Boris Johnson has indulged in a personal “vanity project” by introducing the Routemaster bus, according to the Islington Green Party.
The party accused Mr Johnson of underestimating the issue of air pollution in London, as Transport for London (TfL) plans to introduce 800 buses in the capital this year, only 52 of which are hybrids.
The bus’s maiden route, 38, runs through part of Islington. Although the new design is powered by a hybrid diesel-electric motor, the Green Party called its introduction a “publicity stunt”. The single new Routemaster in service has also been beset by technical problems since starting full service last week.
Caroline Allen, an Islington Greens campaigner, said: “We have an incumbent mayor and his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, who prefer to engage in publicity stunts than to address a devastating health issue.”
