You may be wondering what the handsome if bizarre looking tall thing in this photograph is.
(It’s the Mayor of London. Ba-doom-tish!)
No, it’s the new Routemaster bus, scheduled to go into service in London in 2012. This is a red, life-sized mock-up of the new bus which Bozza unveiled last week. As well as looking like a 21st century version of the old bus (which is the idea, I suppose) it also boasts other improvements, including 40% less CO2 emissions. It will employ both a driver and conductor, the Mayor confirmed.
Jo deBank of TravelWatch (I have met her brother Rob, I think) questioned the safety of open rear platforms, a Routemaster feature to be brought back. She also suggested that with London Transport’s financial problems bringing back bus conductors might mean cuts in service.
However, the Mayor defended the new bus. “Standing on the rear platform of this delectable bus brings back a sense of nostalgia but conversely also demonstrates the quintessence of the latest technology and design, making this bus fit for the 21st Century,” Johnson said.