2014 - Year of the Bus

This year London celebrates the ‘Year of the Bus’ - a series of engaging events, exhibitions, recreations and activities that will reconnect Londoners with their bus network and remind the world of the incredible role it plays in this great city.

2014 will see a number of anniversaries which will help tell this story of the London bus. It's been 60 years since the creation of the iconic Routemaster, 75 years since the launch of the RT-Type bus and 100 years since the world’s first mass-produced motor bus, the B-Type ‘Battle Bus’ that carried soldiers to the frontline during the First World War.

London buses are the arteries of the capital, moving large numbers of people around the city - across the centre and to the extremities. They have affected great social change and continue to offer a lifeline to a diverse range of Londoners. Buses also support the needs of this growing city and in turn help London to function as the engine room of the UK’s economy.

London is naturally proud of its bus network, one of the largest and most accessible in the world. Despite its size, the bus network remains flexible and able to adapt to the challenges of operating in a constantly changing streetscape.

To meet the future needs of the city, while minimising the environmental impact, the London buses are using innovation and new green technology. The fleet is already one of the cleanest in the UK, but authorities are constantly striving to see how new technology can further reduce the impact on the environment.