Farewell to Brighton’s Last Bendy Bus
Brighton & Hove buses waved goodbye to their final bendy bus this morning. A special charity trip on the famous 25 Service marked the end of an era.
Final Ride from Portable to Sussex University
Bus number 111 took passengers on a nostalgic round trip from Portable to Sussex University. Riders were encouraged to donate to charity during the farewell journey.
The bendy buses have been a fixture on the 25 route for over a decade. They arrived in Brighton & Hove in 2009, transferred from London’s TFL network after then-Mayor Boris Johnson banned them from London roads.
Bendy Buses Scattered Across the UK—and Beyond
After withdrawal, many bendy buses found new homes across the country. Some went to Arriva Midlands in Leicester and Arriva North West in Liverpool. The Go-Ahead Group shuffled buses between its Brighton & Hove, Go North East, and Go South Coast divisions. Others were sold to CT Plus in Bristol and McGill’s Bus Services in Glasgow.
In 2011, Arriva even shipped 81 articulated buses to its Arriva Malta subsidiary. Meanwhile, one specially preserved vehicle, MAL15 from the Red Arrow batch, has been saved by the Bromley Bus Preservation Group.
Double Deckers Take the Lead
The bendy buses will be replaced by double-decker buses, which are said to be greener and more fuel-efficient.
Reece Patemen, who braved the wet Monday trip to Portslade, said: “There we have it, the final bendy bus journey! Big thank you to B&H for putting this on, and all the great staff that attended.”
