Buses World News

12.11.10

NEW BUSES * UK - London mayor shows Routemaster bus

It’s a classic red London Routemaster bus, but not quite as we know it

London,EN,UK -The FT, by Bob Sherwood -November 11 2010: -- The futuristic design of the long-awaited new London double-decker was unveiled by Boris Johnson, the mayor, on Thursday... A full-size mock-up of the design revealed the same open rear platform that allows passengers to hop on and off and an interior decor inspired by the old Routemasters. But for all the nostalgia, the latest London bus displays more modern sweeping lines, two staircases, three entrances and panoramic windows, and it will have more fuel-efficient engines... Routemasters, one of the quintessential international images of London, have not been seen in general service on the capital’s roads for almost five years... In a backlash against the bendy buses introduced by Ken Livingstone, his predecessor, Mr Johnson made bringing back an Routemaster-type bus to London’s streets one of his central election pledges in 2008... The model of the so-called New Bus for London (NB4L), displayed at the London Transport Museum’s depot in Acton, has been produced to garner views on the design ahead of a prototype being built next year. The first five buses are due to hit London streets early in 2012... (Picture: London mayor Boris Johnson with a mock-up of the capital’s next double-decker bus)

Labels: new buses designs

24.12.08

‘Bonkers’ * UK - London Mayor Unveils Designs for Bus Criticized as

London,UK -Bloomberg, by Brian Lysaght -Dec. 19, 2008: -- London Mayor Boris Johnson unveiled two new designs for the city’s iconic Routemaster double-decker buses and vowed to put a 21st century version of the vehicle on the road by 2011... Johnson, a former Conservative member of Parliament who was elected in May, promised during the campaign to scrap the “bendy” and bring back the Routemaster... The winning plans came from a venture between U.K.-based sports-car maker Aston Martin and architects Foster and Partners; and from Capoco Design Ltd., an automotive studio based in Salisbury, England... The city will pass the proposals to bus makers for further development and will seek bids next year for the contract to build the vehicle, said Peter Hendy, London’s transportation commissioner.
The new model will use environmentally friendly technology such as diesel-electric power and lightweight metal bodies. Both designs, like the original Routemaster, have an open rear platform to allow passengers to jump on and off and would use conductors to collect tickets, Hendy said... (Images: The £25,000 first prize was jointly awarded to Aston Martin and Foster + Partners -top image-, and bus, coach and truck design company Capoco Design -below-)

Labels: new buses designs