It’s the end of an era in London’s public transport – the Boris Buses are being retired after just 12 years on the streets. These buses were introduced by Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London, meant to replace the beloved Routemaster. They cost the city a whopping £350 million and were designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the same guy who designed the 2012 Olympic cauldron!

Despite the grand plans, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as hoped. Passengers quickly started complaining about the unbearable heat inside the buses during summer, so they had to be retrofitted with opening windows.

Now, with Sadiq Khan re-elected as Mayor, he’s decided it’s time for a change. He’s aiming to have all 8,600 of London’s buses powered by batteries or hydrogen by 2030.

For a bit of history, the original Routemaster buses were introduced in 1954 and served London until 2005, although you can still catch one on a heritage route in Central London. And if you’re thinking of buying one of these classic buses for yourself, be prepared to spend up to £80,000!

#london #routemaster #sadiqkhan #borisjohnson

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32 Comments

  1. This video spreads ignorance.

    12 years is a very long time for a buss to run almost constantly.
    Comparing modern busses to those from the 50's make no sense as back in the 50's they were built to last forwever and they where maintanced for that.
    Today's vehicles are not built to be kept forever but the idea from the very begining is that they will be replaced within 15-20 years or so.

    I don't think there is a single western European city that operates busses that are older then that in regular traffic.
    It would make no economic sense spending wast sums on basically rebuilding the busses from scratch, just to keep them running.

    Much more sensible to replace them before they are completey worn out and break down constantly – which is what will happen otherwise.

  2. I’m glad. They still suck in the summer. Like an oven 😂. The seats are probably the most uncomfortable in the entirety of London. Hope get another bus that is a nod to the route master though.

  3. It’s a ridiculous design & I said so at the time! Only space for one wheelchair user but has 2 staircases?! 🙄 Public transportation needs more flexibility in its seating areas to truly accommodate everyone

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