Routemaster Buses Retire in London

Dec. 9, 2005 — -- It's been a staple on the London streets for 50 years, but the red double-decker Routemaster bus -- the one you could hop on and hop off -- is no longer the staple of London commuting life.

The last bus, No. 159 from Marble Arch at the end of Oxford street in London to Streatham in the capital's south, was scheduled to leave bus stop L at 12:10 p.m. It was, as expected, late.

The streets of London were jammed with people lining up to take a last ride on a regular route on the Routemaster.

About 20 buses will remain in service for two tourist routes through the center of London.

The Routemaster is being phased out because of costs and because more modern buses are accessible for those in wheelchairs and mothers with strollers.

Some disabled people did show up along the roadside to celebrate the end of the Routemaster, because it was too difficult to get on and off.

But the decision to stop using the Routemaster altogether is unpopular in London. Ten thousand Londoners joined a campaign to keep the Routemaster on the road.

"They're the best-designed buses that have ever gone on London streets, simple as that really. And it's a great pity it's going," said one commuter waiting for a ride Friday.

The old fashioned Routemasters are being replaced by a combination of more modern double-deckers without conductors and the open rear platform that allowed commuters to get on and off alone, and by single-decked, double-length vehicles known as Bendy buses here. They have not been terribly popular, nor have they been particularly efficient. They have rear doors that allow passengers to get on and off without passing by the driver. That has prompted a spate of fare dodging -- people traveling without buying tickets. London transport has had to employ people to check tickets.

"If you're going to have transport for the 21st century it's got to be fuel efficient in this era of climate change. The Bendy buses use twice as much fuel as the old Routemaster, and someone must explain to me how that's environmentally friendly," said a woman waiting along the bus route.

Modern double-decker buses continue to service routes in London and are still a staple on the capital's streets, but for many Londoners it just won't be the same.