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a green bus
What is a green bus? Perhaps the answer isn't so straightforward as European emissions standards would have us believe. In the UK, where bus patronage is low by north European standards and buses have an image problem, a green bus is, for now, one that gets people to switch a journey from their car, and provides a good enough experience that they do it again. To that end, issues such as comfort, temperature and engine noise are perhaps more important than emissions, with which they share an uneasy relationship. Somewhere like Germany, though, where urban public transport is popular and carries no stigma, engine emissions standards may make more sense since they probably have a little more leeway in terms of the other factors before passengers decide to change their ingrained routines.
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routemaster
Did the London mayor's competition to design a new Routemaster London doubledeck bus have to have such a large prize (25,000 pounds)? The serious contenders, likely to be design agencies and the like, would have entered anyway given the prestige and publicity that will befall the winner. Such a prize will mean very little to them, whereas spread out among the little people entering the "Imagine" (non-serious contenders) category it could have bought a lot more happiness.

The size of the prize sends an odd message next to the big London projects no longer being progressed as of this week due to lack of funding. (Crossrail Tram and Docklands light-rail extension among them).
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