Designing a replacement for the illustrious Routemaster bus was a tough challenge. When Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, drove the first new bus for London off the production line at the WrightBus factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, late last year it marked the culmination of a campaign that had begun two years earlier. The vehicle is the first bus designed specifically for the streets of London in more than 50 years and has been built by specialist engineers. In just under two years the bus has gone from the drawing board to a fully functioning prototype. WrightBus was awarded the contract for engineering design and to build the New Bus for London in January 2010. London-based designers Heatherwick Studio provided the aesthetic design and the result is a vehicle that not only has an iconic look but every aspect of its design has at its heart the complex needs of London's bus passengers. Critical design features include three entrances and a double staircase to deliver the speediest possible boarding for passengers; and an open platform at the rear, in common with the iconic Routemaster.