Bendy Buses a 'trial'
Discussion
The disabled access thing is a load of bollox. Infact from travelling with a disabled mate I'd suggest these things seem harder.
They do have 2 rather then one disabled areas, however in reality these allow more standing area. The bendy is great because you can fit people standing the whole length. You can't stand upstairs on a double decker.
The busses they use are well designed in other respects but none of the benefits are a result of the fact its articulated.
They do have 2 rather then one disabled areas, however in reality these allow more standing area. The bendy is great because you can fit people standing the whole length. You can't stand upstairs on a double decker.
The busses they use are well designed in other respects but none of the benefits are a result of the fact its articulated.
There were bendy buses when I lived in Germany 30 years ago. They worked brilliantly, just like they do in all European cities that were bombed flat in the last war and consequendly have wide, boulevard-like streets for them to operate on.
In places like London and Bath they're a poor joke at best.
In places like London and Bath they're a poor joke at best.
Firstly I will qualify my statement by stating I don't live in London or even drive in the city much except PH tunnel runs.
Anyway I find the bendy busses much nicer to travel on than Routmasters simply because they have much more space and are not live ovens in summer. Sitting on a routmaster when people were standing around you was just uncomforable, sitting in the forward facing seats was impossible if you are over 5'6.
However the Routmaster has some features that the bendy busses don't, i.e. you can jump on when its moving (or off which I once did at rather too high a speed) and you can sit at the very front upstairs and pretend to drive.
Ben
Anyway I find the bendy busses much nicer to travel on than Routmasters simply because they have much more space and are not live ovens in summer. Sitting on a routmaster when people were standing around you was just uncomforable, sitting in the forward facing seats was impossible if you are over 5'6.
However the Routmaster has some features that the bendy busses don't, i.e. you can jump on when its moving (or off which I once did at rather too high a speed) and you can sit at the very front upstairs and pretend to drive.
Ben
Get rid of all buses, all the disabled people have free cars and everyone else can either get a car, a bike or walk. I hate buses, except the classic red ones (Yep, proud to be british!) It's like bloody red phoneboxes, they are being stripped down everywhere because lefthanded lesbian trombonists cant access them. The frigging disabled have free cars, phones and are probably hopping out of their cars whilst double parked. The problem is the sort of half arsed modern, pc 
wits who the civil service recruit and council types. Let's make Britain a more inclusive, cosmopolitan melting pot... It makes me cross. Bendy buses are a daft idea and are totally incomprehensible. Why, why, why? Bendy buses are just going to create more carnage on the roads. If we are going to look to the future, let's build frigging hanging monorails, ahh, but the disabled lesbian jugglers might not be able to access them. Disabled access makes me hop, for one, 99% of (registered)disabled people car run the 100M faster than the average 60 year old, they draw benefits, so they can afford a car and would probably turn their noses up at it anyway. £3 with First to go about 1.5 miles, I'll well walk thanks...GRRRRR!
wits who the civil service recruit and council types. Let's make Britain a more inclusive, cosmopolitan melting pot... It makes me cross. Bendy buses are a daft idea and are totally incomprehensible. Why, why, why? Bendy buses are just going to create more carnage on the roads. If we are going to look to the future, let's build frigging hanging monorails, ahh, but the disabled lesbian jugglers might not be able to access them. Disabled access makes me hop, for one, 99% of (registered)disabled people car run the 100M faster than the average 60 year old, they draw benefits, so they can afford a car and would probably turn their noses up at it anyway. £3 with First to go about 1.5 miles, I'll well walk thanks...GRRRRR!
Although my point was "Ken says it's a trial" and everyone says "Oh, that's alright then", when it clearly isn't a trial.
But then the trial I'm looking forward to is the one he's postponed until July (nothing like making a minor argument into a year long political battle), when the bankrupt the little sh*t.
Simon
But then the trial I'm looking forward to is the one he's postponed until July (nothing like making a minor argument into a year long political battle), when the bankrupt the little sh*t.
Simon
The newer double deckers are much nicer than the routemaster comfortwise, I've never seen a wheelchair user get on but it's always full of stupid prams, aren't mums supposed to use SUVs to drag their kids around these days? 
Disabled people have feck all chance of getting on a bus full of prams anyway, and a bendy bus doesn't solve that, the underground is also hopeless for most disabled people, as LM says we already give them shedloads of cash, let them get a disabled cab or buy a special car, much easier for all involved, after all they do get the primo parking spots as well. All the money saved from the upgrades would be far better off spent on improving the services, it's useless to everyone at the moment with the amount of times the public transport system is broken or delayed.
Disabled people have feck all chance of getting on a bus full of prams anyway, and a bendy bus doesn't solve that, the underground is also hopeless for most disabled people, as LM says we already give them shedloads of cash, let them get a disabled cab or buy a special car, much easier for all involved, after all they do get the primo parking spots as well. All the money saved from the upgrades would be far better off spent on improving the services, it's useless to everyone at the moment with the amount of times the public transport system is broken or delayed.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
We've just got some new buses in Newcastle, all electric nd even manage to get up and down the quite steep hills in the city centre. They look great - bright yellow, but there have been cases of people stepping in front of them as "they didn't hear them" - the darwin effect again
mk6fiesta said:
I drive bendy-buses in and around Leeds, and from a personal POV I think they are much nicer than the double deckers. Heated seats, aircon and you cant hear the engine because its 75 feet away 
(also in the past 9 months of driving them I have had 0!! wheelchairs get on the bus) but the pram wars can be very amusing to watch
which route do you do?
the #1 and #95 are the only ones ive seen using them thus far, the student buses
As a daily bus user [tiny](scared to admit it)[/tiny] I MUCH prefer getting on the bendy bus, much more space, three entrances rather than one. Getting on a Routemaster type bus at peak time is a pain because everyone congregates by the stairs and by the rear exit
Each time I've been on a bendy bus that has blocked a junction, it's been because some dopey road user has blocked the road preventing the bus squeezing through or somesuch.
I think there is room (!) for both types of bus, the bendy buses for the busy, frequent stopper routes, and the Routemaster ones for the quieter longer-distance ones.
Each time I've been on a bendy bus that has blocked a junction, it's been because some dopey road user has blocked the road preventing the bus squeezing through or somesuch.
I think there is room (!) for both types of bus, the bendy buses for the busy, frequent stopper routes, and the Routemaster ones for the quieter longer-distance ones.
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