The value of a livery cannot be overestimated. It presents an operator’s brand, and in many cases, its heritage and customer proposition. routeone is thus proud to return its Livery Competition for 2024, in partnership with supporters Bus & Coach World and PPG.
Those parties’ generosity means that three winners will each receive a full vehicle respray, free of charge. PPG will provide the necessary paint, and Bus & Coach World the labour at its Blackburn premises.
To enable all members of the industry to put forward their liveries fairly, the entry and judging process is made up of three categories:
- Best bus livery
- Best coach livery
- Best mini/midi livery.
A mini/midi is defined as a vehicle of sub-10m in length and with fewer than 40 seats. Each operator is limited to one image submission in one of the above categories – so pick your subject carefully!
A fair approach for all operators
Categories are each divided into three subcategories based on respective fleet size of the vehicle type operated: Large operator, medium operator, and small operator. For best bus livery, large operators run over 150 buses; medium, 50-150 buses; and small, up to 49 buses.
For best coach livery and best mini/midi livery, the subcategory split is different to reflect the often-lower numbers of those vehicles with operators. Large in both is over 40 vehicles; medium is for 16-40 vehicles; and small is up to 15 vehicles.
There are thus nine subcategories across the competition. To be eligible, the operator must hold a valid O-Licence, and the livery displayed must be current and in use on the fleet concerned.
Entries are submitted via the routeone website. By entering, the participant confirms that they have the permission of the business owner or other authorised representative to do so.
Entries opened on 9 May and will close on 28 June and each entry will be showcased online. Beyond that, selection of winners will first rely on an online vote by routeone subscribers. They will be asked to vote for one entry in each of the nine subcategories. Voting will run from 0900hrs on 3 July to 1200hrs on 31 July.
The resulting nine finalists will be announced on the routeone website on 6 August, at which time they will be put before an independent judge. That individual will decide each of the best bus livery, best coach livery, and best mini/midi livery.
Winners will be named on 13 August and each receive a voucher for a free repaint thanks to Bus & Coach World and PPG. Full terms and conditions of all aspects of the competition can be found here.
Bus & Coach World, PPG support routeone Livery Competition
The routeone Livery Competition could not take place without the support of Bus & Coach World and PPG, both of which are leading suppliers in their respective fields.
Bus & Coach World is a Blackburn-based provider of comprehensive repaint, repair, refurbishment, retrimming and bodybuilding services. It has worked with clients across the industry on numerous in-depth projects and says that its modern and traditional offering “is designed to accommodate your every need,” thanks to over 50 years’ experience.
PPG is a global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. It too has a long history in the coach and bus sector and Communications Manager UK and Ireland Josef Jones says it looks forward to seeing entries.
“PPG is delighted to partner with routeone and Bus & Coach World for the 2024 Livery Competition,” adds Josef. “Coach and bus liveries are part of the nation’s day-to-day. They are iconic, and to many, a symbol of national heritage. With that in mind, choosing the right paint technology is crucial when building or repairing our coaches and buses.
“We are anticipating some incredible entries, and we cannot wait to see the creative and innovative liveries.”
Paint supplied as part of the prizes will come from PPG’s next-generation PPG Delfleet One system. It allows accurate livery recreation via market-leading stability and world-renowned colour matching technology.
Extensive development and field research means that users of the paint benefit from a 10% material saving, a 20% bake time reduction, and a 10% drop in volatile organic compounds – which collectively give a 20% CO2 emission decrease for end users.
Your vehicle could benefit from such knowledge, experience and technology. Entry is easy and straightforward, so do not delay.
