London return for Routemaster by 2012 as Johnson declares demise of bendy bus

The much-derided bendy bus will disappear from London's streets by 2015, the mayor, Boris Johnson, declared yesterday as he unveiled plans to reintroduce that bus-spotter's favourite - the Routemaster. The first of London's 393 bendy buses will be retired next year and operators will be told to replace the 18-metre vehicles with conventional double-deckers. Passengers will have to wait until 2012 before the new version of the distinctive Routemaster hits bus lanes. Johnson yesterday invited bids from amateur bus enthusiasts and design firms to draft a 21st century take on the legendary vehicle, whose open platform at the back has invited many precarious boardings and exits over the decades. A leading investment bank, Deutsche Bank, warned that the Routemaster revival would come at a price. Passengers would have to stomach an... [read full story]