Mayor Boris taking a different route on London bus design

Boris Johnson makes some wayward decisions on design – to replace the Routemaster, he launched a competition in which the winners were two projects with rear platforms.

This is unrealistic, as future buses will need to operate without a conductor (necessary for safety) and he will find it hard to get hold of a chassis without an engine at the back.

At Ogle Design we carried out a two-year study to develop a specification for a future London bus. With this knowledge and an appreciation of the Routemaster’s cuddly appeal, I proposed a design (pictured below) developed in co-operation with Jukka Rautiainen of Labra Design .

I think the Mayor’s office threw all my correspondence away without acknowledgment or thanks. A pity, I think.

Tom Karen, designer, by e-mail