Bendy buses

[RJ]

Which makes the theoretical capacity numbers a nonsense, as nobody is going to go to the back if they know they'll never be able to get out when they want.

Buses in this country never seem to have solved the "quick passenger flow" versus "fare evasion" balance properly, hence single door buses being so common. London has regularly tried open access and then reverted back, whether with the bendies or the Borismasters.

I use mine on rail replacement where I don't have to collect the fares so it isn't an issue. Stops where it normally takes a good two minutes to empty a double deck bus, I look in the gangway mirror and the one which still has the three door config is empty in 30 seconds!

The time advantage of open boarding is disputed, I think it has been concluded that the total PVR saving in London from its use has been a round figure of 0. Only certain routes might benefit, like the 607 which is limited stop and does suffer from extended dwell times vs the 207/427 due to very high turnover of passengers at most of its stops. Open boarding might save the 10 minutes required to remove a bus from the cycle but the operational costs vs a double decker might well make a big dent in the saving.

 

[MotCO]

I guess the problem with them fundamentally is that the design of the cab means the driver can't take fares, which very much limits their appeal.

That would make them suitable for left hand or right hand drive operations, although the doors may need moving

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jan 2023 ==

Yep, it's a key reason why people don't move back. Runcorn's original Busway buses had front and rear (not middle) doors which really encouraged moving down, it's hard* to do with current low floor tech, but should be possible again with the move to electric as you can bin off the rear axle and have independent hub motors allowing low floor throughout.

* But not impossible, some designs for the Netherlands and Switzerland have the engine in the middle of the front section to one side, allowing the whole bendy bus to be low floor throughout, there are also very quirky rigid versions.

The original Enviro 200 prototypes had low floor throughout with front and rear doors. The real problem was that the rear plug door opened beyond the end of the bus which made it particularly vulnerable. Many were operated by 'Buses etc' in Surrey before the company's demise.

 

[tartanterrior]

Pretty sure the ones with First Glasgow only used the front doors.

When we used the stagecoach ones, we used both doors on arrival into Glasgow from Ayrshire for quick alighting, never used the rear door for actual loading though except when I did the sleeper ones.

 

[Bletchleyite]

When we used the stagecoach ones, we used both doors on arrival into Glasgow from Ayrshire for quick alighting, never used the rear door for actual loading though except when I did the sleeper ones.

Generally outside London, when they bother at all, it's been "on at the front, off at the back", which is what London now do except the Red Arrows (which I believe are going away).

Most of Germany has also I believe switched to "on at the front, off at the back" - open boarding was proving too expensive with evasion levels.

 

[tartanterrior]

Generally outside London, when they bother at all, it's been "on at the front, off at the back", which is what London now do except the Red Arrows (which I believe are going away).

Most of Germany has also I believe switched to "on at the front, off at the back" - open boarding was proving too expensive with evasion levels.

Sensible really. Outside of London it's fairly rare to see ticket inspectors or the roving revenue squad actually board a bus to check tickets.

 

[Mikey C]

Yep, it's a key reason why people don't move back. Runcorn's original Busway buses had front and rear (not middle) doors which really encouraged moving down, it's hard* to do with current low floor tech, but should be possible again with the move to electric as you can bin off the rear axle and have independent hub motors allowing low floor throughout.

* But not impossible, some designs for the Netherlands and Switzerland have the engine in the middle of the front section to one side, allowing the whole bendy bus to be low floor throughout, there are also very quirky rigid versions.

The Borismasters manage 3 doors and a flat floor throughout with a diesel engine also.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jan 2023 ==

That would make them suitable for left hand or right hand drive operations, although the doors may need moving

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jan 2023 ==


The original Enviro 200 prototypes had low floor throughout with front and rear doors. The real problem was that the rear plug door opened beyond the end of the bus which made it particularly vulnerable. Many were operated by 'Buses etc' in Surrey before the company's demise.

An issues with such buses I guess is that the engine is on one side, so that they have to be optimised for either RHD or LHD, and have to be heavily redesigned for export market if you wanted the rear door there as well.

 

[Deerfold]

The Borismasters manage 3 doors and a flat floor throughout with a diesel engine also.

They don't have a flat floor throughout if you count all the seats that are up a step - just a flat floor aisle.

 

[alex397]

Single door buses are unsuitable in almost all urban circumstances anyway, which is why most countries don't use them

It is slightly bizarre why we have to be different. Most urban areas in the UK use single door buses, and it is painfully slow to alight/board passengers on busy services. Urban areas in most of continental Europe feels *generally* easier to travel around for this reason.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It is slightly bizarre why we have to be different. Most urban areas in the UK use single door buses, and it is painfully slow to alight/board passengers on busy services. Urban areas in most of continental Europe feels *generally* easier to travel around for this reason.

Replied here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/single-vs-dual-or-more-doors.241575/

 

[busestrains]

Wright Streetcar reg CU57 AJY (19034) is for sale for £29,995.00 on Ebay currently:

Volvo Ftr Articulated / Bendy Bus 113 Passengers Fully Air Conditioned | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Volvo Ftr Articulated / Bendy Bus 113 Passengers Fully Air Conditioned at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

So i imagine there may be lots of these Wright Streetcar buses sitting around in various yards. When buses are withdrawn you would think they would go straight to the scrapyard but often they seem to sit around in yards for years. So i reckon there are more of these sitting around in other yards.

The same person on Ebay is selling ex Stansted Airport owned Mercedes Benz Citaro buses for £9,950.00 each:

Mercedes Citaro Articulated Buses Ex Airport Transfer Buses Choice Of 3 Exellent | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mercedes Citaro Articulated Buses Ex Airport Transfer Buses Choice Of 3 Exellent at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

There are three available with K900 LSA (LX03 HCE) and N900 LSA (LX03 HCG) and P900 LSA (LX03 HCL) being for sale.

