We still have buses with drivers stuck on the M25 overnight. We will do our best, but roads may be impassable to both buses and drivers trying to get to work.
We regret to announce the passing of our colleague and friend Steve Simmonds. Many regulars will recognise Steve from the work he did organising and promoting bus services in Herts. Many will also remember him for the Days Out program he operated for residents in Borehamwood.
Following discussions with TfL we are suspending our operations on routes 217, 298, 299, 327, 389, 399, W9, 605, 606, 617, 629, & 549.
Our commercial services are unaffected. We will be looking to grow commercial services.
The four buses allocated to the 84 today are ELV1, WVL1, WVL2, WVL4 (first dark green bus!).
Once again the tracking on route 84 is not functioning. We have notified our supplier.
On Saturday 20th July we will be operating our 1960s Routemaster on part of route 298. This is in conjunction with Metroline's Potters Bar Garage open day.
All school runs have been completed. Any further trips marked in the timetable as SCH will not operate.
Its been quite hectic dealing with a number of schools finishing today at roughly the same time. However we have got through it!
We have seen a considerable upturn in the number of customers using our red buses in London this week. Please remember that buses & trains are operating for essential workers only. Stay safe and if your journey is not essential, please stay at home.
We have received some appreciative messages about our drivers continuing to provide vital links. One of our younger passengers has put this on a stop on the B3.
Thank you to all those saying thank you to our staff - it really does make a difference.
From tomorrow we will be asking customers to enter through the middle doors on TfL services. No need to touch in. However essential journeys only please.
You may have seen the announcement in the press regarding the £2 fare cap scheme. Unfortunately the scheme would have applied to just 3 of our 16 bus routes.
We think the best way forward is for a scheme that supports the majority of bus passengers.
Going to Thorpe Park this Saturday? Our 950 will operate at frequent intervals from 9am.
Please wear a face covering and pay by contactless. Capacity restrictions apply on the bus and in the park.
We have been contacting schools this morning to confirm arrangements. One school has confirmed closure (NBS) and another confirmed open (JFS).
We are awaiting others.
We are now applying Zoono Z7 to our bus interiors (in line with London Underground) to prevent the spread of Covid. Zoono provides up to 30 days protection on vehicle surfaces.
We would like to thank the residents of Little Bushey Lane
#bushey
who railed around to assist us to move our 306 bus which was stranded on ice. Nice to see such community spirit!! Thanks.
Great news! Route 306. Watford Borough have agreed to remove the plant pots next week that were obstructing local buses in the High St.
We are now able to start to restore our 306 to the former half-hourly day time service. New timetable will be introduced from the 1st August
Today we say goodbye to Keith Toohey. Keith was our regular driver on route 833 to St Michaels school. Keith is greatful for the retirement cards he has received. One from the pupils and the other from us. Enjoy your retirement Keith!
Route 306 - as customers will be aware Uno, Red Rose and ourselves have been having issues with access to the High Street in Watford.
We have an online meeting with the Council later today to try to get the issue of the errant plant pots removed.
@WatfordCouncil
A very nice writeup in the local papers about our friend & colleague Steve Simmonds who sadly passed away last week.
Steve was very well known for his work locally.
Car driver has moved after some persuasion from his wife but promised to return. Route 389 will not serve Westcombe Drive (or Underhill & Barnet Lane) for the remainder of the day but will divert via Fairfield Way. Clues are included as to who to blame.
Route 389 (and consequentially route 399) is currently blocked on Westcombe Drive by inconsiderate residents parking, people who clearly have no need for a bus! Hopefully assistance will arrive shortly, police have been called.
Thorpe Park reopens on the 4th July to pre-booked ticket holders.
The good news is routes 950 & 951 will also restart from the same date! The 950 runs frequently from Staines Stn and the 951 provides one journey Mon-Sat from Watford. Timetable below:
@RedRoseDart
This one E36 came back today and joins E35 in the depot. Theres a fair amount of work still to do, including fitting Hanover blinds and ticket machines (oh, and removing the plastic screen).
As 'lockdown' measures are starting to be eased and more shops are opening, from the 15th June the 306 will return to every 30 mins during the peak hours! New timetable available soon.
We will be attending Metrolines Potters Bar Open Day with our 1960s Routemaster this Saturday. TfL have granted permission to use the Routemaster on the 298.
We are now issuing new style student season tickets. These new style season tickets are being issued as part of a trial ahead of next summers planned roll out.
If you receive a new style pass you should tap on to the drivers ticket machine when boarding.
