London transit experimenting with new seats on one bus

Riders who take the London Transit Commission's (LTC) Route 12 bus may notice something a little different about the seating.

One one bus that travels between downtown and Wharncliffe at Wonderland road, smooth, hard-shell seats have replaced the patterned fabric seats that riders are familiar with.

The new seats are a trial following a survey that showed bus cleanliness was a key issue for Londoners, said LTC general manager Kelly Paleczny. 

"The style of seating that we've put on one bus is being utilized by other transit systems as it's easier to keep clean and it's also easier for riders to detect if it is wet or if something's been spilled on it," she said. 

The trial run of the new seats did not cost any money, Paleczny said, because a demonstration set of chairs were donated from a company that sells seats. 

The new design features a more contoured shape and a small hole at the bottom, which Paleczny said will help any spilt liquid run off the seat and onto the floor.

The new seats are getting mixed reviews from riders. 

"It's slippery and it's not as comfortable as the other one," said Khushpreet Kaur, who was travelling on the bus with the new seats Thursday. "When the bus stops, my body moves."

Other riders focused on the cleanliness and shape of the new design.

"The more I sit on it, I think they're probably more comfortable than the other ones," said Alyssa Barrett, who is a frequent LTC bus rider. "The shape definitely feels like it's different."

Signs and stickers with a QR code on the bus, directing riders to a four-question survey about the new seats.

Paleczny said that even if rider feedback is positive, there is no rush or budget to retrofit all LTC buses with the new seats. 

"We would essentially build that into the specification for future bus orders," said Paleczny, adding that the LTC would need to research seat styles and manufacturers first. 

"Future replacement and expansion buses would have that new style of seating, so the fleet would be transitioned slowly."

Buses cleaned every two months

Paleczny said the new bus seats would also make cleaning easier for LTC staff.

LTC buses are deep-cleaned with a pressure washer every 60 days, said Paleczny. The current fabric-lined seats get covered during deep cleaning so they do not get soaked with water, she said, adding that the seats are washed on a separate 60-day cycle with a machine similar to a carpet cleaner.

"That bus has to be out of service for a day because the seats have to dry once they've been cleaned before we put the bus back in," she said.

Paleczny said, if implemented, the new bus seats would save staff time and money on cleaning. 

Barrett said seat cleanliness impacts her bus riding experience. 

"A few weeks ago, I got on the bus and there was this massive yellow-brown stain on a seat," said Barrett. "I don't know what it was, but I definitely had my theories, like maybe someone threw up and they left it there."

Paleczny said one-off cleaning happens as required if there is a biohazard issue or spill.

Barrett said she often avoids fabric seats with stains, but said that won't be an issue with the hard-shell seats. 

"I feel like this would be a lot cleaner because you can wipe it down with sanitary wipes and you're all good," she said. 

Kaur said she is less concerned about the cleanliness of bus seats: "This one is clean now but after time, it will be dirty like the old one."