems lead to their very premature withdrawal. The formation of British Leyland in 1968 saw rivals Daimler and Bristol merge with Leyland, bringing the two competing rear-engined chassis (Daimler Fleetline and Bristol VR ) together with
1840-549: The Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 to replace the first-past-the-post system. The most recent full council election took place on 5 May 2022, in which no party held a majority of the seats, as had also been the case in the preceding 2017 election. The Scottish National Party remained the largest party, winning 37 seats, whilst Labour won 36 seats, an increase relative to its 2017 result. The Greens won ten seats, also improving on their position in 2017, whilst
1920-494: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 , Glasgow Corporation was deemed capable of running its own affairs and so the city was excluded from the area controlled by Lanarkshire County Council, although the county council nevertheless chose to meet in Glasgow as a conveniently accessible location. In 1893, Glasgow became its own county for lieutenancy and sheriffdom purposes too, being made a county of itself . The boundaries of
2000-648: The Republic of Ireland , the majority of the buses operated in and around the Greater Dublin area are double-deckers, operated by Dublin Bus . There are 1,000 double-decker buses (second largest in Europe after London ) in the company's fleet of 1,008 (October 2019). The private operator Go-Ahead Ireland also operate a mixed fleet consisting of both double and single deck vehicles. Bus Éireann also utilises double-decker buses on some of its commuter routes, such as
2080-768: The Scottish Bus Group , where the front-engined Bristol Lodekka had proved popular. However, the Scottish customers did not share the same enthusiasm for the VR and the vehicles purchased were swapped for ex-NBC Lodekkas. The Scottish Bus Group then standardised on the Daimler Fleetline for its double-deck needs. After the re-organisation of British Leyland , both VR and Fleetline became Leyland offerings and, when production of both ceased in 1981, over 6,400 VRs and 11,500 Fleetlines had been built. Frustrated at
2160-596: The 1950s when buses in general started to be used in the main cities such as Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and Setúbal. The types used were the AEC Regent and later the Daimler Fleetline and the Leyland Atlantean, with Portuguese-built bodies. There was also one Leyland Olympian as a demonstration vehicle in Lisbon. In Porto, there were double-decker trolleybuses, produced by Lancia and with Dalfa bodywork, in use from
2240-499: The 1960s and 1970s, major cities like Turin, Milan, Rome, Florence, Verona, Bologna, Rimini, Naples, Bari and Palermo adopted Fiat double decker buses. The most common model was the Fiat 412 Aerfer , and in 1961 it was replaced by Fiat 413 Viberti Monotral CV61. Liemobil operates four double decker MAN A39 buses on service 11 between Sargans , Switzerland and Feldkirch, Vorarlberg , Austria and on other services 12, 13 and 14 in
2320-602: The AN68 series to replace the PDR1/PDR2. The new chassis provided a wider entrance and several new safety features were included. An audible and visible alarm discouraged engine overheating by giving the driver due warning. A fail-safe parking brake was introduced, while the steering box and brake controls were protected against damage from severe head-on collision and stainless steel air-piping gave greater resistance to corrosion. Two models were offered: AN68/1R (9.4m in length) and AN68/2R (10.2m in length). Power assisted steering
2400-454: The AN69 with Leyland O.690 (a turbocharged variant of the O.680 engine), all were sold to overseas operators. However one AN69 with the 0.690 engine ended up with now defunct operator J. Fishwick & Sons of Leyland, the vehicle having been intended for export to Baghdad. The Atlantean continued to sell in large numbers, with many operators proving loyal to it. London Transport however, chose
2480-994: The Atlantean gained multiple orders. Though the National Bus Company and the Scottish Bus Group favoured the Bristol VR and Daimler Fleetline respectively, the Atlantean was bought by many operators. Aberdeen , Bournemouth, Glasgow , Edinburgh , Newcastle , Manchester , Liverpool , Newport, Nottingham and Plymouth Corporations purchased large numbers of the type. In 1968, three Atlanteans were bodied by Marshall as single deck buses for Great Yarmouth Corporation. Portsmouth had 12 Atlantean chassis with single deck bodywork from Seddon Pennine, and lastly Birkenhead ordered three Northern Counties bodied single deck Atlanteans, albeit delivered to Merseyside in Birkenhead colours. By 1972, over 6,000 Atlanteans had entered service. In February 1972, Leyland announced
