Ugliest Bus Liveries

[TheGrandWazoo]

I know @Geordie driver may be hankering for PTE liveries (and the TWPTE yellow was good) but it wasn't all good.

syt826

Even the fitment of Wayfarer machines couldn't save the ECW bodied Fleetlines from the chop just six months after this shot was taken. EB based 826 filling in time on service 20 in April 1986.

www.flickr.com

This was a short lived creation that is best described as distinctive

Crosville DVL414 (ODM415V) 21031987

During 1986 Crosville painted approximately thirty buses in an experimental Brunswick green and orange livery including DVL415 (ODM415V), one of eight Bristol VRTs with ECW 74 seat bodywork delivered in September/October 1979. It was photographed at Macclesfield bus station on 21 March 1987.

www.flickr.com

Delta of Stockton had a fleet of knackered REs but didn't do them any favours and they ditched the patriotic scheme for something worse

clev - delta jek68n stockton spring 87 JL

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Delta

Delta of Stockton operated a fleet of Bristol REs for several years after deregulation. Initially a white livery with red and blue stripes was the norm but former Bristol Omnibus YHU 513J carried a later red and grey livery when seen in Middlesbrough on 8th February, 1994.

www.flickr.com

 

[Statto]

The current Metrobus Surrey livery, especially as the old Blue/Yellow livery was quite smart.

 

[dlp_888]

Ipswich Buses - think it'll be difficult to find an uglier livery than this!

To go from something as stunning as this:

Ipswich Buses Optare Delta 183 L183APV

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flic.kr

to THIS:

Ipswich Buses Alexander-Dennis Enviro300

83 Ipswich Buses SK07DYA sat at Tower Ramparts Bus Station, Ipswich. An ex Alexander-Dennis demonstrator, seen here at Showbus 2011- www.flickr.com/photos/gbbuspics/6231633949/

flic.kr

Unbelievable! What were they thinking!?

Even the previous white/green colour scheme (as plain as it was), looked nicer. And the route branding applied to their Tempo SR's is quite possibly the worst attempt of route branding i've ever come across - its like somebody had finally discovered how to use Microsoft Paint... Somebody PLEASE just send in Best Impressions to put it right.

Other contenders for "Ugliest Bus Liveries" from me are:

Blackpool Transport Palladium yellow/grey (dull/depressing)
Metrobus, Crawley two-tone Blue/yellow (cheap and nasty)
Ensignbus blue/silver (stuck in the 1980's)
Go North East X-Lines (Sorry! But this just looks so bad - a terrible clash of colours. For me, Best Impressions worst design yet).

On the other hand, Bakers Dolphin....

 

[py_megapixel]

Ipswich Buses - think it'll be difficult to find an uglier livery than this!

To go from something as stunning as this:

Ipswich Buses Optare Delta 183 L183APV

Explore Mark Bowerbank's 60317 photos on Flickr!

flic.kr

to THIS:

Ipswich Buses Alexander-Dennis Enviro300

83 Ipswich Buses SK07DYA sat at Tower Ramparts Bus Station, Ipswich. An ex Alexander-Dennis demonstrator, seen here at Showbus 2011- www.flickr.com/photos/gbbuspics/6231633949/

flic.kr

Unbelievable! What were they thinking!?

Don't really like either to be honest. One is just outdated and plain, and the other looks like someone scribbled over the blueprints with a marker pen and then they were sent off to the vinyl printers without being checked!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Oh, so it's a Scottish Brighton & Hove! And yes, I agree about that JMB Travel livery too. Why do some operators blatantly chose to copy other operators liveries then apply some shockingly garish colours I don't know.

The issue I have with the new East Yorkshire livery is that it's too fussy, too many swooping curvy pieces that just look ridiculous. Cut it back a bit, drop some of the brown hilly bits and it would look great as a new livery for them.

Fairly certain the same person designed them both, admittedly i had forgotten it's close resemblance to the B&H scheme, pretty sure Reading Buses have one that rips off this design too. I actually prefer the colour shades and application of the Borders scheme, the red they use seems warmer.

 

[SCH117X]

And the Ipswich livery has spread to Yorkshire

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eybusman/50143578071/in/dateposted/

 

[CBlue]

And the Ipswich livery has spread to Yorkshire

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eybusman/50143578071/in/dateposted/

Proof that slapping route-branding and other vynls on does not a good livery make....

 

[bussnapperwm]

NX Platinum/Electric - its drab and depressing. I mean two tone grey - come on.

The West Midlands Bus livery as well is one i hate. As its compulsory on some routes, both Rotala and NXWM have to carry it.

Black Diamond was just as bad as platinum - you could see the dirt!

I'd say a nice simple livery, single or two tone, with subtle branding devices. Possibly varying one of the colours to indicate different things (such as route branding). Nothing outlandish or garish (Stagecoach Beachball I'm looking at you) and nothing overly plain (like that TfC livery).

First Vantage is an excellent example in my opinion.

Nothing wrong with beachball before they took the blue off the top front. Then it looked ridiculous. The new Stagey liveries take the biscuit though!!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Nothing wrong with beachball before they took the blue off the top front. Then it looked ridiculous. The new Stagey liveries take the biscuit though!!

I agree, however on newer buses it didn't sit very well albeit still better than the new schemes...

