BORIS Johnson pledged to banish the bendy bus and bring back the Routemaster in 2008. It was dismissed by opponents as a “vanity project” but the bus is now ready to roll. Reporter JIM PALMER goes for a ride.

IS that it - big, red and shiny, coming towards me through the mid-morning haze of Bexleyheath Broadway like the hero in an action movie?

No, it’s just a regular double-decker. Such has been the build up to the launch of the first bus designed for the capital for half a century that expectation has reached fever pitch.

The vehicle stopped in Bromley and Bexley on Wednesday on its Summer Holiday-style tour of the London boroughs before going into service on route 38 between Victoria and Hackney on February 20.

Transport for London (TfL) plans to have eight on the route by May and wants to roll it out across London if all goes well.

Turning into Market Place, I laid eyes on it for the first time. It looked nice, as buses go, retro but modern. Based on the old Routemaster, project manager David Hampson-Ghani compared it to new Mini as an interpretation of the old model.

“For me, what’s under the skin is the most impressive,” said David.

‘Under the skin’, is more green than red: it is electric-powered with a diesel generator which only kicks in when the battery runs low. It gives off half the emissions of a diesel bus, with twice the fuel efficiency.

David said it is better because it is designed from scratch, unlike most buses. The seats, for example, are two kilograms lighter than normal which saves the equivalent in two passengers in weight.

But it is not perfect. The ceiling on the top deck is low. At 6ft7, I’m used to stooping, but this was extraordinary.

David said: “I don’t think you would fit on any bus.”

It may be too early for the New Year diet to kick in, but the central aisle seemed narrow too. The seat cloth looks like it has been ordered from a hypnotists’ catalogue.

“We are not going to please everybody,” concedes David.”

With the vehicle under such scrutiny, David said it is important to compare it to other buses. But he didn’t want to be drawn on how it compares to the much-maligned bendy bus, which was taken out of service at the end of last year.

Both have three doors, he said, to enable more passengers to get on quicker.

An area where the bendy bus won favour, was with the disabled. Like most buses the Routemaster only has room for one wheelchair.

“That was the biggest gripe,” David said. “We can’t get two wheelchairs on.”

He said Transport for London consulted with numerous user groups, adding that disabilities were more wide-ranging than wheelchair users. The bus is easier to use for blind or partially-sighted people, he said.

On a cold January day in Bexleyheath, the Mayor’s brainchild was going down well with passers-by eager to get on board. As David said, some will like it, others won’t.

With the Mayoral election just round the corner, Boris’ strong branding could play a key role. We have Boris’ buses, Boris’ bikes and he’s had his heart set on his own island for a while.

My tip to make sure he bags the election – Venetian-style Thames water taxis, call them Boris’ boats.