London buses are familiar throughout the world, but in recent years changes were made to comply with various environmental and safety laws, so now the buses that you see on the London streets are more efficient, cost-effective and safer. They just lack the charisma of the old RT amd RM London buses.

My fascination for London buses came at an early age. My family took be down to London when I was a very young boy for short holidays and I loved the noise, the bustle, the different types of people there. But in particular, I loved the London RM buses. When we walked down Oxford Street, I’d never seen so many red buses in my life.

Years later as a teenager, I left Glasgow and went down to London to work. My fascination was still strong and I used to travel by bus around the city on my days off. At that time you could by a monthly Red Rover ticket for the buses and tube, which predates the Oyster Card. My favourite route was the old number 87. In the 1970s and 1980s, Route 87 used to run from Romford through Dagenham, East Ham, and Aldgate. It seems that the number 87 has now been designated an entirely different route - starting at Putney Bridge Station (south London) and finishing at Harrow-on-the-Hill Station (north west London).

The London bus livery is very iconic and is very recognisable, even with various different operators providing the service to London passengers. Of course, here in Glasgow we also had an iconic livery, the green/cream/yellow of the old Glasgow Corporation buses. There are many fine bus liveries across the UK.

Old London Buses

How it all started in London, the evolution of public transport. It has been said that buses are just boxes on wheels, but at least these early examples had character and a style of their own.

1829 – The First Horse-Drawn Omnibus

The first horse-drawn ominbus: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Operated by George Shillibeer.
• Service ran from Paddington to the Bank of England.
• Used horse-drawn coaches modelled after Parisian omnibuses.

1904 – LGOC’s First Motor Bus (Steam-Driven)

LGOC’s First Motor Bus (Steam-Driven): Charles E Lee, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

London General Omnibus Company

• A 14‑seat steam-powered omnibus built by Clarkson of Chelmsford
• Operated by the London General Omnibus Company
• From 10 October 1904, LGOC began operating petrol-driven buses.
• Replaced many horse-drawn buses by 1911.

1909–1912 – Development of the B-Type Bus

LGOC B-Type BusTimitrius from Great Britain, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• First mass-produced motor bus.
• 34-seater, wooden body, open top deck.
• Capable of 16 mph.
• Over 2,500 built by LGOC.

1919 – AEC K-Type London Bus

AEC K-Type bus: tony_duell, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• First modern-style double-decker in London
• Capacity: Around 46 passengers
• Wider than previous models (increased from 6 ft to 7 ft 6 in)
• Chassis: Designed specifically as a bus — not a converted lorry like earlier buses
• The K-type marked a shift from horse-drawn carriage style buses to more practical, motorized double-deckers.

1920 - AEC S-Type London Bus

AEC S-Type bus: Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• Larger successor to the K-type
• Capacity: Up to 54 passengers
• Longer chassis — extended wheelbase
• Appearance: Very similar to K-type but longer and slightly higher
• open-top versions common
• Better load distribution and increased passenger comfort than the K-type
• The S-type was essentially a scaled-up K-type, designed to carry more people as London’s demand for buses grew.

1930s – STL-type Buses and Double-Deck Innovations

STL-type London bus: Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1940s – AEC Regent (RT-type) Bus

London RT Buses: Chris Sampson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• 1938 - The prototype RT1 is built by London Transport and AEC (Associated Equipment Company).
• Designed as a modern, streamlined replacement for the STL class.
• RT1 (the original prototype) is preserved at the London Bus Museum.

Video: The Aldenham Bus Overhaul Works

Here is an excellent video posted by 8inklespup on YouTube.

1956 – AEC Routemaster (RM-type)

London Routemasters: Clive Warneford, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• 1954 – First prototype Routemaster RM1 completed by AEC and London Transport.
• Designed to replace the RT-type and modernize London’s bus fleet.
• RM1 is preserved at the London Transport Museum.
  

The Boris Bus - The New Routemaster (2012-2017)

The last bus that retains the familiarity of the red London Bus. A very expensive bus that is being phased out. But it still has a lot of character and style which I like. I never got the opportunity to be a passenger on one of these buses and I hope I’m able to board one of them when I visit London.

The Boris Bus: R Sones, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Timeline & Development

• 2008 – Mayor Boris Johnson promises to replace bendy buses and reintroduce a new-style Routemaster.
• 2009 – Design competition held by TfL; final concept developed by Heatherwick Studio (design) and Wrightbus (manufacturer).

Modern London Buses

Here are two examples:

The Alexander Dennis Enviro400

Alexander Dennis Enviro400: Koex73, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• 2005 – The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 (E400) was launched as a fully integrated double-decker bus: chassis and bodywork by ADL.

The Wright Cadet

Wright Cadet bus: Oxyman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• Launched in 2000 by Wrightbus (Northern Ireland), built on the DAF SB120 chassis.
• Designed as a midibus – longer than a minibus but shorter than a full-size single-decker.

The Electric London Bus - Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV

Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV London busHugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• Manufacturer: BYD (a Chinese electric vehicle company) in partnership with Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), a UK-based bus manufacturer.
• Capacity: Carry around 70 passengers, including both seated and standing spaces.

The Future of Public Transport in London

There are various reports regarding the future of transport in London and the one that stands out with a detailed outline of where transport is heading, is the London Transport Museum’s report, Making Transport Fit for the Future.

Transport plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges posed by the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency. It also holds the key to shaping a low carbon, equitable and economically prosperous future. This potential makes the focus of this report timely and highlights the need for urgent action. Annette Smith, Head of Future Mobility, Mott MacDonald

You’ll find the links to the article and the report below.

Sources

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Further Information

• Making Transport Fit for the Future - The Report
• The London Transport Museum
• List of transport museums in the UK