Britain phasing out double-decker bus

In a little over a month, London's legendary double-decker bus, except for a couple of tourist routes, will be a thing of the past.

For 51 years, London has had the red, double-decker Routemaster bus -- a streamlined work of art. For about $1.40, passengers could jump -- literally -- onto the back of a moving Routemaster and ride clear across town.

But, as of Dec. 9, the last route will be shut down, except for two token "Heritage" tourist routes.

The double-deckers are being replaced by the two-part Bendy buses and by angular, modern two-story buses that have all the charm of a brick with wheels, USA Today said.

Transport for London, which runs the capital's public transportation system, says the Routemaster outlived its usefulness. It's inaccessible to wheelchairs and there's a liability problem -- every year people are killed by falls from the platform.

© Copyright 2005 by United Press International