London's much loved signature red Routemaster double-decker buses as a symbol of the famed city are now a thing of the past.

The last of the buses went finished route 159 on Friday ending at Oxford Street.

Rustom Battiwalla, a former bus driver says, "It's a sad day. The buses have all been overhauled and they were OK for several more years."

The buses immediately recognizable are famed for their hop-on, hop-off rear platforms, however in the new technologically and safety minded new age they failed to meet modern standards of safety and accessibility.

The double-decker Routemaster was brought into service in the 1950s, the last public transportation bus designed specifically for London.

Friday's last tour of duty was done by a 1968-built bus known as RM 2217 - the last-ever to be manufactured.

At the time of its inception, the Routemaster was a technological marvel, its lightweight aluminum construction made it a model of efficiency, carrying more passengers than even most modern buses.

The Routemaster will be replaced by a modern double-decker bus affectionately called "bendy buses."

Fred Martin, says, "I grew up with the Routemaster when I was living in Enfield in north London. We are losing so much of our tradition."

At one time there were almost 3,000 Routemasters operating in London.