• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS

New London bus won’t enter production until Summer 2012

October 11, 2011 by Martin Hoscik

The new bus will not enter full production until Summer 2012. Photo: Transport for London
Boris Johnson’s flagship New Bus for London will not go into full production until at least Summer 2012, according to evidence given to the London Assembly today.

Leon Daniels, Transport for London’s MD of surface transport, told the Assembly Transport Committee that eight prototypes would have to undergo “thousands” of miles of testing before an order could be placed for a full fleet.

The prototypes are planned to be on the streets by next spring, weeks before the Mayoral elections.

Their performance will then dictate any modifications which need to be made to the vehicles ahead of full production.

Disability campaigners say the bus offers insufficient space to wheelchair users.

The new bus was a 2008 manifesto commitment by Johnson who held an open competition to develop the design but the Mayor has faced criticism for spending £8m on the project while implementing a series of fares increases.

The test vehicle is the result of collaboration between Wrightbus, Transport for London and the Heatherwick Studio.

Like its famous predecessor, the new London bus will have a rear platform for boarding, however this will be closed at certain times of the day.

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Filed Under: News

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

Copyright © 2025 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy