Routemaster and Leyland buses are generally associated with the 20th-century Great Britain, but they also had a long and much appreciated place on the streets of Iran over the last century.
From the 1940s onwards, Tehran ran many of these British buses, which became a common sight on the roads, but revolution and loss of business resulted in the old municipal vehicles becoming a hindrance as wear and tear set in: They were eventually removed from service in 1992.
As of 2015, all double-decker buses have been removed from official use in Tehran, with no sign of the municipality bringing them back anytime soon. They state that their Bus Rapid Transit system uses "bendy buses," two bus compartments joined in the center used along specific routes, which are a better option and give more efficient service.
In 2012, Mehr News Agency reported that the buses were refurbished for tourism use in that city and are continuing to be used on a limited basis. The rest of the buses were sent to the scrapyards to be disassembled years ago and no new orders are presently on the books.