Leyland Atlantean - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-403: The Atlantean was the first high-volume rear-engined double-decker on the market, Daimler was quick to catch up with its Fleetline model. Bristol followed several years later with its VRT. The Bristol was favoured by the state-owned National Bus Company , several of whose predecessors had standardised on Bristol vehicles. Several early examples were also purchased by NBC's Scottish sister company,
2640-621: The Atlantean. Though the Bristol brand was retained, Daimler was dropped and products were re-badged as Leylands. After the re-organisation, Leyland set out to develop a new rear-engined double-deck bus for the London market to replace the troublesome Fleetlines. This new vehicle, the Titan B15 spawned a simpler, non-integral offshoot, the Olympian , which debuted in 1980. Though the Olympian
2720-531: The City Administration Committee. The leaders since 1996 have been: Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. The council consists of 85 councillors elected for a five-year term from 23 wards . Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by
2800-961: The Dublin to Wicklow service. Double-deckers are also common on some of the company's city routes in Cork , Galway and Limerick . More luxurious double-deckers are used on inter-city routes, such as the X1 Dublin-Belfast or X3/X4 Dublin-Derry routes. Double decker buses were in use on city services in Vienna between 1960 and 1991. They are used on services between Vienna and its airport, and also operated by Ötztaler Verkehrsgesellschaft (ÖVG) under contract to ÖBB-Postbus on service 4420 between Innsbruck and Lienz . Since 2020, two Scania UNVI Urbis DD CNG buses have been running on public transport lines in Ostrava . During working days on line 78. Over
2880-698: The SL 676 Stockholm Östra - Norrtälje line. Norrtälje is located around 70 km north of Stockholm . In Switzerland Postauto operate double decker buses on a route between Engelburg – St Gallen – Heiden routes and in the Obertoggenburg region and in the regions of Rorschach and Goldach . 19 Alexander Dennis Enviro500 have been ordered to operate on these services, which seat 80 passengers and can carry 48 standing. Four double deckers are also operated in Graubünden which are due to be replaced within
2960-474: The UK are between 9.5 metres (31 ft 2 in) and 11.1 metres (36 ft 5 in) long, the latter being more common since the mid-1990s, though there are three- axle 12-metre (39-foot-4-inch) models in service with some operators. Double-decker coaches in the UK have traditionally been 12 metres (39 feet 4 inches) in length, though many newer models are about 13.75 metres (45 ft 1 in). The red double-decker buses in London have become
3040-588: The autumn of 2019, Public Transport of Turku , also known as Föli , was the first city to officially incorporate double-decker buses into local traffic. The first French double-decker bus was brought into service in Paris in 1853; it was a horse-drawn omnibus . The upper floor was cheaper and often uncovered. The first double-decker motor bus in Paris, the Schneider Brillié P2, appeared in 1906. It
3120-430: The burgh were extended several times to incorporate areas where the urban zone outgrew the previous boundaries or where there were plans for development. These significant expansions comprise: Local government across Scotland was reorganised in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which replaced the counties and burghs with a two-tier structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Glasgow became
3200-405: The bus industry, several factors prevented the bus going on the market. The main problem was the high level of engine noise inside the lower saloon, as the engine was still inside the body, with the compartment being used for bench seating. Mechanically, the prototype Atlantean was similar to the Lowloader with an O.600 engine transversely mounted at the rear with a pneumo-cyclic gearbox situated in
3280-744: The capital, built in China 's Zhengzhou Yutong factory. The buses were put into operation on 8 September 2011, coinciding with the day of Macedonian independence. This model of bus has capacity for 80 passengers. They represent most of the 312 buses currently in operation by the Skopje public transport company. In June 2008 Boreal Transport on contract with Kolumbus introduced three double-decker buses to provide more seating for certain high-traffic departures in Stavanger . PKS Szczecin since 2021. Double-decker buses were introduced in Portugal during
