1. 🚌 The color red was a branding move – In 1907, the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) decided to paint all its buses red to stand out from competitors. The color became so recognizable that it later became a citywide standard.
2. 🚏 The Routemaster is the most famous model – Introduced in 1956, the Routemaster had an open rear platform so passengers could hop on and off quickly (sometimes even while moving, though not recommended!).
3. 🔄 The Routemaster was partly hand-built – Each one had a lightweight aluminum body, inspired by aircraft design, which made it more efficient than most buses of its time.
4. 📍 Every bus has its own route number and history – Some routes, like the number 9 and number 11, have been running for over 100 years, tracing paths similar to the original horse-drawn bus routes.
5. 🌍 They’re a global symbol – The red double-decker is one of the most recognizable symbols of London worldwide, along with Big Ben and the black cab.
6. ⚡ Modern red buses are going green – London now has electric and hybrid double-deckers, including the world’s first all-electric double-decker bus, introduced in 2016.
7. 🎬 They’ve starred in countless films – From Harry Potter to James Bond and The Italian Job, London’s red buses often make cameo appearances in movies set in
The U.K.
Here are are some lesser-known and historical facts about the London red bus that even many locals don’t know:
1. 🐎 The first “buses” were horse-drawn – Before engines, Londoners rode in horse-drawn omnibuses starting in 1829, running between Paddington and the Bank of England.
2. 🔧 The Routemaster was designed to last 17 years — but lasted over 50 – Its robust engineering and modular parts meant many stayed on the road far beyond their intended lifespan.
3. 🚪 The open platform was a safety challenge and a cultural icon – Conductors (“clippies”) stood on the platform to collect fares, often balancing while the bus was in motion. The design became a symbol of London’s friendliness and chaos alike.
4. 🎨 Not all London buses were red originally – Before 1907, different companies used different colors to mark their routes: green, yellow, blue — even chocolate brown!
5. 💷 The Routemaster cost about £2,000 in the 1950s – Adjusted for inflation, that’s roughly £50,000–£60,000 today — still far cheaper than modern hybrid or electric double-deckers.
6. 🏁 There was once a “bendy bus” era – In the early 2000s, London tried long articulated buses (nicknamed “bendy buses”) — but they were unpopular for blocking junctions and were phased out by 2011.
7. 🕰️ Some buses became mobile libraries and homes – When old Routemasters were retired, many were converted into quirky uses like cafés, bookmobiles, and even tiny houses on wheels.
8. 🗺️ Route 24 is London’s oldest unchanged bus route – It’s been running the same path (Hampstead Heath to Pimlico) since 1912, surviving wars and countless redesigns of the city.
9. 🌧️ Drivers once wore special “storm aprons” – Early bus cabs were open to the weather, so drivers had leather aprons that buckled around their chests to keep warm and dry.
