Bendy buses going cheap as new Routemaster costs announced

London’s bendy buses, the 18 metre-long articulated single-deckers that are as loved by fare dodgers as they are loathed by some cyclists and pedestrians, are being sold off at knockdown prices.

Since the London mayor Boris Johnson pledged to phase out bendy buses, which are regarded as too long for London’s narrow and winding streets and with their multiple doors too easy to travel on without paying, Brighton and Hove Buses has bought four of the £250,000 vehicles for what they describe as a ‘good price’.

Roger French, the company’s managing director, tells the Brighton and Hove News this week: “We got them for a good price as there rather a lot going spare at the moment.”

New Routemaster costs revealed

Transport for London is to spend £7.8million on research and development costs, prototypes and testing of five new Routemaster buses for London. This cost will be offset if and when the bus goes into full production.

The new Routemaster, which is to be designed and built by Wrightbus, is intended to be a beautifully-designed and environmentally-friendly vehicle built for the capital.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Buses need to continue to get cleaner and the Routemaster will provide a useful test bed for the latest environmentally-friendly technology.”

• The 155mph bus without a fixed timetable or route