They have been criticised for not being suitable for the narrow streets of London, seen as a menace by cyclists and motorists and systematically erased from the capital by the mayor's office.

Now the articulated - or bendy - buses have definitely become just a memory, after the last ones running in the capital set off on their last journey in passenger service on December the 9th.

The conversion of route 207 to double decker buses is the final chapter for a fleet of over 350 articulated buses that once worked in London.

Boris Johnson said: "Today we bid a final but not fond farewell to the bendy bus. These bulky and ungainly monstrosities were always more suitable for the wide open vistas of a Scandinavian airport than for London's narrow streets and I am glad to see the back of them. While it is goodbye to the bendy it is hello to the svelte and elegant new bus for London, which will grace the capital's streets from early next year."

But while Johnson has been busy promoting the new version of the classic Routemaster some are not too impressed with his politics concerning public transport.

According to Valerie Shawcross, Labour's London Assembly spokeswoman on transport,  the move is "indicative of the current administration that they are more interested in appearance than in substance."

Using the fact that the bendy buses had the capacity to carry at least 120 people compared to a double decker's 85 and to load and unload them quickly, the Lib Dem mayoral candidate Brian Paddick has claimed that their replacements "carry 1,000 fewer passengers on each route every peak hour."

In turn,Transport for London said that it had reviewed the service patterns on the 12 routes converted to ensure that they continue to meet passenger demand. "Every route has seen an increase in the frequency of buses at peak time. Plus the vast majority of passengers are benefiting from either the same or an increased frequency across the week."

TfL also have targeted those who could easily choose not to swipe their Oyster card when boarding the bendy buses through the middle doors. It estimates that now all 12 bendy bus routes have been converted they will save more than £7 million a year due to a vast reduction in fare evasion.