Yesterday (9 December 2011) the bendy-bus (or more accurately the Mercedes-Benz Citaros) was withdrawn from the London 207 route, one of which is pictured above on its last day of service (here’s a less impressionist shot from May 2011).

This is the last of the London bus routes to run bendy-buses, which have been withdrawn as a result of the last city mayor election.

Two objections have been made to the use of buses such as the Mercedes-Benz Citaros in London:

• The size of vehicles. This has been a problem on some of the routes the buses have been used. However they work best on roads that have few sharp bends, such as the 207 route, which I am a familiar – a long, comparatively straight route, with high volumes of passengers that the vehicle is designed to handle efficiently.
• Fare dodging. This has been an issue – however I’m sure a technical solution could be forthcoming from the organisation that put in place the Tube ticket gating system.

Given articulated buses efficient capabilities in dealing with high passenger volumes, and their suitability for disabled users, I don’t believe we have seen the permanent disappearance of such vehicles from London.

Tower Bridge at 1845 on 17 November 2011.

The level crossing outside Acton Central Overground station at 2004 on Thursday 1 September 2011.

The quality of pedestrian signs in the UK is generally quite poor.

So it’s good to see Legible London signs, already seen in some parts of the West End, being introduced into the bustling environs of Shepherds Bush.

Shepherds Bush Bus Station 9 November 2010.

• MPs, step away from the internet [Charles Arthur - Comment is free]
• Music beta and linked data [BBC Radio Labs]
• Gears, BrowserPlus, and Web 3.0, baby [Yahoo Developer Network blog]
• Things to consider when using WordPress as a CMS [Devlounge]
• Oh happy day – the new Delicious is here [Delicious blog]
• Londoners not paying for Oyster Card failures [Going Underground's Blog]

• Oyster Card failure recovery [Going Underground's Blog]
• Maybe normalizing isn’t normal [Jeff Atwood]
• European Directive on Public Sector Information [Power of Information Task Force]
• Smart CSS ain’t always sexy CSS [Digital Web Magazine]
• Sound and vision [Jeremy Keith]

• Go home, Bill: It’s time for a new era at Microsoft – if only the company were ready [I, Cringely]
• Bill’s excellent adventure ends in tears – and torpidity [Observer]
• The MBA myth [37signals]
• Why did you hire me? [A List Apart]

• Puffbox sponsors WordCamp UK [Puffbox]
• Row brewing over listing of BBC Television Centre [Guardian]
• Domain name shakeup may bring new net goldrush [Guardian]
• Has London’s Oyster travelcard system been cracked? [Guardian]

Almost run over again – by a cycle on a footpath.

Following on from my previous cycle-related rant I ask the question – why do a small minority of cyclists break the law and tarnish the good name of cycling?

I refer such cyclists in the UK to Highway Code rule 64.