A double-decker bus is a bus that has two levels. While double-decker long-distance coaches are in widespread use around the world, double-decker city buses are less common. Double-decker buses are popular in some European cities and in some parts of Asia, usually in former British colonies. Many towns around the world have a few that specialise in short sight-seeing tours for tourists for, as William Gladstone observed, "the way to see London is from the top of a 'bus" (Gladstone was referring to London's once ubiquitous double-deck horse drawn omnibuses, rather than a motor bus).[1]
Double-decker buses are in common use throughout the United Kingdom, typically seating between 60 and 80 passengers and have become a symbolic image of the country in particular the use of the red double decker buses in London. They are between 9.5 and 10.9 metres in length and are useful as a means of carrying large numbers of passengers without exceeding legal limits on vehicle length.
A particularly iconic example was the Routemaster bus, which had been a staple of the public transport network in London for nearly half a century following its introduction in 1956. Because of cited difficulties accommodating disabled passengers, the last remaining examples in use finally retired in 2005, although Transport for London has established two "heritage routes", which will continue using Routemasters
In the UK, double-decker buses (9.5–10.9 m) are a common reference item for describing very large objects; for example, a blue whale is about as long as three double-decker buses. "That monarch of the road", the London bus, even has its very own song, "A Transport of Delight" (1956) by the comic duo Flanders and Swann.
Double-decker buses were used as the London-themed pricing game Bump on the U.S. version of The Price Is Right from 1986-1992. The prices of the prizes were printed on buses and one bus was "bumped" into the Thames.
To celebrate the closing of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a special purpose double decker bus was used by performers to stage their acts.
The entire population of Iceland can fit on 3,774 London double decker buses.
In the movie Spiceworld, The Spice Girls ride around on a modified double decker bus called Spicebus.
In the United Kingdom, the name hackney carriage refers to a taxicab licensed by the Public Carriage Office in Greater London or by the local authority (non-metropolitan district councils or unitary authorities) in other parts of Great Britain, or by the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland.
Motorised hackney cabs in the UK, traditionally all black in London and most major cities, have the popular name of black cabs, although other colours are often seen, sometimes in advertising brand liveries (see below). A notable variation was the 50 golden cabs produced for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002.[4]
[edit] Vehicle design
Historically four-door saloon cars have been highly popular as hackney carriages, but with disability regulations growing in strength and some councils offering free licensing for disabled-friendly vehicles, many operators are now opting for wheelchair-adapted taxis such as the Peugeot E7 and the many similar models. Other models of specialist taxis include LTI, Fiat, Volkswagen, Metrocab and Mercedes-Benz. These vehicles normally allow six or seven passengers, although some models can accommodate eight. Some of these 'minibus' taxis include a front passenger seat next to the driver, while others reserve this space solely for luggage.
Many black cabs have a turning circle of only 25 ft (8 m). One reason for this is the configuration of the famed Savoy Hotel: The hotel entrance's small roundabout meant that vehicles needed the small turning circle in order to navigate it. That requirement became the legally required turning circle for all London cabs, while the custom of a passenger's sitting on the right, behind the driver, provided a reason for the right-hand traffic in Savoy Court, allowing hotel patrons to board and alight from the driver's side
温馨提示：答案为网友推荐，仅供参考