New Routemaster buses revealed
A design for a new version of the Routemaster bus by sports car maker Aston Martin and architect Norman Foster is joint winner of the New Bus for London design competition being run by Boris Johnson.
One of mayor Johnson’s election pledges was to phase out bendy buses and replace them with a new design of double-decker bus.
The Aston Martin-Foster design is for a zero-emissions vehicle, with solar panels built into a glass roof, full accessibility and, in keeping with the original Routemaster, warm lighting and wooden floors.
The other wining design by Alan Ponsford on behalf of vehicle manufacturer, Capoco (pictured below) features a Routemaster-style front engine and familiar styling, and has a low floor to allow easy access. The original Routemaster did not allow access for wheelchair users.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Whichever of the designs is chosen, the new Routemaster will not only be greener and more accessible than the original, but just as importantly for the promotion of public transport, it will be a design of which we can be proud.”
The final design could be on the road in three years.
Related bus articles:
World’s greenest bus
London signs deal for fuel cell buses
New Routemaster may have glass roof
London hybrid bus fleet to reach 300
The ETA is a not-for-profit organisation providing motorists and cyclists with green breakdown cover and green insurance products. The ETA exists in order to campaign for sustainable transport
