The last two Routemaster buses cross the River Thames for the final time this afternoon. They left Marble Arch for Streatham at 12:10pm and drove at half-speed along much of the route. By all accounts, a recent opinion poll indicated that eighty per cent of Londoners were opposed to the withdrawal. As a resident of Streatham for eight years I rode the 159 a number of times every week. There is something quite exhilarating standing on the rear footplate of a Routemaster as it speeds along the road. Modern buses aren't nearly as exciting.
