SENTIDO > CULTURE > TRAVEL > LONDON

A Routemaster runs on the #13 route, nearing Oxford Street, now in an era gone by.

LONDON'S FAMED ROUTEMASTER BUS RUNS LAST ROUTE
9 December 2005

The a uthor of a book about the beloved bus design, mourned the passing of "a prime slice of vernacular". Londoners on ultra-busy Oxford High Street cheered each of the last public appearances of the Routemasters running on the 159 route, jeering the first appearance of the new bus on that same route.

Reasons for eliminating the decades' old icon of the London streets have varied widely, raised controversy and complaints, and failed to settle public opinion. The perhaps most loved feature of the old design is the open back platform, allowing passengers to board or disembark at any prolonged pause along the way. The buses also provided a higher proportion of seating to standing positions.

And, of course, one mustn't discount the character issue. The curved shape of the bus became one of the world-renowned symbols of the UK capital, and a source of provincial identity for locals. The buses also provided riders with conductors who collected fares and answered questions, even negotiating seating disputes between passengers.

The new buses have no open platform, require boarding through a narrow passage at the front of the bus, and are operated by only the driver, with no conductor to keep order or collect fares while in transit; this raises a common complaint, that the buses are actually slower, because they stop for significantly longer times at every point along the route.

Environmental concerns have been cited, though critics say the new double-long "bendy" buses use 25% more fuel than the Routemaster. It is unclear why more Routemasters were not fitted with wheelchair-accessible ramps, emissions filtering devices or other minor improvements, and many feel their replacement is a means of catering to bus company desires to eliminate the conductor posts.

Whatever the ultimate reasoning or consensus, today is officially the last running of the Routemaster bus on regular public service routes. Some individual buses have been repainted and will be made available on tourist routes through "heritage" loops in the center. [s]