Route 261
Route 261 transfers to Stagecoach from Saturday 30th November 2013, ending an association with Metrobus which has lasted over a quarter of a century.
Scania OmniDekkas have been the usual fare on the route since 2006 and 907 is seen pulling away from the Heather Road stop in Baring Road, between Grove Park and Lee, during the afternoon of Friday 22nd November 2013.
***********************************
New routes 208 and 261 first saw the light of day on 4th September 1982; as part of the package of service revisions, cuts and economies introduced following the Law Lords' ruling earlier that year that the Greater London's 'Fares Fair' reductions were unlawful. The two new routes replaced the 94, which was withdrawn entirely; at the same time route 47 was reduced south of Lewisham and withdrawn between Bromley Garage and Farnborough, and route 51 was cut back from Farnborough to Orpington, route 261 providing new links across the village. Part of the rationale was that the 94 was operated by both Catford (TL) and Bromley (TB) Garages but passed neither, thus making it difficult and costly (because of staff travel time) to operate.
Like many new routes the 208 and 261 were initially crew-operated, but driver-only operation came to route 261 in April 1983, initiialy with Leyland National single-deckers but with double-deck Titans from April 1985. The section between Bromley Garage and Orpington was lost in August 1986, as part of the Orpington area reorganisation which saw the introduction of the R-prefix 'Roundabout' minibus routes.
Metrobus' incredible 26-year tenure of the route commenced on 27th November 1987; it was Metrobus' second major tender win, following on from the 61 the previous year. So successful would Metrobus become that during the 1990s a casual visitor to Bromley could be forgiven for thinking it had its own municipal buses, so predominant was the then blue-and-yellow livery. Under Metrobus the 261 was further cut back to Bromley Common 'Crown', although for many years there were garage journeys in service to and from Green Street Green; and even an early morning one-way journey starting at Pratt's Bottom. The opening of the new Princess Royal Hospital at Locksbottom saw the 261 extended there from February 2007.
Stagecoach takes over from Saturday 30th November with a batch of brand-new Enviro400s, and the route will once again return to Bromley Garage after more than a quarter of a century.
Route 261
Route 261 transfers to Stagecoach from Saturday 30th November 2013, ending an association with Metrobus which has lasted over a quarter of a century.
Scania OmniDekkas have been the usual fare on the route since 2006 and 907 is seen pulling away from the Heather Road stop in Baring Road, between Grove Park and Lee, during the afternoon of Friday 22nd November 2013.
***********************************
New routes 208 and 261 first saw the light of day on 4th September 1982; as part of the package of service revisions, cuts and economies introduced following the Law Lords' ruling earlier that year that the Greater London's 'Fares Fair' reductions were unlawful. The two new routes replaced the 94, which was withdrawn entirely; at the same time route 47 was reduced south of Lewisham and withdrawn between Bromley Garage and Farnborough, and route 51 was cut back from Farnborough to Orpington, route 261 providing new links across the village. Part of the rationale was that the 94 was operated by both Catford (TL) and Bromley (TB) Garages but passed neither, thus making it difficult and costly (because of staff travel time) to operate.
Like many new routes the 208 and 261 were initially crew-operated, but driver-only operation came to route 261 in April 1983, initiialy with Leyland National single-deckers but with double-deck Titans from April 1985. The section between Bromley Garage and Orpington was lost in August 1986, as part of the Orpington area reorganisation which saw the introduction of the R-prefix 'Roundabout' minibus routes.
Metrobus' incredible 26-year tenure of the route commenced on 27th November 1987; it was Metrobus' second major tender win, following on from the 61 the previous year. So successful would Metrobus become that during the 1990s a casual visitor to Bromley could be forgiven for thinking it had its own municipal buses, so predominant was the then blue-and-yellow livery. Under Metrobus the 261 was further cut back to Bromley Common 'Crown', although for many years there were garage journeys in service to and from Green Street Green; and even an early morning one-way journey starting at Pratt's Bottom. The opening of the new Princess Royal Hospital at Locksbottom saw the 261 extended there from February 2007.
Stagecoach takes over from Saturday 30th November with a batch of brand-new Enviro400s, and the route will once again return to Bromley Garage after more than a quarter of a century.