Three days after launch, Boris bus conks out

Boris Johnson's new Routemaster-style bus was spotted today chugging to a standstill at the side of a motorway after its battery ran out.

The double-decker, which Mr Johnson only unveiled in London for the first time on Friday, was seen by commuters at the side of the M1 near Dunstable.

A Transport for London spokesman said a battery warning light came on and the driver pulled onto the hard shoulder to recharge. But on doing that another warning light illuminated and, as a precautionary measure, TfL decided to investigate further. A tow truck arrived but was not needed.

TfL said the vehicle's hybrid battery was configured for London roads and not for long stretches on motorways. He said the battery recharged when the bus stopped and started in city traffic.

Launching the bus three days ago, the Mayor said: "I'm very proud that 50 years later we now have a new Routemaster bus on the streets of London for the first time in a generation.

"It moves off very smoothly, it's got a hybrid engine and the most incredible thing of all is this is a bus that is built with cutting-edge British technology. It sends a message to the world that we can not only design beautiful buses but we can still build them in the UK."

The bus, which was built in Northern Ireland, was back on the road by 11.30am.

Mike Weston, London Buses Operations Director, said:

"The new bus for London's engine is configured for driving in the Capital and its engine uses the latest hybrid technology, which means it emits half the CO2 and NOx and delivers twice the fuel economy of a standard double deck bus.

"The bus is designed for stop-start driving, which enables the battery to be recharged automatically.

"However when the bus undertakes long, non-stopping motorway journeys, such as its journey to Bedfordshire this morning, it can lose charge and the driver is briefed to pull to the side of the road to allow the battery to recharge.

"After the battery had re-charged the driver was unable to re-start the engine. It was later established that the bus had run out of diesel.

"Once the bus was refuelled it carried on its journey. We will be speaking with the operator to ensure that this does not happen again."