Bendy buses 'double injury rate'

Bendy buses operate on 12 of London's 700 routes

Pedestrians in London are twice as likely to be hit by a bendy bus than any other bus, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.

The Transport for London (TfL) statistics also showed that cyclists were almost three times as likely to be injured by a bendy bus.

London Lib Dem member Geoff Pope said the numbers were "worryingly high".

But TfL said the figures did not compare like with like as bendy buses operated some of the busiest routes.

The figures released by the Lib Dems showed that between April 2006 and 2007, an average of just over five people were injured every month by a bendy bus, compared with just over two hurt by other buses.

While every incident is of concern to Transport for London, they are thankfully rare and must be seen in their full context Transport for London

Dismissing the claims the TfL spokeswoman said the data has been misinterpreted: "By definition they (bendy buses) encounter many more road users, not just cyclists and pedestrians, than many other bus routes in London.

"It is not comparing like with like to equate these services on the busiest routes with quieter ones.

"While every incident is of concern to Transport for London, they are thankfully rare and must be seen in their full context."

Poor driver hotlines

She added that the figures relating to cyclists' injuries were not broken down to show the severity of the incident.

But Mr Pope said: "We have had claims from cyclists that they have been terrified to find themselves crowded against safety barriers by bendy buses making left turns.

"Both pedestrians and cyclists find it hard to judge the line the bus is going to take."

He added that TfL should spend more money on safety training for drivers and hotlines to report poor driving rather than on "costly" advertising campaigns.