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