 

[ClydeCoaster]

Another one I’ll throw in, thankfully confined to the dustbin a long time ago, is the livery adopted by First Edinburgh. The GRT corporate style was pleasant and suited the different colours from each of the subsidiaries, I thought, so replacing it in Edinburgh with this adapted mess...

lothian - first smt 948 edinburgh 98 JL

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Though Barbie 2 was worse.

I’ll also pile onto Ipswich’s mess too.

 

[D2007wsm]

Don’t have a picture, but the new First West of England lime green Citylines livery for the 24. I heard it described by a driver as offensive to the eyes

 

[jcf5561]

McColl's Coaches livery from the early/mid 00s has to be the worst - https://flic.kr/p/cNzC8A

 

[py_megapixel]

McColl's Coaches livery from the early/mid 00s has to be the worst - https://flic.kr/p/cNzC8A

.... is that a bus livery or an Aquafresh advert?

 

[mikeg]

I particularly dislike the Reliance livery, something more appropriate for a lawnmower or a garden centre.

 

[jammy36]

Probably a conteraversial one, but Fishwick of Leyland's livery was one I really disliked. Yes it was traditional, but I always thought the shade of green used was horridly dull and swamp-like.

John Fishwick & Sons 3 YJ09CWF

VDL SB200CS Wright Pulsar 2. Preston Bus Station

www.flickr.com

I know John Fishwick & Sons was a much loved and respected operator, but their livery never did it for me (it looked okay on older vehicles, but really looked out of place on modern buses and coaches).

 

[RustySpoons]

I particularly dislike the Reliance livery, something more appropriate for a lawnmower or a garden centre.

I love how subjective this topic is. Reliance is high up on my favourites list!

I'm sure you'll agree that their fleet presentation is amazing though, despite your dislike of the livery. Something a lot of operators could learn from.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I love how subjective this topic is. Reliance is high up on my favourites list!

I'm sure you'll agree that their fleet presentation is amazing though, despite your dislike of the livery. Something a lot of operators could learn from.

My issue with the Reliance livery is that it doesn't sit on modern buses well.

The green curve at the front doesn't line up with the headlight cluster and the cream underneath the green on the skirt looks out of place.

Reliance | YX68 URM / Yorkshire Lad

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flic.kr

 

[mikeg]

Oh yes don't get me wrong I've nothing against Reliance they're actually one of the better operators in North Yorkshire

 

[py_megapixel]

I am yet to find a livery which makes prominent use of cream and doesn't look outdated to me. Especially if the company in question haven't cleaned it.

However I think "Ugliest Livery" would have to go to any independent who just applies their logo to a plain base.

 

[scosutsut]

My issue with the Reliance livery is that it doesn't sit on modern buses well.

Reliance | YX68 URM / Yorkshire Lad

Explore VDyLan's 3700 photos on Flickr!

flic.kr

I agree with this but I point the finger at this sudden trend of asymmetric fronts to vehicles making it harder for operators. Alexander Dennis, I'm looking at you!

 

[Jordan Adam]

I agree with this but I point the finger at this sudden trend of asymmetric fronts to vehicles making it harder for operators. Alexander Dennis, I'm looking at you!

I disagree, The Asymmetric front doesn't make a huge difference here.

 

[Pat1105]

However I think "Ugliest Livery" would have to go to any independent who just applies their logo to a plain base.

Quite a few in my area who do this. Diamond slapping their logos on ex Hansons and Central vehicles. Travel Express at one point didn’t apply any logos to their vehicles at all, instead running around with previous operator livery and logos. Their darts are all painted red with ‘Let’s Go’ (their trading name) decals on the front. Sadly, they are going back to not painting anything, with the new E200s they’ve got, and just slapping logos on the front.

 

[py_megapixel]

FirstGroup "Dynamic Lines" never made it onto a bus, did it?
It would have been interesting to see.

 

[Jordan Adam]

FirstGroup "Dynamic Lines" never made it onto a bus, did it?
It would have been interesting to see.

No, i think the closest thing to it would be the current First Aberdeen Coach Hire livery but even that is entirely different.

 

[cnjb8]

I disagree, The Asymmetric front doesn't make a huge difference here.

You're right, TrentBarton paints the asymmetric front a different shade to the buses base colour and I think it looks really nice (except on the new Rainbow One E200s but they're debranded at the moment)

 

[tspaul26]

Go Whippet...shudder

 

[SouthEastBuses]

The current Metrobus Surrey livery, especially as the old Blue/Yellow livery was quite smart.

As Metrobus is my local bus company, I actually much prefer the new livery than the old livery. The old two-tone blue was really bland and boring.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Now, as for the bland bus liveries in my opinion, for me, with no doubt it's got to be this:



It looks really boring and dull, and something that may have worked in the 90s or early 2000s but certainly doesn't work now.

 

[mikeg]

With the Compass Bus one, I was just thinking 'who on Earth is that?' Then I noticed the small text, so it fails from a branding recognition point of view straight away.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

With the Compass Bus one, I was just thinking 'who on Earth is that?' Then I noticed the small text, so it fails from a branding recognition point of view straight away.

By livery, branding and recognition, Compass Bus is, in my opinion, the worst bus company all over Sussex and Surrey.