I was as sceptical as the rest of them, but I was surprised quite how much I like these buses. They're smooth riding, amazingly silent and of good quality in general, unlike many previous products by Mercedes-Benz (as I said in the last article). It looks like Mercedes have finally cracked the UK market, at the expense of the more common artics manufactured by Scania and Volvo.

What I'm doubtful about is the cashless system, as I know Londoners only too well. If people have an opportunity not to pay, they'll take it. But it may be a small price to pay for driver safety, assuming that enough inspectors can be mustered up to do their jobs properly (and it's still comparatively rare that I see any). And weekly bus passes are being held at the very reasonable price of £8.50, which is a definite incentive not to worry about carrying cash.

At the moment the artics are rather wasted on the Red Arrow routes, which stop running at 7 pm and don't run at all at weekends, but all this is about to change with the forthcoming introduction of new routes 436 and 453, which have been commissioned to take the heat off hard-pressed trunk routes 36 and 53. The 436 in particular will really test how feasible the artics will be in the impossible task of replacing crew operation and Routemasters. And you can be sure that Stagecoach will paint the 453's new bendy-buses in a more attractive livery than the ordinary and unimaginatively adorned London General vehicles.

TOP: On 13th August all sixty feet (18m) of MAL 24 (BX02 YYP) is seen rounding the Bullring / IMAX roundabout at Waterloo.
BOTTOM: The rear aspect of MAL 12 (BX02 YYT) is shown as the bus departs Victoria on the 507 on 24th June.