The present 299 was introduced in 1992, combining the southern end of the W9 between Muswell Hill and Southgate with a new service along Reservoir Road, thence running on to Cockfosters Station. Despite being so numbered and introduced as part of a scheme that saw the 298 cut back to Southgate from the north, there is no real connection between the 299 and 298 apart possibly from the 299 maintaining the Cockfosters - Southgate High Street link.

Having said that, the original planned numbering was the other way around, but was reversed at the last minute following representations from concerned parties, unfortunately not before the double deck blinds had been ordered with the via points the other way round. Indeed, in an earlier era the Southgate-South Mimms/Clare Hall section was route number 299, with 298 running Turnpike Lane - Cockfosters, these two routes being merged under the 298 number in the summer of 1980, so, very roughly, the two routes have now swapped numbers, although the 299 does not actually have a lot in common with the original 298.

Both routes went to Capital Citybus using Optare Metroriders. The timetable on the 299 was not changed until February 2001, which could well be a record; the original contract was extended until this date, and evidently no changes had been felt necessary during that time. However, a new contract started in 2001, and this had the usual round of improvements, so the timetable was changed, and also the Metroriders were replaced by new low floor Darts. Here DM 784 (X784 HLR) passes through Southgate. This batch of vehicles was one of a few to gain the untidy juxtaposition of First Capital sequence numbers with First Centrewest class letters from new; the First Capital series has now run out, so all Darts are now numbered in the standard 101+ series.

Photo by Martin Hazel.

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See also routes 298, W9