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Bendy bus is branded a villain
Evening Standard 15.09.06
Villain of the piece: London's bendy bus is part of The Bad Design Amnesty exhibition
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To some it is the solution to London's public transport problems, to others it is a carbuncle on wheels.
Today the bendy bus is named as one of the worst designs ever.
The controversial replacement to the Routemaster forms part of a London Design Festival exhibition called The Bad Design Amnesty dedicated to the world's most irritating innovations.
Other nominees include the iPod - for its short lifespan - and the little labels stuck to loose apples.
Graphic designer Rob Howsam from design consultancy Purpose came up with the idea.
He said: "It seems people have a lot to get off their chest when it comes to the designs that fill their everyday lives, including bendy buses, drinks cartons, CD packaging and personalised number plates."
Reader views (7)
Here in Coventry we also, sadly, have the idiotic bendy buses. Not content with just wasting our money on buying / subsidising the dangerous, congesting, polluting idiotic vehicles, some bright spark in the council noticed they won't fit into bus stop lay-bys. The solution? Well, with the same level of intellect that led to the introduction of the moronic vehicles (is there negative IQ?), the solution was to spend a few more million of OUR pounds to make the bus stops stick out into the road causing yet more congestion. I am not joking, the idiots actually made the bus stops protrude outwards from the kerb such that the bender buses stop and block the entire street. Wow! What clever thinking.
I sincerely hope the law will one day make it possible for idiotic councillors who waste our money to ruin our cities to be made personally liable for the money they wasted and the cost of putting it right. Then they might engage whatever vestige of brain they have before making such stupid decisions.
Has the audit commission looked into why this money was wasted?
- Dave, Coventry
As an ex London bus driver if anybody thinks bendy buses are the answer to Londons congestion problems they are totally wrong. Bending in the middle causes other drivers more worry as they cut corners to get round, and will cause more congestion as drivers try to avoid them.
- George Challice, Corby, England
Bendy buses are the devils work. It's they take up so much space that it is often impossible to cross the road safely. hardly anyone pays to travel on them either.
- Glen, London
I've always absolutely hated bendy buses ever since they were first introduced. They are far too long and often block the way for both traffic and pedestrians at junctions. Why couldn't a new double decker type bus have been introduced? At least it would've been more in keeping with the image of London. Or someone could've modernised the Routmaster bus, at least with them if you were stuck in traffic in temperatures of over 55 degrees C you could jump off and breath again (even if it is hot sticky London air!!).
- Adele, London
The Bendy Buses will never help to get people out of their cars and onto public transport. They are simply mass people movers with no comfort or adequate seating. Nine times out of 10 I never get a seat. I am just squished and packed in.
Bus designers MUST learn to ride their creations during rush hour times and then and ony then will know if their designs work or do not... and sit in their bus seats for long periods of time with someone squished/sitting next to them. How does that seat feel now!
- Brent Mctavish, London
The Routemaster bus was iconic and should have been replaced only by something of equal status. Bendy busses are yawn-worthy.
How's about something futuristic, like multi-lane travelators, similar those at airports only with each successive band faster than the last. The time wasted waiting for tube trains could be spent on the move. You could put a ten lane highway in a glass tube above the major roads. Now that would be iconic!
- David Lloyd, Birmingham
The bendy buses are a nightmare. They are constantly stuck in traffic because of their length and they are blocking the road for pedestrians. I dread having to cross roads in Victoria when I see them in the mornings because it means waiting vital minutes before I can get across.
- Birgit Myhill, London
