Although the 2008 competition was won by Norman Foster and Aston Martin, Mayor Boris Johnson chose the project of Thomas Heatherwick and engineers from the Northern Irish firm Wrightbus for the buses that will appear on the streets of the British capital for the 2012 Olympics.
As with Foster's proposal, this is a new variant of the Routemaster, the most popular double-decker bus that operated in London from the 1950s to late 2005. Its "renewal" in ecological modification was one of Johnson's campaign points in 2008, and he did not lose interest in the idea after taking office. According to him, the new bus will combine a stylish design, a comfortable device (two doors and an open rear platform for boarding and disembarking passengers, two stairs) and a "green heart" (it will be a hybrid car, 40% more efficient, environmentally friendly and quieter than the diesel-powered cars currently serving Londoners).
"Stylishness", which has already been skeptically assessed by some observers, lies in the asymmetric glazing surfaces, the streamlined shape of the case, and the wide use of lightweight and transparent materials. The rear deck, which will allow passengers to hop on and off the bus on the move, as in older models, may be closed during quieter opening hours, such as late in the evening.
