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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.
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| Formerly | The Original Tour |
|---|---|
| Parent | RATP Dev |
| Founded | June 1951 |
| Headquarters | Wandsworth Garage |
| Service area | Central London |
| Service type | Tourist bus operator |
| Routes | 3 |
| Fleet | 90 (September 2014) |
| Website | www.tootbus.com |
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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]
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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]
| Route name | Places served | Frequency | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 Route | Russell Square, King's Cross, St Pancras International station, Euston station, British Museum, Leicester Square, National Portrait Gallery, 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]
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At the end of 2007 The Original Tour opened a visitor centre on 17-19 Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square.[citation needed]
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]
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] The fleet include Ayats Bravo City bodied Volvo B7Ls, Plaxiton President bodied DAF DB250, Optare Visionaire or MCV DD103 bodied Volvo B9TL, Scania Omnicity buses, and the new purchased Unvi Urbis electric bus.[14]
In November 2023, it was announced that the fleet of 15 Optare Visionaire bodied Volvo B9TL would be retrofitted with electric drivertrains to make them battery electric buses.[15][16]
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