Leyland Atlantean - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-460: The council since 1975 has been as follows: City of Glasgow District Council Glasgow City Council For leaders before 1996 see Politics of Glasgow The council is ceremonially headed by the Lord Provost of Glasgow , who convenes meetings of the council and performs associated tasks as a general civic leader. The role dates from the 15th century. Since 1893, when the city was made
3440-569: The country. It is only very recently that double-decker buses have started to be used in the Netherlands. On 10 December 2017 Connexxion put 18 three-axle double-deckers into service on route 346 between Haarlem and Amsterdam Zuid , a heavily used commuter route not served by rail. They are Futura FDD2s built by VDL Bus & Coach in Valkenswaard , are 14.1 metres (46 feet) long, and carry 86 seated passengers. Their introduction
3520-666: The end of production, over 15,000 Atlanteans had been built. Greater Manchester PTE (and its predecessors) was the largest operator of the Atlantean with 'Greater Manchester Standard' bodies from Northern Counties and, to a lesser extent, Park Royal . Second was Glasgow Corporation/ Greater Glasgow PTE all of which were bodied by Walter Alexander . Third was Merseyside PTE who took approximately 800 Atlanteans mostly bodied by Walter Alexander and East Lancs although there were smaller batches with MCW and Willowbrook bodies. In 1977, Singapore Bus Services (SBS) received 20 Leyland Atlantean AN68s with BACo and Metal Sections bodywork on
3600-575: The first double deck buses bodied in Australia for 17 years, and would be the last until the Bustech CDi in 2011. Many would go on to have longer careers after being sold, and some still are in service today, often in open top configuration. Many former municipal bus company Atlanteans were imported into Australia in the 1970s. Australian Pacific Tours , Kirkland Bros Omnibus Services of Lismore , Sita Buslines and Westbus of Sydney among
3680-497: The first production Atlantean PDR1/1, with a 16-foot-3-inch (4.95 m) wheelbase, was launched at the 1958 Commercial Motor Show. It had simpler mechanical specification than the prototype, with conventional front and rear axles, leaf springs all round and a channel section frame. Glasgow Corporation , James of Ammanford and Wallasey Corporation each put their first example of the type into service in December 1958. From 1964,
3760-405: The flat floor, only one step up from ground level, to continue for the full length of the bus. The prototype was demonstrated around the country to various operators. It also had an unregistered sister vehicle, which was used as a testbed. Both were subsequently scrapped. By 1958, Leyland had overcome most of the problems and moved the engine to a rear-mounted compartment outside the main body and
3840-418: The front axle. This was initially to allow the driver to supervise boarding whilst the conductor collected fares, but quickly it became apparent that the design would allow for one man operation . Leyland took advantage of the new regulation to launch the first prototype Atlantean at the 1956 Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court Exhibition Centre . Though it featured the front entrance design that would redefine
3920-427: The imagebox below: Early double-deckers put the driver in a separate cab. Passenger access was via an open platform at the rear and a bus conductor collected fares. Modern double-deckers have a main entrance door at the front and the driver takes fares, thus halving the number of workers aboard, but slowing the boarding process. The rear open platform, popular with passengers, was abandoned for safety reasons, as there
4000-539: The lack of competition to Leyland, some operators turned to other manufacturers, who began to offer alternatives to the state-owned manufacturer. Supply problems at Leyland did not help matters and products such as the Scania Metropolitan and Dennis Dominator began to make small inroads into the rear-engined market, while the Volvo Ailsa B55 reintroduced a front-engined double-deck chassis, with
4080-561: The largest double-decker fleet on continental Europe with 197 vehicles operating as of 2023 (compared to 484 single-deckers and 928 articulated buses). However it used to be higher: 1,000 in 1992, reduced to 450 in 2002. The city originally had double-decker buses at least since the 1920s. The models in operation in 2004 were 13.5 metres (44 ft 3 in) long and held around 95 passengers. The replacements, which are supplied by Neoman Bus , are 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) longer. The new buses are able to hold 128 passengers. During
