Take a Ride on A Historic Route master Bus

Times have moved on, and London is today served by a modern fleet of buses, mostly still double-decked and red with doors, heating, and improved accessibility with flat floors, and space for buggies and ramps for wheelchair users. Most buses even have 'next stop' announcements, making them easier to use than ever before, and bus use has again risen to levels not seen since the 1950s. However it is still possible to get a taste of what bus travel in London used to be like, as Transport for London operates Heritage Route master buses as extras over part of Central London route 15 between Trafalgar Square and the Tower of London. 

London Buses route 15 (Heritage) is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Tower Hill and Trafalgar Square, it is operated by Stagecoach London so that tourist and Londoners can see the sights of London by bus. It is a short working of the standard route 15 and it is the only preserved Route master route. Ask a visitor to London to name something typical of the city, and the chances are they will come up with the Route master, the traditional red double-Decker bus, with the open platform at the rear and the helpful, friendly conductor. London's much-loved Route master buses were a major feature of the capital from the mid-1950s until 2005.

Route master Timings and Route

Take a Ride on A Historic Route master Bus and you will get experience how old Britain feels like .Route master depart Tower Hill daily at 09.30 am and after every 15 minutes until 6.30 pm every day except on the day of Christmas. Route masters depart Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross Station) daily at 09.30 am and every 15 minutes until 6.30 pm. The main service on route 15 operates frequently between Trafalgar Square and Black Wall using fully accessible buses, and together with night route N15 provides a 24 hour service over the route. Transport for London withdraw Heritage Route master Operation over route 9 during July 2014. The heritage Route master on route 15 will continue for the future.

Route 15H operates via these primary locations: Tower Hill station, Monument station, Cannon Street station, Mansion House station, St Paul's Churchyard, City Thames link station, , Strand, Charing Cross station, Trafalgar Square.

Accessibility

Simply board the bus on the time and get on at the back, take a seat and wait for the conductor to come round. The conductor will check all travel cards and Oyster cards (he/she has a portable reader). The Heritage Route masters are fully integrated into Transport for London's fares and ticketing - meaning all Travel cards, passes and Oyster cards that would be accepted on regular buses are also accepted on the Heritage Route masters. A single journey using Oyster Pay-as-you-go costs £1.50. Children under 11 can travel free. In common with other buses, cash fares are no longer available on the bus, and the conductors on the Heritage Route masters cannot accept contact less Bank cards. The Heritage Route masters are not step-free, so passengers in wheelchairs cannot be accommodated. Babies/small children must be removed from buggies and the buggy folded, before boarding the bus.

Must Know

Remain seated at all times during the journey. When approaching your stop, ring the bell once. In the lower deck there is a cord running along the roof on the left hand side, this gives a signal to the driver to stop at the nest stop. Do not ring more than once, as different numbers of bells have different meanings and may confuse the driver. Also, do not ring once the bus has reached the stop, as the driver may mistake this as his/her signal to drive off. There must be some essential points you should take care of while travelling do not attempt to get down from the stairs until bus stops. Children and passengers should take special care while travelling and you should avoid to ride on open platform as it is highly not safe and should not be done at any point or situation.

The Heritage Route masters were first designed nearly sixty years ago, when transport priorities were different and accessibility not the concern it is today. Therefore they are not step-free, do not have space for unfolded buggies and cannot take wheelchair users. The Heritage Route masters are exempted from current disability regulation as they operate as extra short journeys over a regular bus route rather than as mainstream transport. If they are not suitable, route 15 together with night route N15 provides a frequent service of fully accessible buses 24 hours a day.

Attractions in Route

If you are accommodated in hotels in Kensington area of London then to be the part of historical voyage a ride on Route master bus is must. Route master departs Tower Hill daily at 09.30 am and every 15 minutes until 6.30 pm so try to reach town hill via tube. Once on the bus, it gives an old London feel and then ride started, on beautifully restored double-Decker bus and marvel at all of London's highlights including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, all brought to life by expert guide. The tour is also available with audio headsets in 10 languages (French, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi and Korean.) Have your cameras at the ready at Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral where Admirals Nelson and Wellington lie buried and where Princess Diana was married. Next is the Tower of London that was built nearly a thousand years ago and is now home to the Crown Jewels. The imposing former palace was once used as a fortress and a prison and you can see Traitors Gate where prisoners entered the Tower for the last time.