AEC Routemaster

The Routemaster is a model of double decker bus which was first introduced in London in 1956.

The design has proved very popular with Londoners and tourists alike. Its two main advantages are the open platform at the rear, and the presence of a conductor to collect fares, required by the isolated driver's cabin.

The platform allows large volumes of passengers to quickly alight and board at stops, and indeed at traffic lights and slow speeds (Wikipedia does not recommend such foolhardy behaviour!). The conductor collects fares when the bus is travelling, which considerably reduces waiting time at stops.

Many of London's bus routes switched to modern "one-person operation" in the 1980s, out of a desire to reduce operating costs after privatization. However, it has been found that the increased boarding time, while each passenger pays the driver, slows down busy routes, leads to "bunching" of buses and a poor service. In an attempt to solve this, bus tickets are now bought from machines before boarding in central London.

In 2004 Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London announced the phasing out of the Routemaster, which will be removed from all but one 'historic' route. For many people, Routemaster buses evoke nostalgic feelings, and the announcement spawned a campaign to save the bus. See also the television sitcom (later a film), On the Buses, although the buses depicted there, while double deckers, are not Routemasters.