Brighton students are travelling on bendy buses to and from the university campuses in Falmer.
The first regular service began yesterday (Tuesday 27 April).
Brighton and Hove Buses bought four of the extra-long vehicles after the Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson was elected on a promise to get rid of them from the capital.
They were introduced there nine years ago by his Labour predecessor Ken Livingstone and proved unpopular with some cyclists and pedestrians.
In Brighton three will be in service each day running mostly between Falmer and either the Old Steine or Sainsbury’s in Lewes Road.
Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, would not say how much the bendy buses cost.
He said: “We got them for a good price as there rather a lot going spare at the moment.”
They carry 140 passengers compared with 90 – standing and sitting – on a traditional double-decker.
The second bendy bus is expected to enter service next week and the other two will follow shortly afterwards.
They run from 7am to 9.30am and from 3pm to 6pm.
The first service of the day starts outside Portslade Station in Portland Road, Hove, taking students and staff to Sussex University and neighbouring Brighton University in Falmer on the 25 route.
The morning service then shuttles between Falmer and the Lewes Road gyratory.
The afternoon service runs from Falmer to the Old Steine and back.
As with other buses operated by the company, passengers will board by the front door and disembark by the rear door.
Given that the 25 runs every five minutes at peak times, Mr French expects the bendy buses to carry thousands of students a day.
I was on the number 25 bendy bus this morning, it made me 20 minutes late for work and it didn’t go the full journey I had to walk for the last 10 mins of my journey which made me even later. So not that impressed.
I have been on one of these monsters. Absolutely too big by far. It is bad enough to travel on any single decker let alone a double one. There is no control over the public regarding there alighting safety and hence there is an accident waiting to happen.
First has operated Volvo bendies in Bath for several years now, coincidentally on services to and from the two Universities at Claverton Down and Newton Park. If you think the Brighton drivers have trouble getting these fellas round Old Steine and the Sainsbury’s gyratory, imagine what it’s like threading them through Bath’s claustrophobic Georgian centre. Most of the drivers are Polish and the skill with which they get the bendies through the town is admirable – perhaps they’re commonplace in Warsaw and Cracow. No sign of the bendies being removed from here at present, though most of them are being rested during the University holidays.
Happy New Year to you all from a Brighton exile here in Bath.
bendy buses are the futcher you do not want big balky dubble deckers going round london they can only carry around 90 passenjers whre as a bnendy 145 probl;ey 160 at peak times they revenlosinesd london and made the transport network grow bigger and better than it ever did they were the best ste of buses london has ever had they cost £40,000 for one they are the futcher in transport the bendy buses in london will be gone by the end of they year in london so think about it it will have all dubble deckers going round the streets they can carry fewer so think about it thats more buses goinfg round the streets no cyclist has been ever killed by one of them when they go london will miss them badley and need them back because there is to manny other buses going round the streets of london.
Sorry Ronan, It would seem that you are not experienced in the ways of the roads in Brighton. I totally disagree with everything you have written (By the way your spelling of FUTURE is incorrect)These bendy buses are dangerous, that is why London has sold many off to naive places like Brighton etc as their accident rate was very high. Absolutely too big by far. It is bad enough to travel on any single decker let alone a double one. I cannot think what Roger French was thinking of when he purchased these monsters. Like many people who would agree..The quicker that these Bendy buses are sold on the better, as well as those awful tin can saunas that are single deckers that are still in the town. Brighton is a double decker town and always has been. Still, at the end of the day the management is not interested in the views of the public. So it is really a waste of time writing this in the first place..