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£25,000 prize to design the new Routemaster
David Williams and Pippa Crerar04.07.08
A top prize of £25,000 was on offer today for whoever designs the best new Routemaster bus.
Mayor Boris Johnson also announced two "runner up" prizes of £10,000 each as part of his quest to find London an "iconic" successor to the famous red bus killed off by his predecessor.
Mr Johnson, who wants to rid streets of bendy buses, told the Standard he was looking for a "21st century version" of the Routemaster.
Designs must include an open platform to let passengers board and alight "quickly and easily" just like the old one's. The winning design must also show "good use of interior space", include green technology and have a conductor.
Prizes will be awarded in October. Mr Johnson said: "London deserves a bus fit for the 21st century. Whether you're a professional designer or someone who uses buses and has one great idea, we want to hear from you."
Peter Hendy, London's Transport Commissioner, said: "This provides a fantastic opportunity to play a part in designing a new icon for London."
Entrants must submit a design to one of two categories. Category A - "design a bus for London"' - invites people to submit a design for a specific part of the bus, or for an entire vehicle.
Designs must be detailed and accompanied by a number of drawings as well as written documents providing "reasoning and more detailed descriptions".
Category B asks designers to "imagine a bus for London". Entrants can design an entire bus or individual features. Judges here will look for the best ideas rather than detailed designs and entries will be judged in four age groups - under 11, 11-15, 16-18 and over 18. The rules specify a "stylish, imaginative design which will have a big impact on the streets".
The closing date for entries is noon on 19 September. The cash prizes are for "whole vehicle" entries to Category A. Merit prizes will be available for the best ideas for parts of the bus.
Reader views (5)
Competition? ah yes, a clever way of stringing out never having to build the new routemasters! Its added a year on never having to decide anything. Throw in a 3 year consultation with some manufacturers & Boris never has to spend the £100m its fabled to cost replacing a functional bus as his term as mayor will be finished before anything actual has to happen.
I m sure there are some projects in London more worthy of £100m spending...
- Roland, London
I like being able to jump on and off a bus...as long as the routemaster has a card swiper on the platform it should be fine. As for Susan worrying about dark unpatrolled upstairs, all buses should have a conductor on them.
I'm a born and bred Londoner and much prefer the routemaster, bendy bus fans are probably all Kens mates.
- Shelly, London
Bendy buses are fine. I use them every day - for the actual user they are safer, more convenient and far more pleasant than a double decker. It's those that don't use them, never come into London that go on about them the most.
- Karl, London
There's nothing wrong with bendy buses - as mass people movers they're second-to-none and are generally liked by users, rather than those who don't use them and shout the loudest. And what's wrong with some of the striking and comfortable double buses we currently have on the streets, such as the Wrightbus Gemini and the Enviro 400?
This competition is a complete joke and London must be the laughing stock of transport authorities around the world as a result. You wouldn't want your TV or car designed on the back of a fag packet, so why a bus??!!
A lower capacity bus with double-manning, designed by an amateur - so much for Boris "Value for Money" Johnson!
- Don, London, UK
Has Johnson asked actual bus users what their opinion is? Forget the headline-grabbing competitions, the people that matter on this subject are the people that use these buses every day. I do; I used to get the routemaster 36, now I get the bendy bus 436. It has improved my journey 100%. It runs much more regularly, it is never so full you can't get on it, it's comfortable to stand up in, there's room to get in and out and it's safer (no dark unpatrolled upstairs or corners), As a bus user and a London voter, I say, keep the bendy bus, it is a massive progression and improvement. Insisting on turning the clock back to routemasters will be a personal 'let's knock Ken' move that will indulge Boris's childish playground politics at massive cost to the taxpayer, and damage to bus users quality of life.
- Susan, London UK
