bus route numbering system

[rundmg]

What system (if any) is used to number new bus routes. Is it simply that new routes take the next number in ascending order. My local area (of London) is serviced by busses 134, 43, 234 and 143 - I would like to think that there is some logic behind these random but similar numbers. thanks

[lodekka]

As the board's bus driver-in-residence *grin*, look at it from this direction - 134 & 234, and 43 & 143. Not being au fait with which particular part of London you're in, would each pair of services follow similar routes for the most part? Services in London were brought into a unified system by the London Transport Passenger Board in 1933 when the operations of various independent and pirate operators were brought under one umbrella. I *think* service numbers were in the main those hitherto operated by the larger operators such as London General and London United - the current companies bearing these names came about as a result of LT being split up in the 1980s prior to privatisation.

[sft42]

Originally when buses came into service they adopted the tram numbers which ran on the same routes. These were aparently sited around laundries to allow people to do their washing (or so i'm told). as to how they get new numbers i think they pick them out of a hat!