End of the road for London's big reds?
Page 24
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• London's red buses are being given a new-look livery. New vehicles will now appear with a grey skirt and white stripe — but they could change colour completely once plans to carve the huge network into 14 separate companies take effect.
There are fears that the capital's 4,000 buses could lose their biggest marketing strength if individual companies repaint and rename their vehicles under Government plans to sell off London Buses by 1992. The red double-deckers are famous with tourists the world over.
Under the scheme, the network will be divided into units of about 400 buses, each under a general manager. London Buses will then have to compete with private operators for the tenders on each route.
London Regional Transport, its parent company, already runs Bexley Bus, a separate company which has blue and cream double-deckers.
London Buses says its plans to replace its back-platform Routemasters with driver-only buses is being slowed down. Although 85% of its vehicles are driver-only, about 75% of its buses in the West End of London still have conductors. Only 2% of its Routemasters, most of which are 30 years old, are being phased out.