After this week’s massive vehicle order, a source close to First UK Bus has exclusively revealed details of the operator’s phase one rebranding.
This follows the revelation a fortnight ago in Passenger Transport that First was pairing garages under local general managers who would be responsible for their business decisions. Passenger Transport called this “Fearnley’s revolution”, a bid to reinvigorate First’s local bus businesses and see growth.
But the changes at First appear to be far more radical than first appeared two weeks ago. Or full circle, if you consider that local control was wrested from the State from 1986 to 1998. In the next couple of days, First is therefore expected to announce significant major changes to its southern & western businesses that will see a departure from the ubiquitous white and Barbie livery. Expect announcements elsewhere in the country to follow.
Ray Stenning and his Best Impressions team are understood to have a commission to devise a new First corporate style livery that will be identical in basic design but add local colour schemes and brand names. This will give a “family resemblance” while re-establishing something unique about each managed area.
Fearnley has apparently yet to decide whether to refer to “First” on his buses and publicity. The two options are a discrete logo as you might find on Go Ahead subsidiary vehicles; or nothing to identify First at all.
The businesses to reorganise under phase 1 are First Bristol; First Devon & Cornwall; First Hampshire & Dorset; and First Somerset & Avon. Details of local names and livery colours are understood to be as follows (E&OE). In some cases, there’s more than a hint of things gone by:
| Area | Brand Name | Base Colour | Relief Colour |
| Barnstaple | North Devon Reline | Rose | White |
| Bath, Wiltshire | Roman Cityline | Royal blue | Yellow |
| Bristol city & suburban | Bristol Cityline | Sunflower | Red |
| Fareham | Hampshire Coastline | Paris green | Black |
| Weymouth, Bridport | Dorset Coastline | Tawny | Navy |
| Penzance, Camborne, Truro | Cornish Busline | Old Gold | Black |
| Plymouth | Ugobus | White | Red |
| Portsmouth | Portsmouth Cityline | Light plumb | White |
| Southampton | Southampton Cityline | Russet | Yellow |
| Taunton, Bridgwater, Minehead, Yeovil | Southern Countryline | Lime | Black |
| Weston, Wells | Southern Countryline | Lime | Cream |
8 comments:
Nice try, but we noticed the date.
(oh, and the ill-informed neoliberal crack about "wresting control from the state"was the other major giveaway)
I'm wondering what colour 'light plumb' is?!!!!
its a shame this is not real big groups could do with adding a little colour to the bus scene
Okay I admit I got "fooled" it wasn't until yhe Plymouth Ugobus branding of red and white that I thought it will be same as Citybus lol Very good!
Even if it was true, Best Impressions seems to be the new 'corporate identity' of those not in the big three these days.
Very interesting except that Yeovil is now part of Hampshire and Dorset (despite being in Somerset)so Dorset Coastline would be a misnomer. Nice try though.
...oh, and are you sure you mean a "discrete" logo (ie one different from the main one), or do you mean "discreet" (as in "small, understated").
Surely education standards in Bournemouth used to be higher than this?
there`s a rumour that stagecoach is doing away with the corporate livery
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