Why are London buses red? The simple but surprising reason

Which is the most representative of London is up for discussion, but there is no doubt that the humble London bus is one of the most well-known among the never-ending list.

Featuring on a mass amount of tourist merchandise, the bold red colour of the London bus makes it stand out from all other services in London and even the UK.

But why are London buses red? Well, we’ve got the answer and it’s much simpler than you might think.

The reason for red buses is simple. (Image: Getty)

Why are London buses red?

Starting all the way back in 1829, London’s transport system began to grow as the ‘horse bus’ service grew to over 400 fleets in three years and continued to grow.

However, the horse buses of London were not the most reliable facing unregulated service and operators focusing only on the most popular and profitable routes whilst changing fare prices to get the most passengers.

But during the 1840s, the bus services began to cooperate and cut back on the service for each route whilst agreeing on a fare income and a set timetable.

As the London bus system grew, they used colour schemes to help identify routes, similar to the London Underground system.

Throughout the late 1800s, the bus colour system worked well until the 1900s when the motor buses first appeared on roads in London.

London buses are a key part of the transport system. (Image: Getty)

As a larger motor bus service operated, the London Motor Omnibus Company chose to use the name ‘Vanguard’ in 1905.

In that same year, the company decided to paint the London buses red to help them stand out from their rivals.

With red London buses now in operation, the London Motor Omnibus Company also put numbers on routes, away from the coloured system.

Fast forward a few decades in 1933, the London buses were all brought by London Transport and painted the same shade of red, Pantone 485 C.

That shade of red remains today and the London buses still use the numbered route idea.