Existing Operators Retain Ealing And Two South London Routes

摘要

First CentreWest must have been hugely relieved to learn it had retained all six of its Ealing local routes. For the first time in many months, all 10 routes in this latest tender round were kept by their present operators. After describing First Capital North's recent loss of route 91 (Trafalgar Square-Crouch End) to Metroline as a 'serious blow', First London said it was 'vital' that it retained the six Ealing routes, which like three of the other four new contracts calls for new buses. Only the two double-deck schooldays 672 (Thamesmead-Woolwich) retained by Selkent will continue with existing vehicles. The Ealing bids went into Transport for London in July and the results were announced in early October. The new contracts begin at the end of May. That same date, incidentally, is also when the first three routes worked with articulated buses are due to be replaced but evaluation of those bids will doubtless take longer.