Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011
London's Double-Decker Buses
London's cherry red double-decker bus is practically a national symbol. The most famous model of the double-decker is the Routemaster, which debuted in 1956 and remained in use as a way to show tourists the city's sights until its phaseout in 2005. The buses are mostly gone today, save for two heritage routes, but thankfully, Transport for London plans to introduce a new prototype in 2012 inspired by the Routemaster. As the former Prime Minister William Gladstone once said, "The way to see London is from the top of a bus." Indeed, though single-story accordion-style buses are now also in use, the view from atop the double-decker will never go out of fashion.