England’s first licensed female driver of a double-decker bus was Phyllis Thompson in 1941.For any BC readers, here’s a fun fact for you: did you know that the first North American city to integrate a double-decker bus into their public transit system was Victoria, British Columbia?.Who knows, maybe Vancouver will soon have its own double-decker buses driving along the city’s streets. Other cities also heavily feature them, such as Hong-Kong, Rome, Paris etc.
People also liked the viewing capacity and having open tops.Įven though the underground Tube has become many locals’ preferred method of transport, you’ll still see plenty of double deckers around London. The main reason for their continued popularity was because the single-level buses simply couldn’t hold enough people, and the longer accordion version couldn't handle London's narrow streets. This version had an open rear door entrance, which was quickly removed since people thought they could jump on and off while the bus was moving. The ‘Routemaster,’ was first constructed in 1956. In the photo below you can see some of the different bus designs used over the years.ĭemand kept up until the 1950s when the most familiar model of the double deckers emerged. In the 1930s the LGOC, like many other companies, merged together to became part of the collective London Passenger Transport Board. At the time, I doubt anyone could have predicted the historical significance of choosing that one colour. The largest of these businesses, The London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), sought to differentiate from their competition and painted their buses bright red. By the mid-1920s there were about 20 different companies with buses driving all over the city. With a growing population, there was a desperate need for more buses, sparking competition amongst the many companies in the city. In the 1920s, the first engine-powered version of the double-decker bus made its debut in London society. Costing originally 1 shilling to ride, Shillibeer’s bus could hold up to 22 people. Later, inspired by Baudry’s idea (and his success), an English gentleman known as George Shillibeer brought the ‘omnibus’ to London.
The first double-decker was actually a two-level horse-drawn carriage pioneered by a man named Stanislas Baudry. Well, let's start our journey in 1828, in the streets of Paris… But how exactly did this bus become the tourist bucket list item it is today? While they are used all over the world, the most famous is the bright red buses in London. The double-decker bus is an icon to the sightseeing industry.
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