Traditional AEC Routemasters are back on intensive service in London with a new operator. Londoner Bus is operating a seven day a week, 20 minute frequency service on a tourist route from Waterloo Station to Piccadilly Circus via the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
An all day ticket for the ‘hop on hop off service’ costs £5, or £15 for a family.
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Six Routemasters are available for the service, which requires three buses and runs from a base at Wandsworth. A well-known Routemaster mechanic has been engaged to carry out maintenance.
A launch ceremony took place at Waterloo station just before the first bus left on service at 0900hrs on 15 October. Cutting the official ribbon on the platform of ALM 941B, RM 1941, was Winston Briscoe, who was based at Brixton Garage for 43 years and the driver of the official last Routemaster to run in normal service in 2005, the world’s press recording that journey on route 159.
Winston said at the launch:
“I’m very pleased to be here and it’s great to see Routemasters back in London.”
TfL launched two heritage services using AEC Routemasters in 2005 using heritage Routemasters, which although aimed at tourists could be used by ‘normal’ passengers.
The last of these routes to run, the 15H from Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill, was officially ended in April 2021 after having been being reduced to a summer weekend and Bank Holiday only operation.
A spokesperson for Londoner Buses said the idea of the service came after a collection of Routemasters based in the North West and used for private hire and weddings was ‘gathering dust’ post-Covid-19. The company approached TfL to set up the new route, he explained, adding:
“They have been brilliant, really helpful.”
A Local Service Permit was granted after consultation, and special dispensation was given for the buses to operate when non-compliant with PVSAR regulations. The route is designed to pass by many London landmarks. Selected TfL stops are used. Run as a commercial route, Oyster cards and concessionary passes are not valid.
There has been no problem in recruiting drivers for the service, the operator says, several having worked on Routemasters in the past. Vehicles available for service include RM871 and RM1941, previously used on TfL’s heritage routes, and RM1583, which retains an original-spec AEC engine. They are joined by RMLs 887, 2290 and 2681, which are the first ‘long’ Routemasters to operate on service in London since 2005. Other additions and guest vehicles are promised, and the buses are available for private hire.
