Farewell to London's bendy buses

This piece first broadcast on 9 Dec 2011. Televised on UK's regional television ITV1 London. Programme (Program) -- London Tonight.

[@afgzee2011]

The problem is the bendy buses should never have been introduced into central London where the roads are mostly too small or tight, rather should have introduced them further into greater London where there's so much more space like Zone 3-5 for example.

[@Awangbudiman]

Free bus I would call it..hahahaha

[@costabravaguy]

We inherited them in Brighton. They run between the city centre and the University of Sussex.

[@enricomonti156]

In Malta they were hated too, as they were too big for most of the roads of the island. They lasted only 2 years also due to the fires, despite they had increased the capacity of passengers on busy routes, which often are still difficult to access due to large passenger numbers

[@geraldwagner8739]

The fires were a problem of the entire Citaro series by Daimler. Even the anallergique rigid Citaros had that problem. Even in Berlin where I live. Apparently the Engines overheated for some reason. Nothing to do with that they were bendy buses.

[@afvisualss]

​@@geraldwagner8739 its crazy to think that back in that era Mercedes made the most luxurious cars/trucks and had great reliability and good build quality, especially their engines such as AMG and diesel engines for trucks, not sure what was up with the citaro.

[@MercedesBenzO303]

In Perth Australia, we have lots of bendy buses and they are still being produced, in Perth, you are not allowed to stand in the turntable and with all buses in Perth, you have to enter the bus via the front door.

[@volvotrident4835]

I use to take the 38 and 73

[@djaf5204]

I used to get 453 and 436. Im surprised that 436 hasn't received new routemaster.

[@stagecoachsouthspotter605]

I used to take the 73

[@oliviaalwen2142]

i love bedy's theyreally intrest me why they turn corners as when i go to york i let the rest sod by jst to get the route 2 bendy usaly as they can be saw on the par and ride alot as i find them amuzing there were some on the leeds route 4 but they were FTR's only ones around stillr route 27 i think

[@eirugsiongriffiths8563]

Bendy Buses were a nightmare in Swansea and caused a lot of accidents Glad they have gone they were used as a cheap alternative to having a new light rail tram system. Now plans are in motion for an eco tram system for Swansea

[@riolucoach]

Wouldn't have happened if they actually tested the buses BEFORE throwing them on lines where they make trouble. I still don't know how TFL managed to do that.

[@treyflowers7148]

Nooooo not the bendy buses

[@user-qc2xg4pk2f]

choo choo!

[@calvinkulit]

They got sold off

[@36_snaps]

Goodbye u were a nightmare *OUTSIDE* in side you were heaven

[@busman252]

Typical Mercedes Benz ciatro's always setting on fire

[@riolucoach]

Haven't hears such a stupid thing in ages. You know why they caught fire? Most likely due to bad maintaining.

[@chongsk4383]

Man a24 is better

[@zackandrews3299]

I like bendy and the ink machine lol there’s a bendy. Bus

[@joseollero3788]

En Londres no pega los bendybuses los de 2 pisos siempre tiene que haber en Londres siempre y si son routemaster mejor que mejor

[@the-memester7704]

Farewell!! More like pay your fare if u ask me

[@colliecandle]

Yet ANOTHER waste of PUBLIC money ! Does no one use their brain BEFORE planning and building vehicles like this ? And only 10 years service life ?? Disgusting !

[@davidwonderland6584]

Totally agreed is! 😣

[@riolucoach]

Not to mention, that the Facelift Citaro G had even less service years. Such a shame for TFL and London itself, as far as I know the real reason is, that the mayor just didn't like those buses.

[@davidwonderland6584]

@@riolucoach Oh I see... Is my wife told me that's pretty too much money spent it of money could be waste of London Buses replace. Like "Junk of London Transport by Buses" for heck! Urgh!! 😣😣

[@davidwonderland6584]

What a shame, how about plans bendy bus re-upgraded, hot engine replace with new electic bendy bus... I guess this bendy bus for only busway line, why on the road? Is too large for that, should place on busway like Cambridge or Birmingham. I don't know why is govenment gonna be doing that bendy buses is gone be worst in here is! 😖😒

[@pauldavis9567]

scrap the lot of em

[@goclunker]

0:45 Angry old man frog. If you can't cycle around a bendy bus, that's on YOU

[@StephenMountenayHenhawke]

Don’t try and overtake buses if you can’t pass them. Plain and simple

[@dennistrident981]

@@StephenMountenayHenhawke whys he trying to overtake it when it pulls out anyway as that's a death trap with any vehicle even a car

[@samb5327]

@@dennistrident981he probably one of them cyclists that sees the bus has already pulled out and decides to try and go round and ends up sitting alongside it

[@dennistrident981]

@@samb5327 twats like that who cause accidents

[@robbiemorrison7085]

Well it’s bloody stupid trying to overtake a vehicle without the driver seeing you.

