Charming Routemasters are out!
Charmless cookie box to rule roads
The London Bus Page – 26/12/04 – 2004 In Review — If you didn’t know it, they are taking the most picturesque London Routemaster buses out of service this summer. These are the ones with a platform and ticket taker on the back. You can jump on and off the buses easily even while they are slowly moving, much like with a San Francisco cable car. They are going to be gone to be replaced by an ugly piece of crap. Screw tradition. This website follows this closely and also has a great collection of bus pics. The following excerpt summarized 2004:
Well, it’s the end of another year, and another pretty grim one for London’s buses. Apart from the ongoing tragedy of London’s irreplaceable Routemaster fleet being replaced by anonymous vehicles in meaningless liveries, the reckless spending of the last couple of years has caught up with TfL and all thoughts of expansion have come juddering to a halt. They’ve also been tip-toeing nervously around the important concern of just how much of the taxpayers’ money is being haemorrhaged due to fare evasion. For my part, the events of the past year are killing this pastime for me – it’s simply not enjoyable any more to go into town on vehicles where the standards of comfort are so poor. I’m happy to have been able to move away from the crowds this year, but millions of Londoners can’t. So I haven’t been updating as much recently, and I don’t miss the game quite as much as I thought I might. What will become of these pages once the last RML is withdrawn from normal service, purported to be by October 2005, I don’t know.
Having used both types of buses since moving to London a few weeks back, I must say that in terms of usability and comfort the newer buses are much better. The old ones are sometimes a bit smelly and filthy – actually, the same can be said of the famous red phone booths in London too. Also, for the elderly, disabled and young mothers with buggy’s/prams the new buses can lower themselves to almost the height of the pavement.
If anything I feel sorry for the ticket takers on the back – when I have used the old buses, the ticket takers have always been friendly and very knowledgeable about the route and attractions nearby. My experience suggests that this cannot however be said of the drivers, who are often downright rude.
I guess it’s the same with most changes – win some, lose some!
Your first picture does not show a “Routmaster” but an earlier design of London bus. The difference in radiator styling is very distinctive.
what is the height of a london bus,
what is the height of a London bus, I need to know for a geography project, thank you
The top picture shows an “RT”, the forerunner of the “Routemaster”, closely followed by an “RMC” (Routmaster Coach). The latter is a “Routemaser” with regular bus doors covering the platform and given away by the dual headlights. Can’t tell if it is the “L” (long) version or not. Growing up in London in the 60’s & 70’s I spent many an hour travelling on all types of what used to be “London Transport”. As for the lower photo; I agree crackerbox crap.
they is still some routmasters in york as tour buses