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Hackney bus depot becomes graveyard for bendy buses
 | | Bendy buses in Ash Grove Bus Depot |
Ash Grove Bus Depot has become a graveyard for decommissioned bendy buses in what trade union Unite has branded Boris Johnson's "vanity decision", costing commuters an extra million pounds per bus route annually.
The Mayor of London claims bendy buses are dangerous and cause gridlock and decided to replace all of the 18-metre long vehicles in London with double-deckers by 2011.
The route 38 Clapton Pond to Victoria vehicles, owned by operator Arriva London, were the latest to come off the road earlier this month and are being stored at the bus garage off Mare Street.
A bendy bus takes 150 passengers but a double-decker holds around 80, requiring extra drivers and buses, which will need to spend longer at each stop to allow passengers to board and disembark.
A spokeswoman for Transport for London said: "It does increase the contract price - it's around a million pounds extra a year per route for the private company contract price.
"The mayor was voted in on a manifesto to get rid of bendy buses which we are doing as efficiently as we can."
Transport union Unite believes Londoners are suffering from mistakes in the Mayor's transport strategy.
Unite's regional secretary Steve Hart said: "The money would be better spent on decent wages for bus drivers or improving the service rather than this vanity decision.
"In January there will be a 12.7 per cent increase in bus fares which is a terrible blow for Londoners.
"The bendy buses have been effective and well liked by the people who use them and getting rid of them is a very expensive process which will cause greater problems getting on and off buses for passengers."
Operator Arriva London is keeping its newer vehicles in use on its other routes, the 149, 73 and 29 but is in discussion about what to do with the buses from route 38.
Spokesman Dave Jones said: "We are looking at how we can get rid of them - we'll either sell them to anyone who runs buses who wants to buy them or use them on Arriva services in other parts of the UK.
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