The BBC has reported the demise of the Routemaster bus on London bus routes:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4510410.stm
The spindoctors have puffed the bus's alleged shortcomings, such as no wheelchair access, as hard as they can, but have not surprisingly ignored an assessment of the bus as "the best ever model" and "actually more accessible".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4384318.stm
Does one need a PhD in industrial design to suggest that the rear platform could be modified to accommodate a wheelchair or two?
The companies who have grasped the opportunity to buy surplus Routemasters for a song and convert them into mobile bars etc have certainly shown a bit more initiative than Transport for London.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4509706.stm
The real reason for the phasing out is shown in this photo, which I took in May this year: it is cheaper to replace one human being with an automated ticketing system and several security cameras.
Has anyone considered the potential security benefits of having a human observer to monitor passenger behaviour?
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