Buses in London runs through the Strand Underpass), in May 2009. The last were withdrawn on 9 December 2011. In May 2010 Mayor of London Boris Johnson unveiled the design of the New Routemaster, the proposed replacement for the Routemaster as an iconic standard bus for exclusive use in London. The buses, designed by Heatherwick Studio and built by Wrightbus feature two staircases, three doors and an open platform allowing passengers to hop on and off, and commenced operating in 2012. In December 2011 the British car magazine "Autocar" road-tested the New Routemaster. It said it had "brilliant economy and an interior to
Mayor of London paved the way for the introduction by the United Kingdom Parliament of civil partnerships. Unlike civil partnerships, the London Partnerships Register was open to heterosexual couples who favour a public commitment other than marriage. As Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone was also a supporter of the London Olympics in 2012, and is known to encourage sport in London; especially when sport can be combined with helping charities like The London Marathon and British 10K charity races. However, Livingstone, in a Mayoral election debate on the BBC's "Question Time" in April 2008 did state that the primary reason he supported the