On the buses: we take a ride on the new London Routemaster
Today is an exciting day for Londoners - especially those with an interest in our big red four-wheeled friends. The new London Routemaster took to the streets for its maiden voyage on the 38 route at 12 noon today and was greeted by hoades of journalists and eager bus enthusiasts. The launch was already delayed a week and there were a few teething problems today which held up the service. After a little wait, we caught the £1.4million bus as it passed through the West End and as you can see above, it was a full house (and rather hot!) and going down well with passengers. Riding on a Routemaster (after they were discontinued in 2005) did bring back a romantic nostalgic feeling and we admit that it’s rather nice to feel the wind blowing in your hair again. The bus’ green credentials are impressive, the windows are a tad small (and you can’t open them) and the double staircases are a useful addition – although let’s hope they sort out the air con before summer time. From next week, there should be another one joining the route and by summer there should be eight gliding about the streets. Coming to a bus stop near you soon…Sonya Barber
A new London icon? Is it worth the money and the fuss? Let us know what you think…
[...] to try and capture the essence of London in 2012, what would it be? That Olympic neon pink, the new routemaster bus, the cable car, the Jubilee boat pageant or that disappointing Shard laser show? We’re [...]