London
The city of London has decided to phase out the red double-decker buses that are so picturesque but so expensive to operate. As the old Routemasters retire, they will be replaced by extra-long “bendy buses” that have an accordion-style hinge in the center. The Routemasters have a conductor who wanders the coach taking tickets, but the new buses will have only a driver. Passengers will have to purchase tickets ahead of time from machines. Many Londoners decried the change as the sacrifice of a national symbol on the altar of cost-cutting. “If it is to snake its way into our affection,” The Times said in an editorial, “the new bus, at the very least, must be painted red.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
October 19 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's editorial cartoons include Pete Hegseth and the press, an absence of government, and George Washington crossing the Delaware
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
