This was already considered a few yrs ago (illustrated below)
However the plan was scrapped as being too expensive, and not solving health and safety issues.
Which really begs the question, is it possible to have a new routemaster?
A number of its features would not pass todays health and safety tests, such as an open rear platform, stairs at the back that if one fell down they would tumble straight of the bus, not to mention the implicated costs of paying both a bus driver, and conductor, in addition to the wasted space over the engine to the left of the driver!
I love routemasters - some of my earliest memories are of going on routemasters - the smell of diesel, the buses cute ‘face’, the gorgeous deep red colour - I even had a plastic routemaster with a steering wheel on the top that I used to scoot around on as a kid.
They should just start making them again - using the original blueprints but fitting them out with modern, efficient diesel (or even hydrogen fuel cell) engines. They should also have a sign on the outside saying 'LONDON TRANSPORT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SILLY FCKER THAT FALLS DOWN THE STAIRS OR OUT OF THE BACK’. Honestly all this health and safety bll*cks - where’s the grit/sense of humour that got us through the blitz, blah, blah, etc. etc.
addition to the wasted space over the engine to the left of the driver!
on the other hand the engine was designed to be removed for service/repairs in hours as opposed to days with the modern bus’es
the routemaster was built for one use, to transport people around london, it was designed for, operated and maintained by a single company, and that company thought beyound todays profit margin to the whole of life cost of the vehicle, and designed it for long life and easy maintainence, which is why there are so many in service even now! what bus can match that now? high time there was another
Well I think in a way its good to have health and safety as knowning me when im tired I probably would fall down the stairs lol. But I do agree the olden bus are much more nice looking but they should have it more modern. Nowa days getting on the bus is hell because coming down the stairs and trying to get to the exits some people… well just say sometimes you have to wake them up lol.
The old fashion buses well coming down the stairs to a straight exit is a bit dangerious as once on the bus coming from college a boy was standing next to the door of a moving bus and little f*ckers pressed the emergency buttom and he went flying…:pinch:
