| Routemaster retires; London says goodbye to favourite icon |
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London bids farewell to the iconic red double-decker buses that plied the roads of the City for half a century. A group of dignitaries will board route no 159, at around noon today and reach Brixton Bus garage about an hour later. This nostalgic trip will be the last for the double-decker Routemaster bus that tourists always associated with London.
Amateur photographers rushed yesterday to the depots and other spots along the 159’s route to get their last picture of the double-decker. Tourists have loved the bus as much as Londoners for their unique open rear platform that allowed passengers to board or alight at will.
The buses are regarded as classics and have a dedicated website and fan clubs. Author Travis Elborough wrote his homage to the bus in his book ‘The Bus We Loved’. Many would agree with Elborough that they have some sort of an emotional attachment to these buses.
Londoners who grew up hopping on and off these buses are going to miss the buses sorely. Those who can afford to buy their piece of nostalgia can do so from the Routemaster yards where the buses are priced between £12,000 and £35,000. Many have been bought to be converted into various things like bars and garden curios.
The last Routemaster was built in 1968. The working life of the average Routemaster is said to be no more than 17 years, but some are known to have covered continent-busting mileage just plying the London roads. A total of 2,876 Routemasters were built. The City has been slowly phasing them out.
London Travelwatch said the decision to scrap the service was taken as the rear platform made the buses inaccessible to wheelchairs and parents with pushchairs.
However, the Routemaster will not entirely disappear. A few are already pressed into service for heritage tours.
Posted
on : Fri, 09 Dec 2005 20:20 GMT | General News
By : Salim Patel
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