In the nineties, when Pushkin was a small boy, we always rushed up the stairs to the top deck and the front seats. We have fallen in love with London as seen from the second deck. These scarlet spirits of the city gave us a million stories to remember. Even today we love to go up and see if the front seats are vacant because we are convinced that it is from there that we can hear London singing songs about sunshine even on an overcast day.
Many of these iconic red buses of London are plastered with colourful adverts on the sides, the backs, and even the full length of double-deckers. Some of them are catchy and clever and, maybe, cheeky. I am sure some Londoners must be thinking they might soon lose their “bus red” to this canvas of colour and commerce… but others believe that the red on buses here is not just paint. It’s emotion. Recognition. Memory. It’s the colour of childhood trips, of misty mornings, or of late-night rides with a girl-friend. TfL or Transport for London has its own rule that makes sure that all buses in the central fleet must still be predominantly red and even the advert-wrapped ones need to leave the front and top corners red. These buses, therefore, remain unmistakably ‘London’!
I have hundreds of shots of these buses… the advert-wrapped ones are, of course, a photographer’s joy, but the plain red ones are just as charming. The design has changed and the earlier ones can still be found on certain routes or have been turned into specialty buses like the one where tourists can sit and enjoy their tea and cakes.
The earliest mode of transport in London were carriages pulled by horses and it was George Shillibeer who introduced the first omnibus here in 1829. Obviously, it must have been slow, loud, and bumpy – but it did give Londoners a chance to know what shared transport is all about. The classic red double-decker, the ‘Routemaster’ arrived in 1956 (this was a year before I was born), and had an open rear platform and curved windows. I have been on such a bus a couple of times in the mid-nineties. Very soon, the bus became a symbol of London itself. London’s beloved ‘Routemaster’ too was phased out by 2005 because many felt they were not convenient for wheelchairs, prams, or the elderly. The modern design was called the ‘new Routemaster’ or ‘Boris bus’ and introduced in 2012. This was obviously having a friendlier design and retained its iconic curves. What we see today are buses that are ‘electric and hydrogen powered’ with red being the colour of choice. Well, the hum of the buses has changed as they are quieter now though the tone of the adverts is now different from those in past years and decades.
These buses, I must admit, are probably the most photographed transport vehicle in the world and can easily qualify to be called ‘world-famous’ wheels. They continue to be a place for chance encounters, last-minute kisses (though the public display quotient in London is visibly reduced when compared to even ten years back), and for poets to sit and form lines or photographers to remain poised for some fleeting candid moment to appear on the roads. Watching he city from the top deck is still a favored pastime for both kids and adults. The London bus continues to be a moving metaphor that also exists on photographs, films, postcards, and as little metallic or even cushioned souvenirs sold everywhere here.
For those who wonder how the colour red was adopted, the initial decision happened back in 1907. The LGOC or the London General Omnibus Company wanted the colour to be both bold and visible. Even then London was fast-paced and getting noticed from afar was vital. Red cannot be ignored and so red was chosen. As a bonus, the colour chosen also stood out against the often gray skies and cobblestone streets and these buses remained vividly visible even in rain and fog. The modern day explanation for continuing with red is that this colour is now seen as a symbol of reliability, connection, and the emotional link with the heart of London as it evokes a feeling of warmth and pride.
If London ever loses the red bus, it won’t just lose a mere bus fleet but a piece of its cultural history. A part of London will then cease to be.
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Arvind Passey
Uploaded on 22 April 2025
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