SECTION 50
#17327877989024160-642: The mid-1960s until the mid-1990s. Double-decker buses were not in widespread use for normal service but were mainly used for sightseeing purposes. They were most commonly Portuguese-produced vehicles, including rebodies of regular service buses (for example, the Volvo B10R from Carristur), as well as some from former companies, such as the MAN SD202 from BVG Berlin, many of them still in circulation. The absence of double-decker buses on regular service lasted until 2011, when STCP acquired 15 double-decker buses, of
4240-587: The mid-1990s, some double-deckers were operated briefly in Saint Petersburg . Double-decker buses were introduced in 2014 in Bilbao by the city bus operator Bilbobus . They are not the first double deck vehicles in the city as ex-London Transport Q1 trolleybuses were sold to Bilbao after the end of London trolleybus operations in 1962 and were operated until the system's closure in 1978. Initially, six vehicles are operating on Bilbobus route 56. They have
4320-404: The nation's two largest cities, Lilongwe and Blantyre . New double-decker buses are also in use on more regional routes, including those connecting cities like Mangochi , Mzimba , and Mzuzu . Glasgow City Council Glasgow City Council ( Scottish Gaelic : Comhairle Baile Ghlaschu ) is the local government authority for Glasgow City council area , Scotland. In its modern form it
4400-1020: The next two years. In Turkey , the Istanbul public transit system ( IETT ) runs 89 double-decker buses on longer-distance routes, most notably commuter buses crossing the Bosphorus Bridge linking the European and the Asiatic sides of the city. Double-decker buses are also used on routes to and from Taksim Square to far-flung western suburbs such as Büyükçekmece and Bahcesehir. Several cities in Egypt use double-decker buses as part of their public transportation systems, including Cairo. The MAN Lion's City buses, manufactured in Egypt in 2018, were introduced in Cairo to address provide greater capacity on its bus network. Red double-decker buses are also
4480-452: The operators. In April 1974 a PDR1A/1 chassis originally intended for Southampton Corporation but fire damaged at East Lancashire Coachbuilders was bodied by Pressed Metal Corporation as a single deck bus for Seven Hills Bus Co. Atlanteans were also exported to Baghdad Passenger Transport Services (600), Córas Iompair Éireann (840), Jakarta (108), Kuwait , Manila (22), Portugal (130) and Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (50). Though
4560-417: The rear offside corner providing drive in a straight line from the engine. The Atlantean had a light and strong fabricated frame. Light alloy floor plates were rivetted directly to the framework, fulfilling the dual purpose of reinforcing the frame and providing a foundation for the saloon floor. The platform-type sub-frame concept from the Lowloader was retained for the prototype. A drop-centre rear axle allowed
4640-506: The regions and districts created in 1975 and established 32 single-tier council areas across Scotland, one being the city of Glasgow. The council adopted its modern name of "Glasgow City Council" following these reforms. The council area created in 1996 was smaller than the district which had existed between 1975 and 1996, with the Rutherglen and Cambuslang area being transferred instead to the new South Lanarkshire council area following
4720-406: The site was built in 1626. Most of that building was demolished in 1921, leaving only the steeple standing as a clock tower. In 1814 the corporation vacated the Tolbooth and moved to the new Justiciary Buildings on Saltmarket , overlooking Glasgow Green . The building served both as council chamber and offices for the corporation and as the courthouse for the Lower Ward of Lanarkshire. In 1844
4800-406: The too-tall buses from the docks, it was discovered that their height made them unsuitable for use on Fifth Avenue , and due to an underdimensioned air-conditioning system they could not be operated in the height of summer. New York's heavily potholed roads also took a toll, and after the Atlanteans spent most of their time being repaired before the fleet was quietly withdrawn in 1980. In Australia,
4880-465: The type MAN A39 (as used in Berlin). They were introduced at an event by the company, named "Duplex Tour", on 26 February 2011 and put into normal service on the 28th of that month. These buses can be seen usually on route 500. Until 2011 double-decker buses were operating in the city of Barnaul . The double-decker fleet consisted of seven MAN SD200 and MAN SD202 second hand buses imported from Berlin. Those buses were used on routes 3, 10 and 17. In
