Looking back down Regent Street

A week on from last Sunday’s Regent Street Bus Cavalcade and we are still receiving enthusiastic tributes on the hugely successful day.

We have had the most amazing reaction. It seems some 400,000 people attended, which is more than double that predicted. Across the world, social media has reported the wonderful, family atmosphere as people wandered around and through the buses. Allowing people onto the buses and in the cab was clearly a great element to the success of the day.

A special thank you to all of the vehicle owners, for not only supporting the event, but also welcoming visitors on board their vehicles.

It wasn’t just the buses or the Lego bus stop that were busy. Emma Hignett is the voice you hear announcing all the stops on London’s Buses. Emma spent the day making personal announcements on people’s iPhones. Non-stop all day. So thousands of people now have their own personal Emma announcement.

But as at all such events, not everyone will be quite so enthusiastic and we had some internet chatter on certain aspects.

We spent a great deal of time working on the parking plan. Getting the vehicles in and out safely with no conflicting movements or awkward manoeuvres, and no delay on arrival was our biggest challenge.

We also had to contend with the median strip which occupies much of Regent Street.

We deliberately avoided ropes and no-go areas so people could go almost anywhere. Securing a licence for the event meant that numbers of vehicles was prescriptive, where they parked etc. ensuring emergency vehicle access at all times.

As to the choice of vehicles, quite simply it came down to what was available, what was mobile, what could be moved and when assembled would provide a colourful and interesting streetscape. Of course there were types not represented but the wish list was governed by the total number of vehicles allowed.

We are still collecting photographs, videos and stories from this amazing day. There have been many calls for a repeat. How and when this might be will have to be decided. For now though, we look back on a hugely successful event and again send a huge thank you to everyone who made it possible.

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