Engineering:Open top bus
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An open top bus is a bus, usually but not exclusively a double-decker bus, which has been built or modified to operate without a roof. Early buses were constructed without roofs but in more recent times they have only been built for tourist and sightseeing services. Some are made by removing all or part of the roof from a more conventional bus.
Use
When double-decker buses were first introduced in Britain, they did not carry roofs, similar to older horse carriages, and were not allowed to have one until the 1920s. Following the lifting of the prohibition, bus operators would use buses with roofs fitted due to climate conditions. However, some seaside towns retained a few open-top buses in their fleet for use on seasonal sightseeing services.[1]
Open-top buses are now primarily used as tour buses for sightseeing in cities and seaside towns, or around rural monuments or areas of special interest. These often include specialist information equipment, and colourful liveries illustrating the route.
Open-top buses are used in some regions on regular public transport transit bus services, in warm climates, or as seasonal services in temperate climates. Seasonal services are often in seaside towns, or along rural or coastal routes of particular scenic quality.
Types
Modern open top bus designs are available, nowadays with long multiple axle and low floor easy access features as seen on conventional closed-top buses. Many more have been converted from conventional buses which were no longer required for regular service and so may not have such features.
See also
- Open top buses in the United Kingdom
- List of buses
References
- ↑ Batten, Malcolm (15 May 2025) (in en-gb). Seaside Open-Top Buses: 1969-99. United Kingdom: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781398122949. "When double-deck motor buses were first introduced they were all open-top, like the horse buses that preceded them. / Roofs were not permitted until the 1920s, but once they were the vagaries of the British climate dictated that they would normally be fitted. However, when the sun did shine, what could be nicer than a trip along the seafront with the sea air in your nostrils and ruffling your hair? Therefore, many seaside towns introduced seasonal open-top services."
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