I don't get quite as excited as some people do over buses and trains. I view them as a means to get too and from places. That said I have always had a soft spot rot the Routemaster.
As industrial design goes it was a classic. Visually distinctive, practical and sturdy. Like most Londoners I grew up with them and I loved them.
That Livingstone got rid of them was one of the reasons I felt that he had to go. I have just seen the new designs for the 21st Century Routemaster and I'm excited by buses again. Sad I know, but there you go.
You can have a look at the designs here.
I'll tidy up this link when I get to a proper computer.
19 December, 2008
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4 comments:
No door at the back, making it cold in the winter and no sign of windows that open, so hot in the summer. The open back will encourage people to jump on and off when the bus is moving, making it a danger to passengers and cyclists, and lead to more fare evasion.
We will be back to the old problem of people not wanting to move down the bus as there is only one entrance/exit, unless you are in a wheelchair.
The front looks like somebody has punched Thomas the Tank Engine - so much for 21st Century design.
Every other major city has bendy buses and copes well with them. It is an irresponsible waste of £100 million of Londoners' money to replace the bendy buses rather than using the £100 million on sensible improvements to roads and public transport.
The new routemaster solves none of the problems and only brings back some old problems that we should have done away with, just like every other city in the world.
At least with the new buses you'll have a better than even chance of getting to your destination without being barbeque'd!
More taxis spontaneously combust than buses, and not a single person was hurt in the fires on bendy buses.
Bendy buses continue to be the fastest buses on London streets and should be kept.
Safety and accessibility first, Jimmy, then speed. Besides which, you are in the tiny minority of people who seem to actually like bendy buses - must be a liberal, guardian-reading, latte-supping, Islington kinda thing!
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