Clifton CC

Hi,

I am not a fan of the bendy busses is York and have noticed that the roads around bus stops have been damaged since they took to the streets. This is particularly annoying when you cycle into work each day with tyres that you've just paid £35 each for and pumped up to 100psi. They don't seem to care that there are cycle lanes or other vehicles using the roads either. I has started a petition, although I am not convinced that it will do any good, but if you would like to sign it then please do so.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/BantheBendyBus/

Thanks for your time

Agree 100%. I've been forced off the road twice by these things around the Micklegate Bar crossroad, because they track so badly they can swing into the cycle lane alarmingly as the driver takes the turn at the junction.

Bendy buses can work, but you need streets that can tolerate them. York's streets, at least near the centre, just aren't straight or wide enough.

tom

+1. I too have noticed (and felt through the saddle) this damage to the roads on the ftr route. These purple monstrosities are my current betes noire, as it were!

I wrote a stiff letter of complaint to First York after one of them nearly killed me and I have also had on another occasion a full and frank exchange of views with an FTR driver, sorry pilot as First term them!

Whilst agreeing with the spirit of the previous postings I'm not sure that the problem is the buses specifically; rather it is the fact that a proportion of their 'pilots' are either inconsiderate, incompetent, or both. My experience is that if the bus is driven in a manner appropriate to it's size and the environment they are no more of a problem than other buses (or lorries/cars/taxis etc etc)....

I agree with the Dr but it is not just the FTR drivers sorry 'Pilots' that are inconsiderate and incompetent the majority of York Bus drivers seem to think the own the road too. Not just on the bike I have nearly been wiped out but in the car too with them pulling straight out of road junctions or bus stops without caring who or what is there.

It is the drivers not the buses. Working for a family business who run coaches and buses alot of drivers who we have employed in the past forget that they are driving a vehicle thats about 3 times longer than a car and forget when cornering thats there is still 30 foot of bus still to come around after them. This is only made worse with the bendy buses. Has you would imagine there not emplyed for very long after they keep hitting lamp posts etc.

Just as a point - the road past the university is incredibly broken and rutted. Really badly - one of the main bendy/FTR routes. They are particularly large and heavy vehicles. The FTR and bendies should not be on Yorks roads - too big and heavy for the streets. And I can't belive the council way back when knocked down the historic walls to allow double deckers!!!!! Petition signed. A bit of common sense from the planners would be appreciated. For a "Cycle Friendly" city, the bendies/FTRs scare the pants out of me and I've been riding, racing, commuting and touring for 30odd years. I've ridden my bike in much busier cities such as Paris and Brussels and the FTRs scare me more than anything I've encountered. I was also nearly squashed by a bendy up tadcaster road. A car was parked coming down off the mount and rather than use the cycle path off the road, I used the one on the road as I was doing 30mph. The bus nearly squashed me against the car as a "get off the road and on the cycle path" type of bullying. Incessed I sped off after him and caught him at the askham bar park and ride where he had just stopped. I duly gave him a very large telling off, so full of fear/adreline. Courtesy costs nothing on the roads- why cannot the bus drivers drive a little more courtiously?? I've many times been passed only to pass them again? Thye don't get there any quicker!!! Rant over - petition signed.

Actually I think it *is* the buses. Obviously bad driving of any vehicle increases the dangers, but I think the size of the buses, their turning characteristics (the rear end of a trailer always swings out against the direction of turn) and the distance from the driver to the rear makes these buses fundamentally unsuitable for the Victorian streets of a small city.
If I were more lawerly I think I would write to the bus company and tell them that their buses are dangerous and that by running clearly unsuitable vehicles they make themselves liable to all kinds of claims or even prosecution in the event of an accident like the ones that nearly happened to a few of us. But I'm not confident I'm right in law - maybe we should ask BC or CTC to take up the cause with some professional opinions?
On a lighter note, from today's Times:

Sir, My local paper reports that more than 1,000 cyclists use the main road during the morning rush hour and that 800 come back at the end of the day. That’s quite a cull.

Christopher Woodley

London W12

I was going to mention the road down from the university to Heslington - but I was beaten to it. Hi colin!
Its a shocking stretch - I've been training on the road every week as its a great circuit in the dark - but this stretch is a worry - and its so rough on the inside you are forced into the middle of the carriageway so blocking cars from passing due to the ridiculous islands in the middle of the road.
I've never really had an issue with the ftr buses - other than they never seem utilised - only ever a quarter full - but then I only see them late on a night?
Never really seen the point of buses in York full stop unless you're disabled or over the age of 85? Walking in York is quicker and cheaper. I see the people sitting on the Haxby bus when I come out of work at Nestle and they all look so sad - you feel like jumping on and telling them to get a *"£$ing bike - you'd be home in 20 minutes!

paulM wrote:you feel like jumping on and telling them to get a *"£$ing bike - you'd be home in 20 minutes!

Haha !
But your followup for 10 - who said:

"A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure"?

[Somehow I don't think it was bikes she was thinking of...]

tomf wrote:

paulM wrote:you feel like jumping on and telling them to get a *"£$ing bike - you'd be home in 20 minutes!

Haha !
But your followup for 10 - who said:

"A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure"?

[Somehow I don't think it was bikes she was thinking of...]

Not sure she ever actually said it but she's a real heroine of mine - not that I want to start a political argument I hasten to add.

Jon G wrote:It is the drivers not the buses. Working for a family business who run coaches and buses alot of drivers who we have employed in the past forget that they are driving a vehicle thats about 3 times longer than a car and forget when cornering thats there is still 30 foot of bus still to come around after them. This is only made worse with the bendy buses. Has you would imagine there not emplyed for very long after they keep hitting lamp posts etc.

I was going to avoid joining this debate due to being on both sides of the argument and planning to join clifton after a good few seasons out of time trials. However I agree, I drive them and as a cyclist myself I drive them with consideration- it's drivers that are at fault not their tools. The axle weight of a "bendy" bus is not so much more than a decker in regards to road damage. I for one would make bus drivers spend some time cycling round a busy city as part of their driving theory test. However whilst it might be a nice idea we are a long way off I suspect.

Andy Horner