Transport for LondonDesign a new bus for London
Friday, David Brown, Managing Director of Surface Transport for Transport for London (TfL), gave us the inside scoop…
So David, who would you like to see entering the competition?
Absolutely anyone and everyone - all they need is a really strong idea that they want to see become a reality on London roads.
So, you're not just after ideas from design professionals?
No, this contest really is open to everyone from schoolchildren, colleges and universities to businesses, community groups, even your everyday individual bus-user.
Are there any particular things that people should include in their bus designs?
Yes, first of all the bus should be red.
It should have a double-deck and an open platform at the rear near-side corner, so that passengers can get on and off easily.
The new bus also needs to be economic to run and environmentally friendly.
That's very important. Is this new bus intended to replace the old Routemaster?
Yes, but it's vital that this bus is fully accessible for disabled people and those with luggage and pushchairs.
It also needs to have a good mix of seats, wheelchair space and standing room.
Does your bus design have to be all detailed and complicated?
No, and for that reason we have created two categories.
Budding designers can submit their ideas to the Imagine category.
This is open to all, regardless of age or drawing skills!
What we're looking for here are ideas for anything, from the overall look of the bus to individual features that will make bus travel better for passengers.
The other category - Design - is intended for professional design companies and people with the technical skills to give us detailed design documents for either a whole bus or part of a bus.
Ok, so what do we get out of it?
In the Design category we have cash prizes ranging from £5,000 to £25,000 and for the Imagine category, as well as cash prizes, we also have bikes and accessories from Evans Cycle shops, tickets to London's Transport Museum and the chance to drive a bus simulator.
For both categories, there's also the opportunity that your winning design or feature may well be taken to a bus manufacturer and could be on the roads within four years, so this could be Londoners' chance to make their mark.
Gosh, how long do I... I mean, how long do people have to submit their entries?
The competition has just opened and will run until noon on 19 September, so get those brain cells going.
Winners will be announced by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, in late October.
What final piece of advice would you give wannabe designers?
Just draw on your own experiences.
Think about bus journeys you've been on.
Ask yourself what did you enjoy and what could have made it better in some other way?
We want people to really have fun with this.
So, let your imagination go to town.
- For more information on the competition and how to enter, go to tfl.gov.uk/anewbusforlondon
