R2OK!

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Bendy buses on some routes are twice as likely to be involved in accidents than other types of bus, Sky News has found.

Analysis of the figures available has prompted calls from safety campaigners and unions for an urgent review of Britain's fleet.

Concerns have been heightened about the articulated vehicles - but transport chiefs insist they are no more dangerous than other types of bus.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1305373,00.html

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TLF london should have sorted out plans to increase spaces for the fleet to stop them going over pavements. You can't blame the drivers for this. People also should stop always wanting to be in front of a bus and should slow down. If they can't then they should give plenty of time for their journey. They need to be more careful on the roads.

If you take the fleet off certain routes then you will have to add more Vehicles and can cause congestion.

They are used across all parts of the world and UK. Maybe they should look too how they are used on the roads and how many accidents happen in places like York UK?

I think people on the roads realise that they swing out and the back ends do as on other buses and coaches. They just don't go straight. [Laughing] It's arrogant people who use the roads.

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

This has been debated before here, and on jezza's, probably last October when there were a couple of fatal accidents.

The length, width and poor manoeuverability of these articulated buses means that they are quite unsuitable for most of the roads in our inner cities, which is just where tfL and others have deployed them.

That said, I cannot believe the lengths that some motorists will go to to overtake buses (of any length) and the silly things passengers and pedestrians will do putting themselves far too close to the edge of the road, and I'm not surprised there have been accidents involving them.
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Ron

John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

Looks like London is scrapping bendy buses because of fare-dodging!

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/news/farewell-londons-bendy-buses-100000798.html

There are quite a few driving in and out of Coventry, impossible to overtake on some of the single lane arterial roads Mad

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John W

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I gather quite a few of them have already moved to Manchester Rolling Eyes

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mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Unfortunatly the Vehicles are un - suitable for turns into certain streets of London. The length where they need to make a wide turn goes over pavements and can take out street furniture. They probarly had to keep them until they had a buyer, and the contract with Mercedes-Benz ran out- as buses are on a long or short term lease.