Tory MPs battling to save the 11 bus want to have it listed by Unesco in recognition of its “world heritage” status.
Greg Hands and Nickie Aiken have made an audacious bid for the bus and its route – which passes many central London landmarks – to receive special protection from the United Nations cultural organisation.
They believe it deserves the same status as the French baguette, whose “intangible cultural heritage” listing by Unesco last November was celebrated by President Macron.
London currently has four world heritage sites – the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich, Kew Gardens and the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
Having the 11 bus listed would provide an added layer of protection to safeguard its future, the MPs believe.
Mr Hands, the Tory party chairman and MP for MP for Chelsea and Fulham, said: “The No11 bus is a symbol of London and a unique way to experience the city’s history and culture. The route takes passengers on a journey through the heart of London, past some of the most famous landmarks in the world.
“We believe that it deserves recognition as a Unesco world heritage site and should be protected for generations to come – if it’s good enough for Macron’s baguette, then it’s good enough for our symbolic red bus.”
The 11 route is due to be “restructured” on April 29 by Transport for London as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s watered-down plans to save £10m on the cost of running the central London bus network.
But since the plans were announced, TfL says it expects to make its first “profit”, of £79m, in the 2023/24 financial year.
The change would chop off the 11’s eastern section by diverting it from Parliament Square south of the river to Waterloo.
At present the bus links Fulham and Liverpool Street via Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square and St Paul’s Cathedral.
The MPs say changing the route will remove a vital link for Londoners and tourists – and makes little sense ahead of the King’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
Ms Aiken, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, said: “The No11 bus is not just a mode of transport, but a part of London’s cultural heritage. It has played a significant role in London’s history and has been a source of inspiration for artists, writers, and filmmakers.
“We hope that bidding for Unesco world heritage recognition, we can celebrate the bus’s contribution to showcasing London’s history and culture.”
The 11 bus has been running since 1906, but its route has been changed on several occasions.
The re-routing of the 11 was one of a series of changes proposed in TfL’s central London bus review last summer.
This proposed axing 22 routes and reducing the frequency or length of almost 50 more to save money.
But Mr Khan performed a partial U-turn last November and decided to user £25m a year of City Hall reserves to keep more buses running.
TfL said passengers currently using the 11 between Victoria and Liverpool Street can switch to the 26, which is being re-routed along the Strand and Whitehall to Victoria rather than going to Waterloo.
It said the new route 26 would pass major London landmarks such as Victoria Station, Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross station, St Paul’s Cathedral,the Bank fo England and Fleet Street.
Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s director of public transport service planning, said: “The changes we are making to some services in central and inner London are a result of requirements attached to TfL’s emergency funding deal by Government and reflect changing demand while meeting saving targets.
“The Mayor’s additional funding for TfL, averaging around £25m per year, has allowed us to significantly reduce the scope of the changes originally proposed for central and inner London and mean that we are only going ahead with under a quarter of the changes we consulted on.
“The changes taking place are all in areas with numerous alternative public transport options and where, following the changes, there will still be plenty of busesâ¯to meet demand.”