And the same person on Ebay is also selling an ex CT Plus owned Mercedes Benz Citaro bus for slightly less at £9,750.00 for it:

Mercedes Citaro Articulated Bus 130 Passengers With Standees 6 Cylinder Turbo | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mercedes Citaro Articulated Bus 130 Passengers With Standees 6 Cylinder Turbo at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

There is one available with LX03 HCF being the vehicle.

It is interesting that the Wright Streetcar is going for over three times as much as the Mercedes Benz Citaro buses are. I thought it would have been the opposite way round as the Wright Streetcar are such unique buses that are unlikely to attract much interest. But i suppose if any bus enthusiasts are interested it would be a good one to buy for preservation.

 

[318266]

Wright Streetcar reg CU57 AJY (19034) is for sale for £29,995.00 on Ebay currently.

It is interesting that the Wright Streetcar is going for over three times as much as the Mercedes Benz Citaro buses are. I thought it would have been the opposite way round as the Wright Streetcar are such unique buses that are unlikely to attract much interest. But i suppose if any bus enthusiasts are interested it would be a good one to buy for preservation.

No one is going to buy that for 30 grand. For a 2007 B7LA with at least a £20k markup I struggle to figure out how they reached that figure.

 

[RJ]

I know the seller in question and they know their market having sold many artics over the last few years.

 

[PG]

I know the seller in question and they know their market having sold many artics over the last few years.

Also look at the mileage on that bus - at 125,000 it's barely been used.

 

[volvob12]

I know the seller in question and they know their market having sold many artics over the last few years.

Have they actually sold any? The same 30 odd bendies just seem to have been moved around various yards in Avonmouth, before moving to their current location.

 

[RJ]

Have they actually sold any? The same 30 odd bendies just seem to have been moved around various yards in Avonmouth, before moving to their current location.

They started with 242 of them!

 

[Bungle965]

Thread reopened! @34D has some topical information to add it seems!

 

[Simon75]

Are there many bendy buses , still in use in the UK?

 

[MotCO]

Are there many bendy buses , still in use in the UK?

Gatwick are, or will shortly, run articulated Irizar ie Trams on airport duties. Belfast run articulated Van Hool 'Glider' buses.

 

[stadler]

Are there many bendy buses , still in use in the UK?

Belfast is the only major place where you can find them nowadays. That is the last city left with bendy buses. The rest seem to be airport car park shuttles and a few other oddities. They are extremely rare now.

Sussex Coaches in Horsham have three Scania CN94UA bendy buses:

CN06 GDJ
CN06 GFG
CN06 GFK (A1 FKB)

These are mostly used on school routes. They are mostly used on the closed door school routes (525 590 622 626 633 634 639 668) and they have been known to make some appearances on the two public school routes (STP1 STP2) that anyone can ride. They also commonly get used on the Falmer football stadium park and ride shuttle buses. The football shuttles are the easiest way to ride one.

Luton Airport has a bunch of old ex London citaro bendy buses that have been converted to five door. They have three doors on one side and two doors on the other side. I am not sure exactly how many they have but there is at least six. They only seem to be used on airside duties.

Orkney has a bunch of ex London citaro bendy buses used by one of their private bus operators for cruise ship shuttles. I am not sure how many they have but there are at least four.

Bristol Airport and Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport all have new style citaro bendy buses on their car park routes. These are the only new style citaro bendy buses built for this country.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Gatwick are, or will shortly, run articulated Irizar ie Trams on airport duties. Belfast run articulated Van Hool 'Glider' buses.

That's interesting, will Gatwick be running them on publicly accessible car park routes or airside?

 

[ALEMASTER]

City Transport have some old second hand bendy buses on their two routes in Sunderland which sometimes also turns up on contract work such as rail replacement recently in Sheffield.

 

[MotCO]

That's interesting, will Gatwick be running them on publicly accessible car park routes or airside?

They will be connecting car parks with the airport.

Gatwick airport purchases 14 Irizar ie tram buses

Irizar is to supply 14 new 18m long ie tram buses to London Gatwick airport to connect passengers with long-stay car parks.

www.route-one.net

 

[stadler]

They will be connecting car parks with the airport.

Gatwick airport purchases 14 Irizar ie tram buses

Irizar is to supply 14 new 18m long ie tram buses to London Gatwick airport to connect passengers with long-stay car parks.

www.route-one.net

I wonder what will happen to the existing citaro bendy buses once these ie tram ones are in service. The existing citaro bendy buses were ordered brand new in 2017 so they are only nine years old. They still have a lot of life left in them. I hope they find some other use somewhere.

 

[GDKEnts]

City itye for handed the contract back to Nexus on which the bendies are used.

Mainly due to fuel prices.

 

[northern506]

City itye for handed the contract back to Nexus on which the bendies are used.

Mainly due to fuel prices.

I would be shocked if it wasn’t anything to do with their disgraceful performance on the contract.

Also, who in their right mind would operate extremely fuel heavy buses on a Nexus contract? Totally mad.

 

[GDKEnts]

They aren't saying Nexus are terminating it, they are...

 

[Deerfold]

They aren't saying Nexus are terminating it, they are...

Did anyone think otherwise?

For those who aren't local, what company is quitting the contract?

 

[stadler]

Did anyone think otherwise?

For those who aren't local, what company is quitting the contract?

City Transport Group is the bus company that is quitting the contract.

 

[northern506]

They aren't saying Nexus are terminating it, they are...

Yes, which from what I gather is quite far from the truth.