SECTION 60
#17327877989024960-495: The weekend and holidays during the summer season on line 88. Since 1970, various operators of Copenhagen city transport were using double-deckers—originally Leyland , in the 1980s–1990s MAN and in the 2000s Volvo , derivates of model B7. Double-decker buses are relatively rare in Finland, but there are known to be at least four Routemasters in Finland: one in Helsinki , one in Heinola , one in summer tourist charter in Espoo and one in summer tourist traffic in Kuopio . In
5040-401: The world but are presently most commonly used as mass transport in cities of Britain , in Ireland , in Hong Kong , Berlin and in Singapore . The earliest double-decker horse-drawn omnibus appeared in Paris in 1853 and such vehicles were motorised in the 1900s. Double-decker buses were popularised in Great Britain at the start of the 20th century and today the best-known example
5120-401: The years immediately following World War II , bus operators in the United Kingdom faced a downturn in the numbers of passengers carried and manufacturers began looking at ways to economise. A few experimental rear-engined buses had been produced before the war but none successfully made it beyond the prototype stage. The need to minimise the intrusion of the engine into passenger carrying space
5200-437: Was a cancelled plan to fit one of them with an Eastern Coach Works body. Some of these buses were equipped with blind changing advertisement boards, dubbed as "Flexvision". These buses entered revenue service that same year and 1983 and all units were withdrawn by 1995. The final 200 Leyland Atlanteans were ordered in 1983. Equipped with the Alexander R bodywork, these buses were registered between 1984 and 1986. These buses had
5280-440: Was a priority, leading to several underfloor-engined single-deck designs. However, such designs raised the height of the floor of the vehicle, forcing additional steps at the entrance. On double decker buses, these problems were amplified, causing either an increase in the overall height of the vehicle or an inadequate interior height. In 1952, Leyland began experimenting with ideas for a rear-engined double-decker bus. A prototype
5360-645: Was a risk of passengers falling when running and jumping onto the bus. Cities listed here have double-decker buses as part of their regular mass transit fleet. Cities with only tourist and sightseeing double-decker buses are excluded. In the European Union , the maximum height for any vehicle is 4 metres, for motor vehicles in categories M2 and M3 and their trailers in category 0 and motor vehicles in categories N2 and N3 and their trailers in categories 03 and 04, in national and international traffic according to Council directive 96/53/EC of 25 July 1996 and in continuity of council directive 85/3/CEE. The United Kingdom has
5440-437: Was built, STF 90, with a body by Saunders-Roe , to the maximum permitted width of 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m). It was fitted with a turbocharged version of the Leyland O.350 engine, which was transversely mounted at the rear of the sub-frame. The chassis was a platform-type frame of steel and light alloy with deep stressed side-members. An automatic clutch and self change gearbox were also fitted. The vehicle
5520-554: Was created in 1996. Glasgow was formerly governed by a corporation, also known as the town council, from the granting of its first burgh charter in the 1170s until 1975. From 1975 until 1996 the city was governed by City of Glasgow District Council , a lower-tier authority within the Strathclyde region. Glasgow City Council has been under no overall control since 2017, being led by a Scottish National Party minority administration. The council has its headquarters at Glasgow City Chambers in George Square, completed in 1889. Glasgow
5600-473: Was designated the PDR1 (R for "Rear-engined"). In 1956, a second prototype was constructed, XTC 684, this time with a Metro-Cammell body and, again equipped with an O.350 engine fitted across the frame. It had a centrifugal clutch, Pneumocyclic gearbox and angle drive. This vehicle was 13 feet 2.75 inches (4.0323 m) in height, with a 16-foot-2.875-inch (4.94983 m) wheelbase and overall length of 29 feet 10 inches (9.09 m) and had
5680-419: Was designed to carry more passengers and to replace the horse-drawn double-decker omnibus. Like trams and omnibuses, double-decker motor buses included two classes of travel: first class inside the car and second class outdoors on top. But this type of vehicle was withdrawn in 1911 because one of them overturned at place de l'Étoile ; following this incident the P2s lost their upper deck and were renamed P3s. It
