Bendy or not, just tell us when it’s going to arrive

I was intrigued to read your news about London Mayor Boris Johnson’s speech at the opening of the London Design Festival, where he restated his support for the traditional and acknowledged design’s importance to the capital’s economy (www.designweek. co.uk, 22 September).

Perhaps he might like to explain, then, exactly why, since his arrival as leader of the Greater London Authority, the ‘real time’ bus information system that was so crucial in improving the service experience of London’s bus passengers and changing the perceptions of the service quality, is now being removed because of poor maintenance.

This information system was critical in increasing bus passenger usage.

Johnson may well want to preserve the Routemaster, but if passengers don’t have up-to-the-minute information they stop using the service, regardless of the iconic status of the vehicles used.
Alison Prendiville, by e-mail