Why bendy buses

Overall, bus sizes are increasing to provide greater capacity for similar cost but a cultural change is needed to really benefit from the advantages of road passenger transport. Tramways and light railways offer a solution which appears different but requires huge initial investment for new systems.

It will certainly be a long time before we see any new underground rail systems implemented outside London, so guided bus-ways may offer an intermediary answer in the short to medium term. Crucially, they are more attractive to the parties who bear the cost of implementing and operating the services. The task of running the services on time and maintaining customer satisfaction, however, will remain a problem to be addressed whatever the infrastructure.

During his time in Bath he has worked as a part-time bus driver for the local operator, First, and was one of the original team of drivers trained to operate the articulated vehicles in Bath when they were introduced.

He is now looking to combine his training and experience in the field at graduate level. Download Article KB. Article Search. The magazine. Issue 22 Contents Engineering themes Innovation watch How does that work? Profiles How I got here Submit an article. Also in this issue. The first of these will be put on show for Londoners before Christmas and two are expected to join the working fleet of more than 7, buses in February.

Johnson will hope his new bus pleases Londoners, who face average public transport rises of 5. He has always disputed that bendies were strongly disliked by Londoners at large, as their more vehement critics allege.

He has not, though, promised to bring them back. The final journey of the bendy bus. The — the last route still using bendy buses — will switch to double-deckers on Saturday amid accusations of wasted money. Register here. Two people, including a year-old girl, Blessing Olayiwola, have been killed by bendy buses in the last six months alone, even though there are only a few hundred of them.

The figures will be seized on by critics who want Transport for London to scrap the 60ft long vehicles. However, the Standard has learned that TfL may introduce them on even more routes. The statistics, released by the Mayor to London Assembly member Geoff Pope, show the new buses caused per cent more pedestrian injuries than other types of buses per million miles operated. Bendy buses were involved in 1, accidents over the year - 75 per cent more than other buses, the figures reveal.

This is an average of nearly five a day, and more than five accidents a year for every bus in the fleet. The vehicles caused per cent more collisions with cyclists - nearly three times as many as conventional buses. Mr Pope, chairman of the Assembly's transport committee, said: "These figures are alarming and worryingly high. TfL should urgently review whether all the routes currently operated by bendy buses are suitable for them. Lynda Lynch, whose year-old mother suffered "horrific" injuries after becoming trapped in the doors of a bendy bus, said: "How can TfL expect one person to drive two buses joined together and man three doors?