Boris Johnson has bid them "a final but not fond farewell", yet his political opponents have called the London mayor's removal of the last articulated "bendy" buses from the capital's streets a waste of Transport for London's money at a time when passengers can least afford it. Passions about bendy buses were more muted among those riding the number 207 between Hayes bypass and White City in the west of the metropolis, the final route to be expunged.

Several passengers on a lightly-laden bendy heading from Ealing Broadway to Hangar Lane were either unaware that they are to be served by double-deckers instead from Saturday or seemed not to greatly care. A return trip, heading towards Southall, was both a more crowded and a more opinionated experience. "I like these buses," said a woman in her thirties called Yvonne. "They're easy to get on and off and my kids like the bendy bit in the middle." But Calvin, a pensioner, voiced the familiar complaint that bendies, which allow entrance through three doors, two of which are some distance from the driver, are practically an incitement to fare evasion by those who choose not to swipe their Oyster cards.

Bendies have long been unpopular with some – cyclists, people who don't like Ken Livingstone – but appreciated by others, such as passengers struggling with baby buggies or who have difficulty climbing stairs. The economic efficiency of debendification is hotly contested. Transport for London (TfL), whose board Johnson chairs, claims it will be an estimated £7m a year better off due to many fewer people taking the so-called "free bus", but acknowledges "a one-off cost" of £2.2m arising from the conversion of route 207 and, last month, route 29 before existing operator contracts had expired.

The number of buses working the 11 already ex-bendy routes has increased, reflecting the latter's ability to carry at least 120 people compared to a double decker's 85 and to load and unload them rapidly. Yet the Lib Dem mayoral candidate Brian Paddick claims that their replacements "carry 1,000 fewer passengers on each route every peak hour".

TfL disputes this, saying there has been a reduction of around 885 passengers per hour in capacity across the 12 routes in their entirety and that each route was reviewed prior to conversion to ensure adequate provision.

Analysis of TfL figures by the London Assembly's Liberal Democrat group concludes that overall passenger capacity is down on eight former bendy routes, substantially in recent cases, with "modest increases" on only four. Johnson admitted in advance of bendies being withdrawn from route 436 from Lewisham to Paddington last month that capacity in that case would go down.

Valerie Shawcross, Labour's London Assembly spokeswoman on transport and Livingstone's campaign running mate, said it was "indicative of the current administration that they are more interested in appearance than in substance", pointing out that London has some 700 bus routes in total and claiming that, "from Bexley to Camden to Hounslow we have been hearing Londoners' real concerns about bus services" at a time when general ridership is rising.

She criticised Johnson's decision to invest £7.8m in the development of a new London bus loosely inspired by the famous but now defunct Routemaster. The first of these will be put on show for Londoners before Christmas and two are expected to join the working fleet of more than 7,000 buses in February.

Johnson will hope his new bus pleases Londoners, who face average public transport rises of 5.6% in the new year – the fourth consecutive above-inflation hike the Conservative mayor has imposed. Livingstone has promised that if elected in May he will reduce fares in October by 7% overall from the package he inherits, bringing average fares back to near or below current levels and an individual bus fare down from an impending £1.35 to £1.20. He has always disputed that bendies were strongly disliked by Londoners at large, as their more vehement critics allege. He has not, though, promised to bring them back.