Ding Ding! Last Stop for the Routemaster

The bus we loved: The last official routemaster bus passes by our Brixton Centre.

December 2005

On Friday 9 December London’s beloved Routemaster bus passed by our Brixton Centre for the last time.  The route 159 was the very last to use these icons of London’s past after a four year period of fazing-out by Transport for London (tfl).  The route, which begins at Marble Arch and terminates at Streatham Station travels south down the A23 and goes directly past Lambeth College’s Brixton Centre.

   

A fond farewell: Many people lined Brixton Hill to see the last routemaster.  It terminated at Streatham Hill Bus Garage.  

For fifty years the hop-on-hop-off buses have graced our streets but due to new European health and safety legislation and concerns over disability access they have been replaced with modern, low floor-access double deckers.  The Routemaster, however, will continue to be of service in Central London on the new ‘heritage routes’ (9 & 15) which take in some of London’s popular attractions.

Many people, including the pupils of Corpus Christi School, which neighbours the College, lined Brixton Hill for a final procession of the buses.  At the end of it was the last official Routemaster service on the 159 route.  The bus was the very last one manufactured in 1968.

Click here to find travel information for the Brixton Centre