New safety records for London’s two remaining Routemaster bus routes have boosted the case for the reintroduction of the iconic vehicles.

Transport for London figures show an accident rate per passenger of less than one per cent over the last three years.

4 million passengers

The No 9 and No 15 'Heritage Route' through Central London carried 4 million passengers during the safety audit with only two passengers requiring medical treatment.

Former Mayor Ken Livingstone claimed the busses were unsafe and asserted that 10 people a year died when using Routemasters. It has been critics’ number one argument against bringing the classic bus back.

Minor incidents

The No15 from Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill carried around 700,000 passengers a day and had just two accidents involving people alighting and trying to board as the bus pulled away.

The No 9 from Aldwych to the Royal Albert Hall carries about 600,000 commuters a year and had six boarding incidents were people fell or stumbled.

The bendy buses which replaced the Routemaster have been involved in 75% more accidents they and have three times as many collisions with cyclists than conventional buses. Several people have died in 'artic' incidents, the entire fleet was once withdrawn after several burst into flames, and there are countless reports of people getting stuck in doors as one person drives two buses joined together whilst manning 3 doors.

Boris Johnson was elected on a ticket to reintroduce the design with its hop on hop off rear access and will announce the start of a competition to find a 21st Century design for the Routemaster on 4 July.