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21st Century Routemaster - Times Article

The Routemaster Association was asked by The Times Online, for comment on their article concerning the recent announcement that Wrights of Ballymena has been selected for the task of manufacturing the "21st Century Routemaster", as the mayor still likes to refer to it. So the following was posted at Times Online. "The Routemaster Association welcomes the announcement of the selection of Wright's of Ballymena as the manufacturer for the 21st century successor of the iconic Routemaster. We are pleased that the courage has been shown to include an open platform boarding opportunity whilst in London service. This facility disappeared from the lives of everyday Londoners experience in December 2005, when the last Routemasters were withdrawn from normal service. It is clearly a facility that has endeared itself to Londoners over the last century of bus design, and makes the boarding and disembarking process an efficient one. We are also pleased that the new bus will be greener and more fuel efficient than ever. It's an oft forgotten fact that the 1950s original design of the Routemaster produced a fuel consumption figure of around 10 mpg, still achievable today by the hundreds of Routemasters in private hands, and one that the Routemaster replacements currently operating in the streets of the Capital would struggle to match. The Routemaster Association is dedicated in sustaining the remaining buses in existence, in this country and all over the world, and with keeping as many vehicles in roadworthy condition as possible. As we move into 2010, we believe there are still well over 1,000 Routemasters spread across the globe. Dave Paskell (Press & Publicity Officer, Routemaster Association)" Click here for the full article.

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