Bendy buses taken out of service
- Thread starter Jake
- Start date
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Origamist
Legendary Member
Here are some of Boris' justifications for removing the bendy bus:
*Bendy Buses and Cyclists*
*Question No: 479 / 2009*
Valerie Shawcross
Do you regret falsely claiming that bendy buses "wipe out cyclists,
there are many cyclists killed every year by them"?
*Answer from the Mayor:*
I think it is odd that there are still defenders of a bus that is more polluting, more dangerous to cyclists and lost £12m in fare evasion last year.
Articulated Buses and Cyclists
Question No: 2803 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
On 10th September 2007 you said articulated buses "wipe out cyclists, there are many cyclists killed every year by them". Given that there have been no fatal incidents and only four serious incidents involving articulated buses and cyclists since they were introduced, on what evidence did you base this claim?
Answer from the Mayor:
As you know, there is a record of serious incidents involving cyclists
and bendy buses. TfL defines serious incidents as those where a cyclist may have required treatment, including in hospital. There was one serious incident involving a cyclist in each of the years 2005/06 and 2006/07, and two in 2007/08.
Analysis that was undertaken by TfL earlier this year showed that
bendy buses were involved in 32% more collisions in total and 36% more collisions with cyclists than non articulated buses serving a similar area, per vehicle kilometre.
*Bendy Buses and Cyclists*
*Question No: 479 / 2009*
Valerie Shawcross
Do you regret falsely claiming that bendy buses "wipe out cyclists,
there are many cyclists killed every year by them"?
*Answer from the Mayor:*
I think it is odd that there are still defenders of a bus that is more polluting, more dangerous to cyclists and lost £12m in fare evasion last year.
Articulated Buses and Cyclists
Question No: 2803 / 2008
Valerie Shawcross
On 10th September 2007 you said articulated buses "wipe out cyclists, there are many cyclists killed every year by them". Given that there have been no fatal incidents and only four serious incidents involving articulated buses and cyclists since they were introduced, on what evidence did you base this claim?
Answer from the Mayor:
As you know, there is a record of serious incidents involving cyclists
and bendy buses. TfL defines serious incidents as those where a cyclist may have required treatment, including in hospital. There was one serious incident involving a cyclist in each of the years 2005/06 and 2006/07, and two in 2007/08.
Analysis that was undertaken by TfL earlier this year showed that
bendy buses were involved in 32% more collisions in total and 36% more collisions with cyclists than non articulated buses serving a similar area, per vehicle kilometre.
simon_brooke
New Member
- Location
- Auchencairn
Origamist said:
Without wishing to get into a phoney political debate, to what extent is the problem with bendy buses in London a matter of driver training, and to what extent is it a matter of cramped and congested streets? Other European cities have deployed bendies successfully.
If it's basically a matter that the streets are too narrow and too busy then I can see the justification for withdrawing the buses. If, however, they're not, then I'd think the better solution would be to train - and pay - the drivers appropriately.
Bendy buses never bothered me, either as a passenger or as a cyclist.
As a passenger I appreciated that they were easier to board. For wheelchair users or parents with a pushchair I think there were definitely a lot easier. There is also the issue on double deckers that people tend not to like to go upstairs late at night, leaving the upper deck to the feral passengers. On the bendy buses that wasn't a problem - which can be a plus or minus point. On the plus side the whole capacity of the bus is used - on the minus side everyone is lumped together.
As a cyclist I treated them like a lorry and did not go around them unless it is stationary and I was absolutely sure that it would not move in the time that I woudl take to pass it. I would also make sure that I would look directly in the driver's mirror. The drivers are lower than on regular buses so almost at eye level. I am going to be a little controversial here and suggest that their demise is partly due to the number of incompetent cyclists on the road.
Yeah - there probably were issues on some of the narrow streets in central London but I would think they would be ideal for some of the major roads into London such as the Uxbridge Road in the west or Green Lanes in the north. Rather than get them rid of them I would have suggested moving them to run on some of these roads as feeder routes.
I would reckon that their blanket withdrawal is more to do with the fact that Boris is a Ken-hater* rather than for any genuinely road safety issues.
*
As a passenger I appreciated that they were easier to board. For wheelchair users or parents with a pushchair I think there were definitely a lot easier. There is also the issue on double deckers that people tend not to like to go upstairs late at night, leaving the upper deck to the feral passengers. On the bendy buses that wasn't a problem - which can be a plus or minus point. On the plus side the whole capacity of the bus is used - on the minus side everyone is lumped together.
As a cyclist I treated them like a lorry and did not go around them unless it is stationary and I was absolutely sure that it would not move in the time that I woudl take to pass it. I would also make sure that I would look directly in the driver's mirror. The drivers are lower than on regular buses so almost at eye level. I am going to be a little controversial here and suggest that their demise is partly due to the number of incompetent cyclists on the road.
Yeah - there probably were issues on some of the narrow streets in central London but I would think they would be ideal for some of the major roads into London such as the Uxbridge Road in the west or Green Lanes in the north. Rather than get them rid of them I would have suggested moving them to run on some of these roads as feeder routes.
I would reckon that their blanket withdrawal is more to do with the fact that Boris is a Ken-hater* rather than for any genuinely road safety issues.
*
jonesy said:
Your analysis has far exceeded your IQ.
Having seen people mashed against the railings twice by these - once at the end of Waterloo bridge and once at the High Holborn/Southampton Row corner - both very large streets in London terms, it takes the intellect of a field mouse to work out that they were thoroughly dangerous hunks of crap.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
When I lived in Dublin I was seconded to Dublin Bus and they were building a new garage to specially accomodate their fleet of bendy buses. By the time it was built DB had also withdrawn their fleet of bendy buses.
domd1979
Veteran
- Location
- Staffordshire
Bigtwin said:
As has already been said, the evidence doesn't substantiate that.
Ah London cycling. Why do people get so worked up about issues that much of the country thinks the opposite on? We have motorcycles in bus lanes and nobody goes on about it being a tory conspiracy. Similarly bendy buses are viewed as crap, inefficient and dangerous to cyclists and this isn't viewed as being pro-tory either. London eh, got to love it.
I'm surprised if their accident rates aren't higher
just by being long and articulated they're obviously potentially more dnagerous than most other vehicles on the road
that the articulation is central makes them more so
I got a couple of nasty frights when I first ever came across them whilst cycling
if they crushed people against railings then those people had no business being there did they, ped or rider
just by being long and articulated they're obviously potentially more dnagerous than most other vehicles on the road
that the articulation is central makes them more so
I got a couple of nasty frights when I first ever came across them whilst cycling
if they crushed people against railings then those people had no business being there did they, ped or rider
bazzadigz C+
Senior Member
To be honest (and getting away from the Political debate)
I dont like Bendy Buses, its a personal view which I dont expect anyone to agree with. I feel very unsafe while im on my bike in London when these buses are near me, they are a nightmare to pass (at bus stops) and they block junctions. When im off the bike and on foot i feel they get increadably close to peds standing on corners (pavements) as they have to take a much wider birth. I remember that incident involving a bendy bus in Ilford where a man was dragged to his death along Romford Road as the driver didnt even notice he had hit someone!
Wasnt the reason for Bendy Buses in the first place being due to TfL having to comply with a disablity laws?
I certainally wont be missing Bendy Buses but they need to be replaced with something thats actually designed with Londons Narrow and Small Streets in mind. We cant keep wasting money replacing our buses everytime a new mayor gets put into power. Im still cant understand why the buses are all going to be replaced by 2011 only for the new design to be rolled out in 2012. or did i mis-read that?
I dont like Bendy Buses, its a personal view which I dont expect anyone to agree with. I feel very unsafe while im on my bike in London when these buses are near me, they are a nightmare to pass (at bus stops) and they block junctions. When im off the bike and on foot i feel they get increadably close to peds standing on corners (pavements) as they have to take a much wider birth. I remember that incident involving a bendy bus in Ilford where a man was dragged to his death along Romford Road as the driver didnt even notice he had hit someone!
Wasnt the reason for Bendy Buses in the first place being due to TfL having to comply with a disablity laws?
I certainally wont be missing Bendy Buses but they need to be replaced with something thats actually designed with Londons Narrow and Small Streets in mind. We cant keep wasting money replacing our buses everytime a new mayor gets put into power. Im still cant understand why the buses are all going to be replaced by 2011 only for the new design to be rolled out in 2012. or did i mis-read that?
Wheeledweenie
Über Member
- Location
- Hanwell, west London
As a commuter the problem is that although they are quicker to board and carry more people very few people pay on the ones I've been on, and I've been on quite a few.
Plus, as a cyclist I find that a lot of bus drivers are rubbish, regardless of the type of bus, but the bendy ones swing out unpredictably, can't handle a lot of the corners on the route near me, can be extra hard to overtake and the roads just aren't big enough for them.
If the drivers were better and they had ticket inspectors I'd be a happier bunny but, on the route near me at least, they're just not suitable.
Plus, as a cyclist I find that a lot of bus drivers are rubbish, regardless of the type of bus, but the bendy ones swing out unpredictably, can't handle a lot of the corners on the route near me, can be extra hard to overtake and the roads just aren't big enough for them.
If the drivers were better and they had ticket inspectors I'd be a happier bunny but, on the route near me at least, they're just not suitable.
tdr1nka
Taking the biscuit
- Location
- SE London, Bandit Country
zimzum42 said:
Fare dodging?
No wonder we call that bus the Four Five Free.
