Fecking buses!

I have great sympathy for bus drivers. When you see the number of white vans that abandon their truck on a sharp bend of the bus route I think the bus drivers should be able to shunt them away. Too many cage drivers dont make any allowances for buses. But then they dont make allowences for anything beyond their own 4 wheels I guess.

Looking at the pole results there are far too many nice people here!!!!!

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

I'd like to know what the possible justification for bendy buses is.

No, really, if there are good reasons then I've certainly not seen/heard what they are, they're not being promoted.
Genuinely, from my perspective of road user and public transport user I cannot see any advantage, and if there is why is it being kept secret? That can only breed suspicion over their true purpose

Bigger busses = more passengers per driver = higher income to expenditure ratio = bigger profits. They make them bendy, otherwise they wouldn't get round the corners.

Originally Posted by iprideaux

Bigger busses = more passengers per driver = higher income to expenditure ratio = bigger profits. They make them bendy, otherwise they wouldn't get round the corners.

Yeah but you can get more people on double deckers. So what's the point?

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by iprideaux

Bigger busses = more passengers per driver = higher income to expenditure ratio = bigger profits. They make them bendy, otherwise they wouldn't get round the corners.

Hmmm...two decks on a 'normal' London bus, against one on a bendy. Is there twice the capacity inside?
Takes up more room in the road, 18 metres against 9+ a bit for a DD, thus compromising traffic movement, (buses included).
Is it realistic to assume that there is as good all round visibility for the driver than in a vehicle half the size, or without the articulation?

Nope, must try harder.

They were partly sold to the poor unsuspecting of London on the basis that they were quicker to board, however the ASA upheld a complaint that this was misleading. IMHO a political decision to use them was made before there was sufficicent research done, now of course much money has been spent on them, are there agreements to buy more bendys? This seems likely.

I hadn't thought about double deckers.

Here's one to be scared of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus
Towards the end:
"The Belgian manufacturer Van Hool offers a bi-articulated bus of 25m length with a capacity of about 180 passengers."

Originally Posted by iprideaux

I hadn't thought about double deckers.

Here's one to be scared of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus
Towards the end:
"The Belgian manufacturer Van Hool offers a bi-articulated bus of 25m length with a capacity of about 180 passengers."

in the words of ken livingstone:
"Corr look a tthe wheels on that"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:g...bus_01_KMJ.jpg

Bus drivers can be annoying, but you just need to know how to find out what garage they work from and call the manager directly for a 'chat' about it. you can bet your complaint will find its way to the intended target in a far more effective manner than the old two finger salute

Re Bendy buses, yeah, it actually has a lot to do with the boarding times - they're generally quicker to get on/off than double deckers, particularly at busy locations, although there may be situations on particular routes where they lose out in terms of the journey times - take more time to get around parked cars on narrow roads for example.

also there are a number of other operational reasons for having them - like they carry more people so there are fewer drivers needed for a given capacity (which has already been mentioned). And being as the drivers don't deal with cash, you can operate much more efficiently in terms of how you set up driver shifts/operate the buses (e.g. they don't have to go back to the garage and cash up) Sounds like a relatively small thing but it does start to add up, and being as some of the funding for TfL comes from your hard earned council tax i would have thought that saving money would be a good thing!

From a passenger perspective, a lot of people do actually like them, and on several things they do better than double deckers. I often catch one to work and actually prefer it to other buses - it's warm and being at street level you get a good view of the people in their cars who are peed off when the bus blocks a junction. They also tick boxes for accessibility - more space for buggies and wheelchair users, and no stairs for elderly people to clamber up - yes I know none of you probably care much, but one day when you're old, grey and doddery you'll be thankful of these things!

As with most things like this it is the people who are unhappy who shout loudest, and i find it interesting that a lot of the complainers don't even use the buses themselves. I know they can be a pain when you're driving but let's face it so can most other vehicles in London. And if you're having trouble passing them at 18m maybe you should twist the throttle a bit more?

i think i'll stop there or i'll start to go too far into the realms of transport spod and no-one will ever talk to me again (that's is if they haven't already decided to do so!!) And you'll be pleased to know that there are no plans for any more of the bendy beasts on our streets!

[Richie]

Voted No I'm too Nice 'cos I've a coach & bus Licence, and I intend to use them one rainy day.

Originally Posted by RizlaSV

....and no stairs for elderly people to clamber up - yes I know none of you probably care much, but one day when you're old, grey and doddery you'll be thankful of these things

That's why double-deckers are sooooo much better: who the hell would want to sit next to someone like ME - a drooling, rambling old fool??

In the good old days, coming back from school on the double-decker, it was all old girls and geezers sit downstairs, and all young'uns flash-the-pass-to-the-conductor-and-leg-it-upstairs-fast where A***** H*** did a free striptease on Friday afternoons!!

Try THAT in a bendy-bus!