Inside London's new 'Future Bus' with panoramic skylight and phone chargers in seats

11 February 2022, 11:23 | Updated: 11 February 2022, 11:25

Take a look inside London's new eco-friendly bus

Bus passengers in London have been given a boost with the arrival of the completely electric number 63 bus which boasts features designed to make them "even more attractive" to commuters.

The new buses on the route, which links King's Cross with Honor Oak, have panoramic glass roofs, and phone holders and chargers at seats.

TfL said the buses have USB chargers and mobile phone holders in the seats "so that passengers can work or relax more easily as they travel."

The buses have a skylight on the upper deck, a larger rear window, and handles on the backs of seats instead of vertical poles to create the impression of more space inside the bus.

In December, one of the first of the new buses went viral on TikTok when a passenger boarded one and shared a clip of how impressed she was at the design. The arrival of the fleet of new buses is being formally announced today.

The stunned passenger showed the view from the top deck, with high back seats, wood-effect flooring, integrated seat-back USB charger/phone holder/stop buttons, sun roof, and digital screens.

"They have flooring like it's your actual house, bougie bougie..." the passenger said in the clip, which was viewed by 1.4million people, and gained over a quarter of a million likes and 7,000 comments.

TfL believes the buses are more comfortable than older versions and hailed their "cutting-edge" design.

The buses are also designed with a larger wheelchair and buggy area, and have HD CCTV cameras on board.

There are now more than 650 zero-emission buses in London. TfL wants to convert its whole bus fleet to zero-emissions by 2034.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “It’s great to see the introduction of this cleaner, safer and 100 per cent electric bus fleet on route 63. As ridership levels on the route return close to pre-pandemic levels, these new buses will play a significant role in encouraging Londoners back onto our bus network.”

“Unfortunately, we will not see more of these buses if TfL goes into managed decline due to lack of funding.

“Investing in these new buses and the wider network is now more important than ever – to both encourage sustainable travel and to support the capital’s recovery from the pandemic.

"The reality is that without a long-term funding deal, innovation like this on our buses and across the capital’s entire transport network is at risk of stalling; disrupting services, putting jobs at risk and stifling the economic recovery of London and the country.”

Louise Cheeseman, TfL’s Director of Buses, said: “We have made significant progress in developing zero-emission buses and with bus safety over the last few years, leading the way for the rest of the UK. Ultimately any evolution of the bus in the capital is focused on the customer.

"These brand new buses on route 63 show our ambition to enhance the customer offer, bringing together for the first time a suite of new features that improve everything from comfort to journey speeds, and make buses the obvious choice over the car.

“As we recover from the pandemic it’s vital that our bus network stays relevant and remains an appealing option. Continuing our dependency on cars, especially for journeys that could easily be made by bus, would be catastrophic for our health and the environment.

“An ongoing investment pipeline into the capital’s zero emission buses is not only essential to keep London moving in a sustainable way, it is crucial in supporting green jobs across the UK.

"With funding certainty, we could take our bus network from strength to strength and enable the rest of the UK to benefit from improved buses, too.”