[@FastCarsNoRules220]

0:34 Lol, I was the same as that lady. I remember back in Singapore I used to wait for the SBS Transit bendy bus number 18 for hours since there were only two of them in the entire country :P Good times. It makes me both sad and angry to see that your bendy buses are gone. Screw all those bendy bus haters!

[@Tayoaxel]

I used the bendy bus on 67 to go to a market to buy my favorite food near paya lebar

[@rynabel]

I used to sit 962 bendy bus to woodlands

[@sgdemobushunter7394]

I used to take hispano habit O405G in 190 in 2020 now public bendy buses is rare

[@Skibidibab]

@@sgdemobushunter7394 blame lta for haring bendies lor i love standing on the 0405gs they were fast and good if only lta brought citaro g’s

[@fazedishwasher148]

I love bendy buses the bendy part is so fun

[@OBCTransport]

Bendy Buses are still in service out off london

[@vincentgalloway2006]

@HigNoMee Halló vinur

[@clemensschlage4561]

Bloody hell. We've got pretty much only bendy busses in my hometown and they're just working well. They offer more capacity for people in wheelchairs or with prams, are also much more accessible for old people and fit under every bridge. I like them and I really cannot understand how London has managed to make them look bad.

[@goutamsaha8136]

This didnt suit in London . Because the roads had become too tight for it , it would catch on fire way too easily and people here are not as great in your hometown so they you would come in the bus without paying .

[@Mgameing123]

@@goutamsaha8136 Honestly bendy buses actually do fine even on narrow roads. The bendy buses were only introduced on the routes where it was possible and needed. Bendy Buses have much more capacity than a regular double decker and its 3 doors reduce dwell times.

[@leylandlynxvlog]

If you're trying to overtake a bus, any bus, while it's trying to pull out and you're on your bicycle (or even any other vehicle), you are the one in the wrong, not the bus being long. Let the bus out, you can pass it at the next stop.

[@MegaMarie]

I loved the bendy buses. It allowed me move around or have a seat without them grumpy old people not even saying please or thank you for once for giving up my seat or getting in their way.

[@FastCarsNoRules220]

Not just the bendy buses, they should have not decommissioned the old Routemasters as well!

[@ABZBuses]

+FastCarsNoRules220 quite a number of these are still in use though even in orkney (north scotland) there is one.

[@oliviaalwen2142]

thsts Boris jhonston to blame he is the one who braugh that ugly one theNBFL gosh its ugly as when i went to london saw more ugly boris busses then routemasters exsept 1privet owned 1

[@leicestertravels4705]

@@Dean0G You sure about that? The 9H ceased in July 2014.

[@grassytramtracks]

They had to because disabled people can't use routemasters

[@Cypher791]

As a cyclist my favourite thing to do is complain about buses and especially bendy buses so I think they should be brought back =]

[@timothyh5805]

So introducing a new bus with 3 doors will help the far dogers. I get one every morning and i always see at least one person not tap their cards. Cyclists shouldn't over take them anyways.If it's dangerous don't do it. The only way i can relive my childhood in London is at Heathrow T5-N1-N5.

[@Offical_RemyKWNicholls]

Well, They've stopped it now. But the fare evaders wasn't the only reason the Bendy's were withdrawn, They were also a huge danger at Junctions.

[@dylanole8496]

They should be brought back

[@djaf5204]

There's no point of withdrawing them. They're not any better than the new routemaster. People still evade fares on the new routemasters. They have to come back.

[@james123212]

and thats why there gonna get rid of the new routemasters and replace them again

[@jasonrandall4827]

JamesIvell u

[@weesgaming7021]

Oh dear

[@morineopepe3100]

Fuck they're gonna get rid of the routemaster and what gonna be the one they replace a bus with 2 seats

[@alfiewhittaker3763]

a conductor...........

[@DriftyWingss]

CURSE YOU ALL BUSSES ARE BORING UNLESS YOUR ON A COOL BENDY BUS

[@maaax1173]

Who would overtake a bus anyway? I‘d never do that

[@BusesinLondon345]

436, 453 and 12 were my local and I used to travel on the bendy buses every day.

[@amazingtravis1083]

bring them back

[@2009dannyboy1]

I Love Them

[@emvvehicles_8]

Well if they put oyster readers in the rear fare evasion wouldn’t be a problem

[@ax2bxc]

why those bendy buses burn?Cuz they let them overheat

[@maaax1173]

The old Citaros actually had some problems coming from the manufacturer but those were rare and they were fixed after a short time

[@BusesinLondon345]

@@maaax1173 yeah there was issues with the older ones. In 2004 they had to bring spare buses because they were being modified

[@Sabin-Sinister]

Removing them is a mistake, their spacious unlike single ones.

