London's famous red buses may soon be gone
Londoners campaign against move to scrap the buses which have been
on the city's roads since 1954
By NEO HUI MIN
FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
LONDON - The iconic red double-deckers that have become part of the
streetscape here for half a century will be replaced by modern
bendy buses, but there are some campaigning against this
move.
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Introduced in 1954, these buses, called Routemasters, have already
been withdrawn from four routes.
Buses on two of the remaining 16 routes will go next month and
those on another two routes will be axed by summer.
By the end of next year, there will be only two dozen plying on the
'heritage route' for tourists.
Mr Ben Brook, who is running a Save The Routemaster campaign, told
The Straits Times that the buses are one of the symbols of London
and should not be withdrawn.
'They are like Big Ben, like important symbolic buildings of the
city, except that they move on the roads,' he said.
And even though they are old, the buses 'still serve a practical
purpose for Londoners', he added.
He said he wants to raise awareness of the Routemasters' demise
because the Transport for London (TFL) has been replacing them
'quietly'.
'Since I started the website, people have e-mailed me to tell me
how angry they are that the Routemasters are disappearing,' he
said.
More than 550 signatures have also been collected by a group
calling itself the Save The 73, for a Ban The Bendy petition.
The Conservative Party's mayoral candidate Steve Norris has seized
the opportunity to garner votes from Routemaster supporters by
promising to save the buses if elected.
So far, the TFL has not shown any signs of reversing its
decision.
Ms Clare Kavanagh, London Buses' director for performance, said in
a statement the buses were 'around 40 years old and at the end of
their effective lives'.
She said they would be 'replaced by a fleet of the latest
easy-access, low-floor buses which are more convenient for
passengers, particularly those with children, shopping or mobility
problems'.
Mr Brook doesn't buy this. He said many of the buses have been
refurbished with new engines.
'Other than their exterior, the buses are brand new, really.'
Besides , the new buses will not have conductors on board to help
the less mobile passengers.
'If you're talking about wheelchair access, I'll have to admit that
the Routemasters aren't very good for that. But conductors are on
board the Routemasters to help people with other disabilities, such
as the blind,' said Mr Brook.
Motorists, taxi drivers and cyclists also complain that the new
18m-long buses are taking up too much space on narrow London
streets and slowing down traffic.
They also have fewer seats compared to the older buses.
According to Ms Samantha Horley, who started the Save The 73
campaign, the capacity for a bendy bus is 49 seated passengers and
86 standing ones.
In comparison, the Routemaster seats 72 of its 77 passenger
capacity.
Mr Brook hopes that attempts will be made to remake the
Routemaster.
'At a time when it's fashionable to remake classic vehicles, like
the VW beetle, the Mini and the London black cab, it would be a
lovely idea to remake the Routemaster as well,' he said.
'New versions of classic vehicles all have had great success
here.'
What do you think of this article. In my opinion, they should keep
the buses or remake them.
I think they should not buy bendy buses. Bendys are too long and
not many seating capacity