End of bendy buses is nigh

Date: 7/10/2011

Bendy buses are soon to be a thing of the past on the roads of London, in-line with Mayor Boris Johnson's pledge to get rid of them.

Transport for London (TfL) reports that two-thirds of the vehicles have now been converted into a different type, with the last scheduled to leave the city in December.

It is calculated that more than £7 million will be saved every year once all 12 of the routes have been transformed to accommodate double-decker buses rather than the bendy version.

This is because it will be harder for passengers to evade paying a fare, TfL notes.

Of the new carriers set to hit the roads, more than 50 will be hybrid double-deckers, while others will feature the latest clean energy technology, replacing the standard diesel version.

Hybrids will boast 30 per cent better fuel economy when compared to diesel-powered vehicles and a minimum 30 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.

Mr Johnson says: "[Bendy buses] were never suited to London's narrow thoroughfares and with their departure fare dodgers are now left with no place to hide."

In August, TfL announced that Eminox and HJS have been awarded contracts to install new carbon-reduction equipment on several of the city's buses.

Posted by Nick Anderson