Mayor says new jump-on, jump-off Routemaster will give passengers a 'greener, light and airy' service from 2012
Boris Johnson has unveiled the final design for London's new-look double-decker buses.The mayor said the updated jump-on, jump-off Routemaster would give passengers a "greener, light and airy" service when it is introduced in the capital in 2012.
The vehicles were a key part of Johnson's 2008 election manifesto and will feature two doors as well as an open platform allowing passengers to hop on and off. According to the mayor's office they will have two staircases and be made of lightweight materials, making them 15% more fuel-efficient than existing hybrid buses and 40% more efficient than conventional diesel double-deckers.The buses are being made by the Northern Irish manufacturer Wrightbus.
Johnson said: "This iconic new part of our transport system is not only beautiful but also has a green heart beating beneath its stylish, swooshing exterior. It will cut emissions and give Londoners a bus they can be proud of, complete with cutting-edge design and the freedom of an open platform."
The Routemaster was withdrawn from regular service in December 2005 by the then mayor, Ken Livingstone, although some still run on a limited basis on two tourist routes. Johnson took office in 2008 promising to bring back a "greener" version of the Routemaster, which was first introduced in London in the mid-1950s.
"I expect to eventually have hundreds of these on London's roads, and for cities around the globe to be beside themselves with envy for our stunning red emblem of 21st-century London," Johnson said.
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