People are only just realising why London buses are painted RED… and how long it goes back to

MOST of us have probably taken a red London bus in our lifetime.

But people are only just realising why they are all red - and just how long this has been the case.

The real reason behind the colour is older than you'd expect, and dates back to the early 1900s.

Various colours were used to differentiate the bus routes at the time

But most buses were owned by London General Omnibus Company, who painted their fleet red so they would stand out from their rivals.

The colour was taken on by London Transport and remains the same to this day - and is famous around the world.

The colour is Pantone 485 C red, the same colour used by the Royal Mail, London Underground, KitKat and Mcdonald's.

People on social media have been wondering for years, with one user posting: "Why are buses red? That's a good question."

Another said: "Trivia of the day! :-) Why are London buses red? I am sure we have all at some point wondered why...."

This revelation comes after the discovery of a secret compartment in MINI cars that left drivers blown away.

People were also left shocked at the real meaning of the Travelodge logo.