[Trapper John]

It is blindingly obvious that the chassis of double-deckers has markedly changed in the last 15 years or so. I'm guessing (so correct me if I'm wrong) that the EEC have dictated that the lower deck of ANY bus shall be flat, in order that they can take wheel-chairs (though it's mostly prams that fill the designated place). As a result, the front wheel arches now take up more room internally, comparatively speaking. 15 years ago, you could stick 3 or 4 seats on them. Nowadays, it's luggage space, or somewhere to stash copies of "The Metro".
Is it possible to have 4 SMALLER wheels at the front on a Double Decker (Bedford VAL style)? I'm not a Mechanical Engineer, so I can't comment. The only disadvantage that I can see is that if dual doors are fitted, the scope of location of the centre doors are marginally reduced, as is the location of the stairs.

John the Trapper