Fans of London's double-decker Routemaster buses were out early on a foggy morning Friday hoping to catch a ride on the last day of regular service after half a century. The red Routemasters, with their conductors and hop-on, hop-off open platforms, were scheduled to make their last regular trip at midday.

''It's a sad day. The buses have all been overhauled and they were OK for several more years,'' said Rustom Battiwalla, 37, a former bus driver who came to London on Friday from the western city of Bristol.