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What passengers think of the new Routemaster design
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard19.12.08
Claire Cooke, 34, a consultant from Chiswick and daughters Alice and Harriet.
"I think we'd all go for the glass roof. We always travel on the top deck when we can so the girls would love to be able to look out even further. Bendy buses are atrocious. I don't travel on them but they look so dangerous and it's like cattle class with nowhere to stand."
Jerry Cox, 41, an accountant from Wimbledon
"The more modern one is certainly sleeker and is possibly more appropriate for a modern world. But I think the retro style would have the most appeal for tourists. It says old London and it could be iconic which it should be being a Routemaster. The most important thing for me is being able to jump on and off especially when out shopping in the West End rather than waiting for the next stop."
Robert Close, 24, a data analyst from Southwark.
"I'd be interested in knowing how much they will cost to build as if one was significantly cheaper than the other I think Boris should go for that to save money.
However if they're about the same I'd err on the side of the retro one just because it's more my style. I'm all for bringing them back. They're traditionally London and the tourists like them. As for the bendy buses I never really saw the logic of them."
Penny Bayou, 33, mother of two, from Kenley
"I'm definitely more keen on the traditional look. It's more familiar and appealing. It looks very similar to the old one which is a definite bonus as I think if they're bringing it back it should be the same or very similar. I'm incredibly pleased they are reintroducing it even if it does cost more than £100 million as some people say."
Reader views (10)
New Routemaster style buses are best.
I could use one in Rome as a Restaurant.
Yes the new Routemaster is more appealing and people from abroad would love-it.
- Achille Milanesi, Rome Italy
Many years ago I worked in London and remember the jump on jump off buses. I also remember seeing many people taking a tumble trying to get on or off while the bus was still moving. From a safety point of view this design is a non starter. Plus with Oyster cards and other prepay methods the driver has no control when passengers are getting on/off at the rear of the bus---- unless they bring conductors back!!!
- Les Gibson, Newtownards N Ireland
Hurray for Routemaster style. But I hope this will cure the appalling lurching one suffers now on the big driver-only busses.
And do away with the nanny-state announcements of destination.
- Jeremy Hemming, London
I bet none of these designers has ever travelled on a London bus in the rush hour on a hot day ! If they had, they would know that it's imperative to have opening windows at the front of the upper deck.
It's even more idiotic to think of a glass roof: we need proper new Routemasters, not mobile greenhouses.
- Gerry, London
Will the new Routemasters have the same capacity as the bendy bus or are there going to have to be twice as many of them to carry all the passengers during rush hour?
There are already double deckers available so why the need to develop a new one?
This was just a stunt to get votes which has gone too far and needs to be stopped before too much money is wasted.
- Michael Townsend, London
You could sum up the difference between ken and boris in just this bus issue. ken brought us the bendy busses and their ghetto like atmosphere with the south american input showing what a bland and boring man he was then Boris has inspired the new and exciting design which London deserves and is. It is a pity he wasnt the mayor in the swinging sixties when the whole world admired us.
- Teg Davies, West hampstead London
I didn't vote for Boris but I couldn't vote for Ken either after he got rid of the old Routemasters. I'm very pleased that the new mayor has lived up to his word and got this design competition under way. People love to complain but most people will celebrate a beautiful bus for London - it's an important part of the design of the city and lifts the spirits. Well done, Boris!
- Sebastian Havelock, london, Uk
well said mark, my feelings exactly
- Sean Kirwin, London
As a prolific user of London Buses I am disappointed that a new version on the old routemaster appears to be a serious proposition. We all loved the old bus, or rather thought we did until a more user-friendly replacement took over. I remember how we sat and froze on the old bus, how high the steps were to get on it, and how much congestion there was in the gangway. This new bus appears to be nothing more than the fulfilment of an unwise election manifesto. So we are to go back to costly conductors, and as a result, fares can only increase. We already have the highest train and bus fares in Europe, so what is the point of changing a bus (with the exception of the bendy buses) for a design which really works well on our streets and is convenient for the disabled, the elderly and those with pushchairs and luggage. In my opnion, a new routemast is a barmy and costly idea.
- Martin Bevan, London
As a passenger - I don't want them.
To be fair - they look aesthetically pleasing, but are very impractical. If people (except for the disabled) can only get on and off via the rear platform, instead of the two doors on a normal bus, it will take longer for people to get on and off at each stop, making journeys slower. They have very little space for standing, which means that buses during the peak hours will fill up more quickly, taking us back to the 'good old days' where you wouldn't be able to get on the first bus as it was too full.
£100 million per year for conductors is a vast expense - as a passenger who travels on buses at night as well as day (i.e. "unsafe" times) - I've never had any issues that a conductor could resolve. What are they going to do if people are vandalising the bus or etching windows? Same thing as the drivers do - not intervene and just call the police. Bus fares are already going up by 11% in January - and I presume will have to go up again when they introduce conductors. Personally it's not a premium I'm willing to pay.
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall
