The Routemaster was a bus specifically designed for London traffic. It went into production in the 1950s, and was decommissioned by Transport for London in 2005.An important aspect of the design is the open access through a platform at the rear end of the bus. This enabled sharp-witted and able-bodied passengers to hop on and off almost as they pleased (paying a conductor who moved around the bus, rather than the driver), contributing to the sense of risk-taking and personal freedom that was so important in the "feel" of the period. It was to enable young women to hop on and off such buses unimpeded that Mary Quant designed the miniskirt. It was in part to prevent such "risk-taking" behaviour that the design was discontinued.
The design features on the Icons of England website and the 2009 British Design Classics stamp issue.
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