Tootbus London
East Lancs Visionaire-bodied Volvo B9TL in Tower Hamlets in 2022
FormerlyThe Original Tour
ParentRATP Dev
FoundedJune 1951
HeadquartersWandsworth Garage
Service areaCentral London
Service typeTourist bus operator
Routes3
Fleet90 (September 2014)
Websitewww.tootbus.com

Tootbus London, formerly The Original Tour[1] is a London bus tour operator using open-top double-decker buses. It also holds the franchise to run City Sightseeing's London tour. Based in Wandsworth, it is a subsidiary of RATP Dev.

History

Alexander RH bodied Leyland Olympian in June 2008
Plaxton President bodied DAF DB 250 in April 2011
Ayats Bravo City bodied Volvo B7L in October 2007
East Lancs Visionaire bodied Volvo B9TL in The Original Tour livery in October 2008
MCW Metroliner in August 2008

The Original Tour was founded in by June 1951 by the London Transport Executive at the time of The Festival of Britain. In 1986 it was privatised, being sold to London Coaches / Blue Triangle. In December 1997 it was sold to Arriva. In March 2001 the London Pride Sightseeing business was purchased.[2][3]

In September 2014, the business was sold to RATP Dev.[4][5] The business was rebranded to Tootbus London in July 2021, in line with other RATP Dev-owned sightseeing operations being rebranded under the Tootbus identity.[6]

Sightseeing tours

After purchase of a 24-hour ticket, 48-hour ticket or 72-hour ticket, ticket-holders may board any of the tour routes at 52 different stops without another charge. Services operate daily, with a recorded audio guide in English and several other languages which can be listened to with headphones. A river cruise is also included in the ticket price.

Tootbus London operates three sightseeing routes, which are as follows:[7]

Colour Route name Places served Frequency Other notes
Yellow Yellow Route Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral, London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, Downing Street, Borough Market, etc. 15-20 minutes Route also includes a children's audio guide in English and French.
Royal Blue Royal Blue Route Buckingham Palace, Lambeth Palace, London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Harrods, South Kensington, Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Notting Hill, Marble Arch, etc. 20-30 minutes
Green Green Route Russell Square, King's Cross, St Pancras International station, Euston station, British Museum, Leicester Square, National Portrait Galllery, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Somerset House and Aldwych 30 minutes

Pre-recorded audio guides are provided on all routes in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian, Chinese, Russian and Arabic as well as a children's audio guide in English and French on the Yellow Route.

T-prefixed Route Numbers

The "T.." route numbers introduced from April 2001 but used primarily for internal and licensing purposes. Used more widely during 2004 and fully adopted in 2005 with the entry into service of the Ayats bodied Volvo B7Ls, which were specified with electronic destination displays. Previously, the routes were only distinguishable by a coloured triangle, propped up on the dash on the bus, although some had a metal holder on the front. Since 2004 the triangle (which still exist for the older tour buses) have "T.." printed on them for the appropriate coloured triangle. Also, some buses now have destination display blinds, traditionally removed from these buses, which have the coloured triangle on them with the "T.." route number inside that.

Fares

Tootbus London tickets are valid for one to three days. Each ticket includes access to all tour routes and the Thames River Cruise.[8]

Visitor centre

At the end of 2007 The Original Tour opened a visitor centre on 17-19 Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square.

Transport for London

In May 2004 The Original Tour became a Transport for London (TfL) contracted bus operator when it commenced operating route 337, the first time a route service had operated out of Wandsworth garage since 1986. Buses operated with Arriva London branding, but under The Original Tour's operating licence.[9][10] When next tendered, route 337 passed to London General in May 2011 and The Original Tour ceased being a TfL operator.[11][12]

Fleet

Historically the fleet consisted of former double deck route buses, that after being converted to open top configuration, were given a second life. However, in 2005 ten Ayats Bravo City bodied Volvo B7Ls were purchased new.[13] As at September 2014, the fleet consisted of 90 buses.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2328599 The Original London Sightseeing Tour Limited
  2. ↑ About The Award Winning London Original Sightseeing Tour Original Tour
  3. ↑ The History of EnsignBus Ensignbus
  4. 1 2 RATP Dev acquires leading London sightseeing operator Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine RATP Dev
  5. ↑ "RATP buys Original Tour from Arriva" Buses Magazine issue 716 November 2014 page 7
  6. ↑ Dennis, Juliet (28 May 2021). "The Original Tour and Bath Bus Company rebranded to Tootbus". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Hop-on Hop-off & Themed tours Tootbus London
  8. ↑ London Hop-on Hop-off bus and River Cruise Tootbus London
  9. ↑ Bus tender results Route 337 Transport for London 2 February 2004
  10. ↑ "Arriva London" Buses Magazine issue 590 April 2004 page 66
  11. ↑ Bus tender results Route 337 Transport for London 6 September 2010
  12. ↑ "Route back by popular demand" Bus Talk issue 10 June 2011
  13. ↑ New order gives the original tour the first new open top buses in London Arriva 1 June 2005
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