Final bendy buses banished from the streets of London

The Mayor of London will fulfil his pledge to banish bendy buses from the streets of London tonight (9 December). At just after midnight the last bendy bus running in the Capital will set off on its last journey in passenger service.

The conversion of route 207 to double deck buses will mean that the last of a fleet of over 350 bendy buses in London have now been taken off the Capital’s roads. Those buses are now a regular sight on the streets of Leicester, Merseyside and Malta. However in the Capital they have been replaced with 500 new vehicles that boast the latest engine technology. Over 50 of those buses are hybrid diesel-electric double deck buses.

Transport for London also estimate that now all 12 bendy bus routes have been converted they will save more than £7 million a year due to a vast reduction in fare evasion.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “Today we bid a final but not fond farewell to the bendy bus. These bulky and ungainly monstrosities were always more suitable for the wide open vistas of a Scandinavian airport than for London’s narrow streets and I am glad to see the back of them. While it is goodbye to the bendy it is hello to the svelte and elegant new bus for London, which will grace the capital’s streets from early next year.”

Transport for London also reviewed the service patterns on the 12 routes converted to ensure that they continue to meet passenger demand. Every route has seen an increase in the frequency of buses at peak time. Plus the vast majority of passengers are benefiting from either the same or an increased frequency across the week.

The frequencies on route 207 after conversion will be:

• Weekday peaks the service will operate every 5 minutes with extra journeys at the busiest times; previously every 6-7 minutes
• Daytime weekdays the service will operate every 6 minutes; previously every 6-7 minutes
• Saturday daytimes the service will operate every 6 minutes; previously every 6-7 minutes
• There are no changes during the evenings and on Sundays (remains every 8 minutes).

Route N207 (the night bus service between Holborn and Uxbridge) already uses double-decks. Weekend frequencies will change:

• On Friday and Saturday nights, between Holborn and Hayes Bypass, the service will operate every 7-8 minutes; previously every 10 minutes. Between Hayes By-Pass and Uxbridge the service will operate every 30 minutes, as now.
• On Sunday to Thursday nights there is no change to frequencies. Buses run every 15 minutes between Holborn and Hayes By-Pass, and every 30 minutes between Hayes By-Pass and Uxbridge.