Brighton and Hove Buses, Edwards Coaches and Star Coaches have been crowned winners of the routeone Livery Competition. Each will now receive a free-of-charge vehicle repaint courtesy of contest partners Bus & Coach World and PPG.
Those operators triumphed in the Best Bus Livery, Best Coach Livery and Best Mini/Midi Livery, respectively. Their wins follow a two-stage adjudication process. It began with all entries being part of a shortlisting round via a vote of routeone subscribers and was concluded by final decisions made by an independent judge.
Brighton and Hove Buses’ victorious submission in Best Bus Livery is its Coaster scheme for route 12 between Eastbourne and Brighton. That design is showcased on an Alexander Dennis Enviro400. It leverages the operator’s coastal heartland and the service’s passage through the South Downs National Park.
The judge highlighted how the seaside theme and bold colours reflect “the vibrant energy of Brighton and the surrounding area.” They have also paid tribute to a design that is “sleek and contemporary, with harmonious colours and clean lines.” Thames Valley Buses and Northstar Buses were runners-up in this category.
Edwards Coaches’ triumphant offering in Best Coach Livery is its Red Dragon flagship brand, adorning a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo. This patriotic design majors on Edwards’ proud Welsh heritage and it is carried by a coach that both works the operator’s tour programme of the same name and carries the Wales rugby team.
In their comments, the judge notes how the winning submission “is not only visually striking but also carries cultural significance” and “makes a bold statement of heritage and national pride,” with a “sophisticated colour palette.” Glen Valley Tours and Jones International Travel were runners-up in this category.
Star Coaches’ win in Best Mini/Midi Livery came thanks to its distinctive metallic blue-based scheme, applied to a Noone Turas 900S-bodied DAF LF midicoach.
The Batley operator was commended for its use of graphics, with the placement of a star logo around the rear wheels integrating the brand’s identity into the vehicles design. Well-coordinated colours also drew praise. Mountain Goat Tours was runner-up in this category.
Organiser and publisher of routeone Diversified Communications has thanked all participants in the 2024 Livery Competition, which drew strong buy-in from across the industry.
Partners Bus & Coach World and PPG will now step in to deliver the three prizes to Brighton and Hove Buses, Edwards Coaches and Star Coaches.
Bus & Coach World will provide labour at its Blackburn premises, which majors on 50 years’ experience in the industry and can offer a full suite of services in addition to painting. Those include repair, refurbishment, retrimming and bodybuilding services. The supplier’s modern and traditional offering “is designed to accommodate your every need,” it says.
PPG is a global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. It will provide paint from its next-generation Delfleet One system. That delivers accurate livery recreation via market-leading stability and world-leading colour matching technology to assure quality results. PPG also enjoys a longstanding relationship with the coach and bus sector.
