"Tim Roll-Pickering" gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying:

Yesterday I had to get the 25 for a joyful journey and I noticed that
the official capacity listed at the front of the bus is 49 sitting, 149
total (or 142 with a wheelchair). But that wasn't remotely the capacity
level beig followed by the bus driver when not stopping at a number of
stops that had a handful, no more, waiting at them. By my reckoning
(from the front) there were about 30-40 people standing. Even if it was
50 that's still 1/3 of the official capacity (which would never have all
fitted in) not being used.

Is this just a case of poorly trained bus drivers or have the bendies
been given an absurdly high official capacity that can never be
achieved?

It's probably weight-based, and calculated by dividing the payload by a
nominal average weight. No thought given as to the physical comfort (or
lack thereof) of the occupants playing Sardines.