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London's new Routemaster buses might not be as green as you think
London's Mayor Boris Johnson has long championed greener public transport, but his hybrid Routemaster buses are now being criticised for faulty batteries and an overdependence on diesel. According to MayorWatch's Christian Wolmar -- who hopes to be Labour's next Mayoral candidate -- 40 drivers from Holloway Garage have put together a dossier explaining the extent of the battery problems. They say the Routemaster buses are now relying on diesel for 90 per cent of their journeys, overworking the small, conventional engines that are only supposed to run while the batteries are charging.
London's Eco-Routemaster launches today, magical mystery tour ends in Clapton
Very lucky commuters using the number 38 between Victoria and Hackney will find themselves touring the nation's capital on the first of London's new Eco-Routemasters. The first paying passengers journey aboard the vehicle at midday today, which was designed in London and built in Ireland, ending a process that started in July 2008. A further seven of the hybrid buses will arrive at a rate of one every fortnight until the fleet (of eight out of the 68 needed for the route) is complete at the end of May. The fuel-efficient vehicle gets 11.6mpg, nothing to your average Prius, but a miracle to a city whose buses normally average half that. It will also mark a return for the good old Bus Conductor, except all they'll be responsible for is ensuring people board and exit safely from that legendary rear door -- if you want a ticket, you'll still have to talk to the driver.
Meet London's new Eco-Routemaster, same as the old Routemaster (video)
The English can't resist a good retro revival: we fell back in love with the new Mini and Doctor Who, so now it's time to do the same with the eco-friendly revamp of the Routemaster bus. Packed with a hybrid engine that doubles the fuel efficiency of a standard diesel (at 11.6mpg -- but it's a bus, so that's a lot) but producing only half the emissions. It'll carry 87 passengers and the vehicle heralds the return of the rear-door, so when it's stuck in traffic, you can safely hop-off and walk the rest of the way. A fleet of eight buses will run London's "38" route from early next year and you can watch the prototype being hand-built in the video we've got for you after the interval.
