‘Big Red London Bus’ returns

The 21st Century 'Routemaster' Double-Decker Bus will be in service by 2012

I doubt we can speak for everyone who visits London. But from our perspective London is a poorer place now the iconic Routemaster red buses are relegated to the odd heritage route and pay-to-see tourist trip (and we’d have to say the same about Mercedes Taxis – nicer places to be but they don’t look right).

What’s needed is a 21st century version of the Routemaster (and the Black Cab – but that’s another story). Thankfully Boris is in agreement and London has been working on binning the bendy bus and replacing it with proper, double-decker London buses. It’s not exactly the return of the Routemaster, but it is the arrival of a worthy successor, and it’s made by Northern Ireland bus makers Wrightbus of Ballymena with designs from London-based Heatherwick design studio.

The launch of the very-Wrightbus was at London Transport Museum’s depot at Acton and was a chance to see in a full mock-up just what the Wrightbus will look like when it gets in to service in time for the 2012 Olympics.

The London Wrightbus has all the best bits of the Routemaster – including a modern take on its design, inside and out  - and one thing we never expected to see in ‘Elf ‘n’ Safety obsessed Britain – an open platform at the back.

We admit it’s been a year or two since we jumped on a bus – fat, middle-aged men take taxis if they’re not driving – but a bus you can’t jump on and off has never seemed right. Mind you, we still can’t get used to waiting for big brother to open train doors instead of being able to jump out when we’re ready.

I doubt Boris will send us a big red bus to road test any time soon, but driven and reviewed or not the new London Bus gets a very big thumbs-up from Cars UK on all fronts. We may even be tempted back on a bus for the first time since Adam was a lad.

Just so we can jump off.

By Cars UK