London - The next generation of London's famous hop-on hop- off Routemaster double-decker buses could be based on a joint design by carmakers Aston Martin of James Bond fame and star architect Norman Foster, it was announced Friday.

The old driver-and-conductor Routemaster buses, which had been an iconic symbol of London since the 1950s, were phased out on the grounds of safety, pollution and accessibility by ex-Mayor Ken Livingstone at the end of 2005.

Many were sold to buyers abroad, from Alaska to Australia, where the old buses are used as hot dog stands, art galleries, shops or lavatories.

But Livingstone's successor, Conservative mayor Boris Johnson, decided to bring back the Routemaster in a sleeker, high-tech and environmentally-friendly version.

The new buses will be in service from 2011, in time for the London Olympics a year later.

Apart from the nostalgia attached to the open-platform buses, Johnson has argued that the presence of a conductor guaranteed swifter travel and more safety on board.

The Aston Martin/Foster design envisages a highly-manoeuvrable, zero-emissions vehicle, with drive-by-wire, solar panels built into a glass roof, a vehicle accessible for all, with warm lighting and wooden floors.

British coach and truck design company Capoco Designs was joint winner of the design competition.

"We have had a phenomenal response, with ideas submitted from around the globe ... that allow us to go forward and produce a truly iconic bus fit for 21st century London," Johnson said Friday. (dpa)