We are sure we don't need to advise our customers the need to wear a face covering when on public transport. However some people are exempt. TfL have produced a badge which can we worn by customers with exemptions. Details at:
Due to the Royal Wedding, revised arrangements are in place at Staines Railway Station. Buses will load in Kingston Rd (outside the rail stn) and on return set down in the Bus Station. Please follow signage to the revised bus stopping locations.
#thorpepark
@THORPEPARK
As part of the special event in Borehamwood on Sunday, the Town Council & the Mayor will be unveiling a public bench in honor of our former colleague Steve Simmons who passed away last year.
12:00 Barham Avenue bus stop.
Yesterday was the worse traffic congestion we have experienced in twenty years. Caused due to an RTC on the M25 near Potters Bar. Our thoughts are with those involved. And a big thanks to all our customers and staff who endured delayed journeys yesterday as a result.
On Government advice some bus services will become either wholly or partly dedicated as school bus services. On these services only pupils will be admitted. These will mostly be shown in the timetable as Sch (service operating on a schoolday only)
Armistice Day - our drivers will be asked to observe the 2 minutes silence at 11am this morning. Drivers will be asked to stop where its safe to do so.
Travelling to Thorpe Park this week?
Mon - Sat Route 951 will operate from Watford
The railway will operate a Saturday service on Thurs/Fri (2/3 June).
No trains to Staines Station on Sunday 5th June due to engineering works. Buses from Hounslow.
@BusAndTrainUser
@piccadillyline
RF - We are aware of service extras today on the 29, 91, H91, 121, 184 & 298. Possibly more elsewhere. Diversion via Oakwood is due to a burst watermain in Chaseside. Enjoy!
London's Bus services will likely reduce on weekdays to a Saturday service from the 23rd March. Our Hertfordshire services will continue to operate to the normal Mon-Fri schedule. School buses will also continue to operate where schools remain open.
Further info when we get it.
Thorpe Parks 2022 season ends today. :-(
Route 950 will continue to operate until 22:00hrs.
Routes 950 & 951 will return next season. We look forward to seeing you next year.
Following the removal of the planters in Watford High Street, route 306 will return to every 30 mins (Mon-Sat daytime) from the 1st August.
Timetable will be on our website in a few days, and timetables on buses from Monday.
@RedRoseDart
Four of the five E400 buses (E35-37 & 59) are still in the paint shop but should hopefully be with us for the start of schools on the 19th April.
In the meantime we hope to use WVL2-4, plus ELV1, DEL1 & WVL1 as needed. Sundays may be covered by single deckers.
Chase Side in Southgate is currently blocked by an RTC.
Routes 298 and 299 are both diverted via Bramley Road and Chase Road in both directions between Cat Hill roundabout and Southgate Stn.
Next week will be a Non-School week. Journeys in the timetable marked SCH will not operate. Thr/Fri are Bank Holidays so a Sunday service will operate.
Route 951 (Watford - Thorpe Park) will operate all week.
In line with the Governments Covid relaxations, from Monday 17th the restrictions on the reduced numbers of passengers that can be carried, will be abolished on our commercial services.
Standee passengers cannot be carried and rearward facing seats will remain out of use.
Some of our drivers were very late back yesterday and will need to take their legal between shift breaks. This might mean we have some late running this morning - we are doing our best to cover as many services as we can.
School Closures this week.
We have been advised that Queens, St Michaels & Nicholas Breakspear Schools will be closed on Wednesday (5) & Friday (7).
As a result the associated school buses will not operate.
From September the journey from Borehamwood to Queens' will be renumbered 397. The bus will start at Tescos Borehamwood.
However students in Potters Bar & the east of Borehamwood can use route 398 to reach Tescos.
The same bus will be used for the remainder of the journey.
Route 84 - the 10:05 departure from St Albans will not operate while we recover the service due to late running (very heavy traffic at Bell roundabout). Delays of up to 40 minutes are occurring.
TfL have asked us to operate 1 school bus on each school route next week for the benefit of pupils who may need to attend schools. In cases where there are multiple buses, this will be the last scheduled bus in the timetable.
We are now rolling out new ticket machines on our green bus fleet which accept contactless payments. The double fleet (operating mostly on schools) will for the foreseeable future only accept cash payments.
As part of this weekends fare revision we will be making some changes to our ticket products
The Potters Bar - South Mimms weekly sold on the 398 will also be available for use & purchase on the 84
The Borehamwood Weekly Ticket (which has sold only 7 last year) will be withdrawn.
South Mimms Services. We seem to have faulty traffic lights on the roundabout. Q’s forming on the approach’s. This may delay some buses leaving the depot.
Route 217 is suffering with server delays due to road works at Waltham Abbey which is causing delays of over an hour and also delays at the Great Cambridge Roundabout which is also causing delays of an hour.