[@moethitmin2527]

Screw the haters, The Boris Johnson bus does not help fare evasion either and personally, i think that bendies are better due to them being able to carry more passengers and also are better for the disabled as yk people cannot go to the upper deck on a wheelchair.

[@yuhanwang8566]

i like bendy buses.i ussually stand on the bend

[@modelreviews3705]

I already miss the bendy bus i saw one get killed at the scrapy 6months ago

[@davidwonderland6584]

Wow! 😲

[@John-ci2sd]

Sad times

[@markevans2280]

They was in Birmingham for about 6 months , then disappeared

[@abelbirhanu7356]

I used to take the 507 from Victoria to get to my friends house near waterloo

[@SBS6578L]

Scrapping Citaro Bendies? No way to me!!!

[@milestone_achiever4634]

They were built by Mercedes. It's the Citaro model. If they can make an excellent luxury car, it's hard to fathom how they were involved in fires

[@geraldwagner8739]

It was a problem of the entire Citaro line.

[@milestone_achiever4634]

@@geraldwagner8739 New York City was supposed to get this wonderful bus but Orion Bus Industries went out of business and we had no choice but to get articulated buses from Nova Bus Corporation and New Flyer Industries. It was very saddening. The Citaro could have been part of the NYC bus fleet and possibly other cities like Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and Boston in Massachusetts.

[@nielsleenknegt5839]

@@geraldwagner8739 It is something they fixed though...

[@FastCarsNoRules220]

How do people even dodge fares? I thought you are not allowed to enter from the back of the bus.

[@snoozinghipo]

Good point. I thought the back doors stayed closed on regular stops.

[@FastCarsNoRules220]

Yeah, almost every bendy bus I have been in never allows people to enter at the back, unless if it's a free shuttle service.

[@abbeymaddox3114]

yah you carnt go forom the back with bendy buses in my area some new 1s were introjused & they have a rule were u can only enter from the front & leave from the middle &back or only 1 set of doors is used with rere as emergency exsets

[@ennythinn]

FastCarsNoRules220 I've been in bendy buses where you could enter from all doors.

[@weesgaming7021]

Singapore uses the same method for its buses as well, regardless if the bus has three doors or two doors.

[@ImranLiaquat-t2v]

So sad 😢I like da bendy bus it fun to stand in da bendy part

[@sSteppingStones]

Long live the bendy bus

[@tobyflenderson5166]

I’ll miss the bendy buses they were cool regardless of fair dodgers. Cyclists on the other hand think they rule the road.

[@AhmedAli-ln5yo]

Me to it was so much fun and comfortable

[@ferdgreenblatt6011]

Poor Bendies never had a chance. If yer new and different, the Stodgy Olde Bangers won't give you a chance.

[@silvannavieira3613]

in palma de mallorca have citaros with 17 years and 2.000.000 kilometers

[@mikepowell2776]

Articulated buses seem to work well in most European and Asian cities so what’s wrong with London? An off-vehicle ticket purchase system might help with adequate inspection. Would reduce stop dwell times as well.

[@spacecookie5730]

They were awesome!

[@keepinguptheday]

All the road reconstruction and bus stop modification is now wasted. Just wait for the complaints about the Borismaster when it comes into service! Lika anything, there are positive and negative aspects to everything,

[@westlondonerstravels578]

Yep, like they heat up the most in Summer

[@ANDREWLEONARDSMITH]

The articulation on the bendy bus is exactly the same as that used in the new "S" stock trains on the Metropolitan & District lines & it seems strange that no one objects to the bendies on trains so why all the fuss about the bendies on buses?

[@geraldwagner8739]

Those buses were German! That was the real reason they had to go!

[@grimsville2501]

I loved these things when i was young

[@JamesJames-vq2zh]

The bandy buses are better than the new route masters

[@Ishak_2013]

Hey That is my local bus

[@kingboy1211]

use to take 149 and 38

[@terrificspokesman7416]

Bendy buses are way better than double decker buses

[@John-ci2sd]

They aren't in any way. but bendy buses are so fun and nice

[@ShoaibKhan-bz5qm]

nah

[@grassytramtracks]

@@John-ci2sd they have more capacity and have more space and are more accessible. The smaller front also means less air resistance and thus better fuel economy, there are a lot of advantages over double deckers

[@jenellestrachan8956]

On the bendy bus routes I been on route 29 73 149 25 436 38 and 207

[@ShoaibKhan-bz5qm]

Only time I ever went on a bendy bus was on the 12 for 2 stops down Camberwell in 2009 lmao - so insignificant but I still remember it vividly

[@rusydididigamingandvlog2290]

But lucky in singapore still have bendy buses is MAN A24 but only few bendy busese because of space, most buses in singapore they use double deckers and single decker

[@thebusenthusiastperson237]

They shouldn't have taken them away from London, at least they should have conductors where the 3rd door is

[@MiniforceRailfan]

I loved the Bendy Bus, they provided lots of Seats, I even went on one but only in Dubai & New York

[@danybeck2664]

Bendy buses are much faster than double decker buses. And they are more safe.

