Articulated buses in London conductor. In August 2012, following the election of Boris Johnson as Mayor of London, it was announced the bendy buses would be withdrawn as their five-year operating contracts expired, starting from May 2009, and completed by 2013 (or 2015 depending on contract extensions). This was brought forward to December 2011. Research by London TravelWatch indicated that such a withdrawal could prove costly to TfL. A study conducted in September 2008 found that replacing articulated vehicles on routes 38, 507, and 521, whilst maintaining overall route capacity, would cost an additional £12.6m per annum, due to the additional vehicles necessitated. Additional
Foreign relations of the Mayor of London Foreign relations of the Mayor of London The foreign relations of the Mayor of London are carried out as part of his responsibility to promote Greater London's global links on behalf of the British capital. In addition to work done as part of the 2012 London Olympics, the Greater London Authority (GLA) estimates that 700,000 jobs in London depend on foreign companies and the tourist industry. The GLA maintained several overseas offices: in Brussels (in conjunction with London Councils), Beijing/Shanghai and Delhi/Mumbai, as well as consultancies operating from Caracas and Moscow. As part of his reduction of the GLA's budget