From Londonist:
Time is running out for TfL's competition to design a new Routemaster - it closes in just over a week. But a recently republished article from the Blueprint [magazine] archive reveals that this is not the first time Londoners have been solicited for their ideas on how to build a better bus.
According to the Blueprint feature, this earlier competition was launched by the Royal Academy of Art in 1983 in response to London Transport - forerunner of TfL - pondering phasing out the Routemaster to make way for singe person-operated buses. Londonist continues:
As we well know, rumours of RM's demise turned out to be a little premature. But what happened with the RA's design competition? Perhaps it fizzled out and died, or perhaps there's a stockpile of inventive yet unrealised schemes and ideas sitting in a dusty basement somewhere under Piccadilly. Might be worth TfL's while to get digging.
It might and it's a very nice idea. I can't see it happening, though. From what I hear TfL is talking to anyone from racing car engineers to double glazing experts as they strive to get at least one "new generation Routemaster" built before Londoners' thoughts turn again to who they'd like for mayor. But even successful entrants to Mayor Johnson's Design A London Bus competition are unlikely to be sought out any time soon, let alone lost visions of bus perfection from a quarter of a century ago.