[@tr8ckyt]

Go to 1:12 and say they’re safer.

[@Katrielle_Going_To_Quebec]

I can agree with it. London isn't build for long buses ther are tight corners and yeah.

[@grassytramtracks]

Bendy buses have similar turning circles to single buses, it's a myth that they can't go around tighter corners, in Bath, where we have really narrow streets, they worked very well for 20 years

[@milestone_achiever4634]

I was surprised Isabel Dedring has an American accent.

[@bananaman4207]

Some of these buses run as airport car park shuttles here in dublin

[@sh-ig9fm]

If people are getting in thru the back to avoid paying why not just remove the back doors then have everyone enter thru the front.

[@Moshimulations]

How would you leave? The front! imagine that... Seems like you want the world to burn. The best idea is to keep those rear doors. You could also work with the drivers to make them more qualified on bendy buses. Meaning having 3 specialities (Bendy, Solo and Double Decker) Solo means single decker. Trying to solve the fare dodging issue is all very difficult, simply because if someone wants to fare dodge, they would do it anyways.

[@Jon-dj2rw]

Eassy unpay. Huh get rid of some the doors.

[@Thepresa]

Why did they have to go?

[@FirstSmit]

These Citaro G's

[@the-memester7704]

Farewell!!! More like pay your fare if u ask me.

[@the-memester7704]

Farewell!!! More like pay your fare if u ask me.

[@FM60260]

Are the scanias being withdrawn as well?, It is only the mercedes citaros that caught fire (even the non-articulated versions), what are they doing with them all now they have been withdrawn?

[@roIlercoaster]

If sv6y8 sv6y8vg7ye sv6y8vg7ye cuytwic6tigugufycfyuxxf5jjh fyfjfycjgfytjfujtfukcyjffxh fytmyfcuuyvtjycuyctug uuiygxsqgyiugv iugvebuiebhwfg8efw oue dkgedcuocdeohchueaoue haef kceuv gurbfu cfvicwced7vdyo eu wedk edku kubyiubevdkiugywdcugcwdutdcjgw gidcwkgvudqcujwdcvgked uvuevkgedjgueyjv 1dcw dbv dw h gjyjvcgwvkgjdw 1dcw dbv dw h gjyjvcgwvkgjdwdbh ildwcd2livcejkcecyrjqxdynmuqsgvkgxukqibycdwpb dwyjhw dk gjw vkwdkv dwkvw ddw very much for your help.

[@the-memester7704]

Farewell!! More like pay your fare if u ask me

[@secretpinecone6037]

Nooooooo not bendy bus, true hero of Soviet Union

[@manchesterirish7845]

Some mugs will buy them Try iom buses

[@ilhamranau]

In sydney there's going to be more

[@nattyjed06]

Diiiirty Aggggggg.

[@execelsior999]

These hateful buses should never have been bought! I first rode this type of bus in 1972 in Budapest. I am an OAP and always had to stand on these things as NO ONE gave up their seat to me. During my journeys, I was thrown about the bus and generally had to get off to vomit. Hateful things - send them away.

[@evertonblake7320]

Fuck you

[@gbct8079]

You can't respect others opinions can you?

[@grassytramtracks]

What about a bendy bus would mean people wouldn't give up their seat?

[@CaseMaxxum5130EL]

I like bendy buses, but i think are easily too big and too long for the streets of London . .

[@westlondonerstravels578]

Basically not fit for Central London. Greater London routes were fine like the 207. They wouldn't have been a problem if they weren't in Central London and they would've lasted longer.

[@xenocloudyt]

@@westlondonerstravels578 I agree

[@latoyaaustin3760]

Manchester has bendy buses

[@Jonny_____]

Latoya Austin not anymore sadly

[@jordanwarne911]

Hitler fired the bendy bus up secretly haha.

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

Happy they removed it the bendy part the grey part it ruined everything

[@evertonblake7320]

DUDE IF YOU HATE IT GO FUCK YOURSELF CUZ I NEVER GOT TO GO ON ONE

[@xenocloudyt]

That’s your opinion