5760-682: Was developed that year and entered service on 20 February 2012. In October 2015, London added five all-electric double-decker buses - the world's first - made by Chinese firm BYD . The maximum permissible length of a rigid double-decker bus and coach in the UK is 15 metres (49 ft 3 in) with 3 axles and 13.5 metres (44 ft 3 in) metres with two. However, the total maximum dimensions, including trailer or articulated section, in normal circumstances are: Coaches are normally built to 4.38 metres (14 ft 4 in) high, while 'highbridge' buses are normally about 20 centimetres (8 in) taller. Articulated double-deckers are also allowed at
5840-626: Was discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The contract expired in November 2020 and was not renewed; in 2021 it was announced that the service would no longer continue. There was formerly a second heritage route ( 9H ) but this ceased operation in 2014 due to low patronage and increased operation costs. In 2007, a hybrid-powered double-decker entered service on London Buses route 141 . By late 2008, more hybrid double-deckers from three manufacturers entered service in London. A New Routemaster
5920-472: Was found to be poorly suited to the structure of the Paris network, the stops being too close to each other, preventing people from going upstairs. Consequently, there are no Parisian bus routes using double-deckers. SITAC operates a service 5 between Calais and Sangatte using a double decker bus. In Germany , double-decker buses in Berlin are operated by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). Berlin has had
6000-463: Was given its first burgh charter sometime between 1175 and 1178 by William the Lion . It was then run by "Glasgow Town Council", also known as "Glasgow Corporation", until 1975. The city was part of Lanarkshire until 1893, but the functions which operated at county level were relatively few, largely being limited to lieutenancy and sheriffdom . When elected county councils were created in 1890 under
6080-462: Was meant as a direct replacement for the VR, Fleetline and Atlantean, the venerable AN68 continued in production alongside the Olympian until 1986. The last Atlantean for the domestic market rolled off the production line in 1984, the last of a batch for Merseyside PTE , while the export version remained in production for a further two years, with deliveries to the city operator in Baghdad , Iraq. By
6160-624: Was not entirely without issues since their route initially had to be diverted to avoid passing under a dangerously low tram overhead wire near the VU Medical Centre stop. Also in December 2017, Qbuzz introduced five double-deckers on its route 300 between Groningen and Emmen . These are Van Hool TDX27 Astromegas, also 14.1 metres (46 feet) long and carrying 85 passengers. The Macedonian government bought 217 Yutong City Master double-decker city buses for local transport in Skopje ,
6240-550: Was not until 1966 that the RATP re-tried double-deckers on two lines in Paris. A prototype built by Berliet (type E-PCMR), was put into service in 1966, with an order being placed for 25 vehicles. The first production car was commissioned on 19 June 1968 for line 94, Gare Montparnasse - Levallois. On 17 February 1969, line 53, Opera - Porte d'Asnieres was in turn equipped with this model. But traffic problems caused RATP to definitively abandon this vehicle in 1977, because this type of bus
6320-562: Was standard on the AN68/2R and optional on the AN68/1R. The steering pump was power driven, which replaced the early belt driven system, while the only available engine was the new Leyland O.680. A wide variety of body styles from various manufacturers continued to be offered, allowing the Atlantean to be tailor-made to requirements from operators ranging from the small independent to the large city corporation. In 1978, Leyland started to offer
6400-583: Was then improved upon by John Greenwood, who introduced a new double-decker in 1852. William Gladstone , speaking of London 's double-deck horse-drawn omnibuses , once observed that "...the best way to see London is from the top of a bus". Double-decker buses are in common use throughout the United Kingdom and have been favoured over articulated buses by many operators because of the shorter length of double-deckers and larger seating capacity ; they also may be safer to operate through narrow streets and round tight corners. The majority of double-decker buses in
#901098