The New Bus For London Arrives @ The London Transport Museum

A life-size 3D mock-up up the Mayor's 'New Bus For London' is on show from today at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. It will remain at the museum for three months so the public get plenty of opportunity to get a good look at its sleek new design (although it incorporates an open rear platform, the much-loved feature of the old Routemaster).

Transport for London (TfL) has been working with Wrightbus and Heatherwick Studio on the design and development of the New Bus for London, and the mock-up will be used to fine-tune the design of the bus before a prototype is manufactured later in the year, with the first five new buses entering service in 2012, hopefully in time for the Olympic Games!

Over Easter there will be special family events taking place at the museum to coincide with the bus's residency, including Fantasy journeys and New bus, new look workshops, and Magic Bus Story Time, and if you don't fancy stumping up the entry fee for the museum there will be two open evenings where people can come in and see the bus free of charge, the first on Friday 13 May (as part of Museums at Night) and the second on May 20.

Boris had this to say about the new bus, "This is a fantastic chance for Londoners and those visiting the city to catch a glimpse of how this exciting new bus will look and feel as it takes up residence slap bang in the middle of the city. I, for one, can't wait to see it gracing the streets of the capital".