The 88 has just been freshly kitted out with a batch of new PDL class low floor Dennis Tridents. Previously London General, the operator, had been faithful to the Volvo B7TL, despite the considerable delay in getting that type into production. But before any of the Volvos, classified PVL, had arrived, an order was announced for 13 Dennis Tridents, the main competitor to the Volvo, to furnish the new contract for route 88. No doubt they will also enable comparative trials on performance, fuel consumption, reliability and so on.

The fact that only 13 were ordered when the 88 requires 15 buses to meet the peak hour service may sound a little strange, but at the time the order was placed only 11 buses were required for service on the 88. But the reason for the increase is neither of the common ones of a frequency enhancement or extra resources to improve reliability.

Instead, bucking a trend that has been running for many years, the 88 received an extension across town. Previously the route had run from Clapham Common via Stockwell, Vauxhall, Marsham Street and Westminster to Oxford Circus, but severe restrictions on stand space in the latter area needed a solution, and the first step in that direction was the extension of the 88 to Camden Town. This in turn allowed the severely under used 135 service to be withdrawn, with the most useful links being maintained either by the 88 or the 134.

Photo by John Gillespie.

Camden Town is precisely where PDL 1 (X601 EGK) will be going when it is ready to depart on 9 October, only days after delivery. Note the black window surrounds on the lower deck. The registration of PDL 10 (X701 EGK) could be a source of confusion; although London General's current strategy for dealing with the removal of all registration multiples ending in 0 — reversing the last two digits — is the neatest so far, imagine the scenario if two drivers log their bus as PDL 1!

Because there are not enough Tridents to go round, the 88 allocation is topped up by Volvo B7TLs. The Tridents do stray onto other routes from time to time, but generally are kept separate to a large degree. One reason could be the staircase position; most of the PVLs at Stockwell have the central staircase originally favoured by London Transport and which has now been superseded. Newer B7TLs being acquired to top up the allocation, and to furnish route 188 which is just about to be taken over, also have the forward stairs.

The 88 has had several types of Volvo buses over the years. The first arrived in the 1993 single deck craze in the form of Volvo B10Bs, bodied by Northern Counties, classified VN and kitted out with K-KLL registration marks rather vainly reflecting then managing director Keith Ludeman. However, inconsiderate parking around — of all places — the Department of Transport offices in Marsham Street, never mind the inadequate capacity of single deckers on such a route, saw their demise in 1997, when they departed for the fellow Go-Ahead company in Oxford. The registrations were also changed and they are now 644-656 (K118-130 BUD).

Meanwhile the 88 regained double deckers, in the form of Metrobuses. A feature noticed latterly on these was that many buses were displaying the Oxford Circus destination written in black marker pen on what was a yellow blank. The reason is that London General list destinations alphabetically on the blind, so Oxford Circus and Clapham Common are well removed, which would tend to result in a degree of armache for the drivers. However, there happened to be a yellow blank just below Clapham Common on the blind, and someone evidently took it on to convert this to an Oxford Circus destination! But, somehow, I don't think the reason for the Camden Town extension was lexicographic, even if it does eliminate this little difficulty quite effectively.

Volvo Citybuses meant for routes 133 and 196 also made occasional appearances. Later, the 196 was transferred to sister company London Central, due to driver shortages at Stockwell. Camberwell used Titans on the 196, and the plan was to use the VCs on the 88 instead. However this did not happen, and eventually the 196 came back to London General and regained the VCs. Thus the Metrobuses remained on the 88 until the Volvo B7TLs started to arrive. Although these were meant for the 37 and 77A, they did tend to be put on the 88 in preference, until the Tridents came.

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See also routes 134, 133, 196, 37, 87, 188