- The word 'bus' comes 'Omnibus', a latin word meaning 'for all people'.
- Each London bus travels up to 1.2m km (750 000 miles) in its lifetime. The same distance as a return trip to the moon, or 20 times around the world.
- Buses make up 1% of road traffic but carry 14% of the road users.
-The first ever Routemaster, RM1, turned 50 years old in September 2004. A two-day celebration was held 24th-25th July in Finsbury Park. SeeThe Routemaster 50 organisation.
- The last No.73 RM bus ran form Victoria Station to the Tottenham garage on friday september 4, 2004. See my blog posts here (though you'll need to scroll down as it is archived)
- The diesel Routemaster buses finally replaced all trolleybuses in 1962.
- The Routemaster was the last bus to be wholly designed by London Transport.
- Built between 1958-1968 they were desgined for a 17 year life.
- Omnibus drivers and conductors earnt 5s. 6d. and 4s. a day
- Each Omnibus carriage cost £110 and was worked by ten horses each valued at £20.
- Route 73 is one of the busiest routes in London, with over fifty buses allocated to it.
- Everyday, four million people make a journey on London buses.
- Passenger numbers have risen to their highest level since 1969. Every weekday, 6,500 scheduled buses carry six million people on 700 different routes - according to this article.
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