Historic Routemaster buses may soon be lost to London for ever after plans were announced to axe one of the last two surviving routes.
Transport for London wants to scrap “heritage” route 9 that runs the vintage buses every 20 minutes during the day between Kensington High Street and Trafalgar Square. This would leave Routemasters operating only on part of route 15, between Trafalgar Square and Tower Hill.
The heritage routes were introduced by Ken Livingstone in 2005 to dampen anger at the removal of the Routemasters, regarded as a London icon and tourist attraction, from regular service.
TfL claims the arrival of the new Routemaster-style bus - dubbed the Boris Bus or the Borismaster - has reduced the popularity of the old buses. The new buses arrived on route 9 last October (2013).
But bus enthusiasts fear the axeing of the service on route 9, planned for July, will hasten their demise. Only five Routemasters survive on each of the two heritage routes.
They say the timing is appalling as it comes during 60th anniversary celebrations for the Routemasters - a two-day festival is planned for Finsbury Park - and after the Mayor launched his “Year of the Bus”.
The changes were announced by TfL bus boss Leon Daniels on his blog - leading enthusiasts to fear that the “consultation” on the withdrawal of the route 9 Routemasters was a foregone conclusion.
He said: “All good things, as they say, come to an end and I am afraid I have to announce that traditional Routemasters will be withdrawn from route 9 this July.”
Mr Daniels said the best vehicles from route 9 would be switched to route 15. He said the change would lessen the opportunity for passengers to be confused - unlike conductors on the Routemaster, those on the Boris Bus do not take fares.
Critics fear TfL will not retain the Routemasters on route 15 for the length of the current contract, which expires in 2018.
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Peter Bradley, TfL’s head of consultation, said: “We are considering the removal of this service because it costs more than £1m a year to operate, owing in large part to the upkeep of the 60-year-old buses, and a low level of use by passengers. This money will be re-invested in London’s bus network.”
