Welcome back the Routemaster

After a "ghastly, dehumanised moron"* killed off the much loved Routemaster London bus and replaced it with the more fare-dodger friendly bendy-bus, it was a relief when Boris Johnson was elected London Mayor on a platform (pun intended) of introducing a new style Routemaster.

Today I read in the Standard that plans are further advanced than I thought. This would be more cheery news if I didn't have this nagging thought that London and the UK will be too broke to afford any new buses by 2009, but we can dream I suppose...



*In a speech on 2 December 2003, Mr Livingstone pledged: "I will save the Routemaster." In 2001, he said: "Only some ghastly, dehumanised moron would want to get rid of the Routemaster." In December 2005, Mr Livingstone got rid of the Routemaster from normal service.