On Nov 13, 5:23*pm, (Roy Badami) wrote:
I'm curious about how debendification affects the London bus system
from a user perspective.

My first question, somewhat academic since it is easily sidestepped
simply by using Oyster, is about "pay before you board". *The rule
about paying before boarding, as stated in the January 2009 fares
leaflet (the last one I have a PDF copy of) was:

* * Cash single fares are not available on buses in the Pay Before You
* * Board area in central London, on bendy buses or on route
* * W7. Before boarding, you must have enough credit on your Oyster
* * card to pay as you go or have a valid ticket.

Assuming this rule is still current, debendification would presumably
take a number of bus routes outside the scope of the above rule. *Do
routes cease to be "pay before you board" when they get debendified,
or what?

My other question regards boarding. *I had understood that one always
had to board a bus by the front door (even if one had, say, a
travelcard or concessionary pass) *unless* it was a bendy bus. *But
Mizter T explained last time we were discussing debendification that
on some routes the bendies have been replaced with single decker buses
that allow boarding through both doors.

So what *is* the rule for boarding non-bendy buses, now? *How does one
know whether or not one is permitted to board via the rear door?

And why is this all so complicated? :-)

TIA,

* * -roy

How do you find out where the Pay Before You Board area starts anyway?

It's not obvious from a quick look at the TfL site. Is there a map
somewhere?