Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach Books - History and Models (2/2)

London's Citaro Buses

The Mercedes-Benz Citaro was introduced in London in 2002, available as both rigid and articulated models. The articulated version replaced Routemaster and double-decker buses on several central London routes. However, a policy change led to the withdrawal of articulated Citaros, with the last units operating on route 207 in 2012.
Despite this, the Citaro continued to be used in London, with small numbers purchased by various operators for selected routes in south-east London. First London also tested three hydrogen-powered Citaros on route RV1.
This book presents a brief history of the Citaro's service in London.

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The London Bendy Bus

Between 2002 and 2006 six of London's bus companies put into service 390 articulated 'bendy' buses on twelve routes for transport in London.

During what turned out to be a foreshortened nine years in service, the Mercedes-Benz Citaro G buses familiar on the continent and worldwide earned an unenviable reputation in London; according to who you read and who you believed, they caught fire at the drop of a hat, they maimed cyclists, they drained revenue from the system due to their susceptibility to fare evasion, they transported already long-suffering passengers in standing crush loads like cattle and they contributed to the extinction of the Routemaster from frontline service. In short, it was often referred to as 'the bus we hated'.

This account is an attempt by a long-time detractor of the bendy buses to set the vehicles in their proper context - not quite to rehabilitate them, but to be as fair as is possible towards a mode of transport which felt about as un-British as could be.

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The Mercedes Benz Midibus

This book covers an important aspect of British bus provision that has not been fully documented before. The Mercedes-Benz Midibus may have been small, but it had a huge impact. It became well respected by fleet engineers and served its purpose well.
This story is not just about a successful vehicle, it focuses on several small coachbuilding businesses that rose to the forefront of the British manufacturing industry, through the work of their designers, craftsmen and salesmen. The variety that the Mercedes-Benz Midibus offered was quite remarkable!

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Abschied vom Standard-1-Bus : Die letzten Standard-Linienbusse der ersten Generation im Einsatz

From the end of the 1960s to the 1990s, the first generation of standard buses dominated local public transport in the Federal Republic of Germany. They have long since been phased out by the large urban and municipal transport companies, but some private bus companies still rely on the robust Standard 1 buses from the manufacturers MAN, Mercedes Benz and Magirus - mostly for school transport.

However, due to the trend towards modern low-floor buses, air-conditioned vehicles and increasingly strict environmental regulations, the number of Standard 1 buses still in use in Germany has fallen rapidly in recent years. The foreseeable end of this generation of buses in scheduled services is therefore a reason to dedicate the first volume of the "tadtverkehr-Bildarchiv" book series to the Standard 1 buses.

Climb aboard and accompany us on our trip through Germany to the last examples of the MB O 305/O 305 G and O 307, MAN SL 200 and SÜ 240 types as well as several other Standard 1 models that have now become real rarities.

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