Early research on new bendy buses serving south London reveals that eight out of ten passengers prefer the vehicles to the previous double deck bus service, Transport for London announced today.
Interviews with passengers revealed:
-
More than nine out of ten passengers interviewed thought that the bendy buses were well-designed;
-
Overall journey experience scored eight out of ten compared with seven out of ten for the previous Routemaster service; and
-
Passengers felt that time spent waiting for a bus reduced scoring the new service eight out of ten for satisfaction for length of time waiting compared to six out of ten for the previous service.
At 18 metres long, the bendy buses can carry up to 140 people, at least 60 passengers more than a double deck bus and as in many cities on the continent passengers can use all three doors for boarding and alighting.
Passengers using the bendy buses on route 436 (Paddington – Lewisham) must have a valid ticket before boarding. The majority of passengers already have Travelcards, Bus Passes or Freedom Passes or use Saver tickets. For those who don’t, more than one hundred ticket machines have been installed along the route to allow them to buy one-journey bus tickets or one-day bus passes.
Since the new service started on 8th February, out of over 25,000 passengers checked by London Buses revenue protection inspector’s 128 people have been issued with £5 penalty fares. A further 218 fare-related incidents are being investigated for possible prosecution.
London Buses Head of Infrastructure Mike Weston said:
“It is early days yet on the 436 but I’m delighted that passengers are finding the bendy buses more roomy, comfortable and reliable.
“We are very pleased that passengers have adapted to the ‘Pay Before You Board’ system which speeds up the service for everyone
