These open-top busses were run by the Economic Conveyance Company of London, which encouraged people to ride by offering half-price fare for those sitting on the top deck. The unique top deck was built to carry more passengers and the old fashioned bus did not have doors which allowed passengers to get on and off quickly.
In 1852, John Greenwood built a larger double-decker that could transport 42 passengers and was pulled by three horses instead of just two.
The Routemaster – the iconic red double-decker buses associated with England were specifically designed for use on London streets.
Developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s by London Transport, and built to take on double the passengers of a standard bus, the Routemasters were manufactured by the Associated Equipment Company and Park Royal to replace the failing electronic trolley busses.
The Routemaster double-decker bus had first taken to the streets of London in 1956 and had lived a long and prosperous life until it had been taken out of service on December 9, 2005. Nearly 2,900 Routemasters were built between 1957 and 1968.
Double-decker bus in London
