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If you were living in London 15 years ago, you might recall bright yellow bus-boat hybrids trucking around the city. Unimpeded by water, they’d dunk into the Thames and motor across the water, James Bond style, to continue touring the capital on the river.
Sadly, the ingenious land and water London Duck Tours operator was forced to close in 2017 as its launchpad was taken over by Thames Water for the construction of a 15-mile super sewer (which was finally fully connected this year).
Well, the past is about to repeat itself, as Big Duck Tours will be launching bus and boat journeys in London next year. A specific date hasn’t been set yet but what we do know is that London Amphibious Tours will be led by the global open-top sightseeing company Big Bus Tours. Seahorse Amphibious Vehicles will supply the aquatic fleet.
It now being 2025, these vehicles will be 100 percent electric, which is the result of a decade of research and development. They will have a max speed of 30mph on the roads and eight knots on water. Around 36 people are expected to fit on each tour. Here’s what Big Duck Tours’ vehicles look like in Singapore:
Big Duck Tours’ vehicles will enter the Thames from Lack’s Dock slipway, which is next to the MI6 building (once again, it’s giving 007) and the Albert Embankment.
Graham Lumley, Executive Chairman at Seahorse, said: ‘We are extremely proud to be leading the way on the design and manufacture of all-electric ducks, and look forward to seeing the new vehicles in the Big Duck Tours livery in multiple cities around the world in the near future.’
Pat Waterman, Executive Chairman at Big Bus Tours, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Graham and his team, who are true experts in their field.
‘The potential for growth is huge, and we are looking forward to bringing Big Duck Tours to more cities and more customers as part of the rollout.’
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