Why London Bus is Red? | History of The Double-Decker Bus

Have you ever wondered why London buses are red? Did you know that the first London buses used to be carried by horses? Red double-deckers symbolise London as much as red phone booths or Union Jack, but it all started from an omnibus service in 1829, running from Paddington to Bank. The omnibuses could carry 22 people and were pulled by three horses. In early 1900s the first motorised buses were implemented by The London General Omnibus Company, which soon became the largest bus company in the city, and in order to stand out from the competition, they’ve decided to paint all their buses in red. This soon became the trademark color of all London buses. The first motor bus model was B-type, also known as Ole Bill. Then came a couple of single-decker buses, Q-Type and Regal, which were already getting close to the bus we know today. But only with the introduction of AEC Regent III the London buses as we know them were born. When Warner Brosers studio was producing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, they had to construct the Knight Bus by putting together three Regent III-s. According to the book, the Knight Bus has beds, and they serve you hot chocolate for just 13 sickles. Press the Like button if you’d like London buses to serve hot chocolate too. The most iconic double-decker was introduced in 1954 - the Routemaster. This is London’s the most famous bus, it features in hundreds of films and music videos, and all the tourists visiting London try to snap a picture of the famous Routemaster. Not many are left though - there are only two Routemasters still being used on heritage routes. Then came Daimler Fleetline, Leyland Olympian and some other models which never managed to live up to their legendary predecessor. In 2008 Boris Johnson promised in his campaign to bring back the Routemaster if he is elected the Mayor of London. Soon a design competition was announced, with tens of international design companies applying with their concepts. The winner model is named NB4L, or New Bus for London, but informally Londoners call it the Boris Bus. London buses are a part of Underground Company, the same company that operates the London Tube. All buses carry GPS trackers, so that anyone can track every single bus on a map in real time. Not all the buses can be tracked though - according to rumours, there is a phantom double-decker coursing in Cambridge Gardens at nights. The phantom number 7 bus was last spotted in 1990 at 1:15 am. People reported the bus driving in the middle of the road, with no lights and no driver. Which model of the London bus you like most and why? Do you think Boris Bus is the best reincarnation of the Routemaster? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and make sure to check out some of our other videos about London.