First Somerset relaunched as "The buses in Somerset"

[JoNi]

Today First relaunched their Somerset operation as The buses in Somerset with a new two tone green livery similar to Southern Vectis

Link to new website   www.busesofsomerset.co.uk
About us link gives background to change.

[Tony]

Today First relaunched their Somerset operation as The buses in Somerset with a new two tone green livery similar to Southern Vectis

Link to new website   www.busesofsomerset.co.uk
About us link gives background to change.

Here is a link to the new livery, Best Impressions have tweeted it
https://twitter.com/creatingdesire/status/427778002278027264/photo/1

[nitromatt1]

Today First relaunched their Somerset operation as The buses in Somerset with a new two tone green livery similar to Southern Vectis

Link to new website   www.busesofsomerset.co.uk
About us link gives background to change.

Here is a link to the new livery, Best Impressions have tweeted it
https://twitter.com/creatingdesire/status/427778002278027264/photo/1

How long before CityFox try and claim it as their own?

[winston]

Today First relaunched their Somerset operation as The buses in Somerset with a new two tone green livery similar to Southern Vectis

Link to new website   www.busesofsomerset.co.uk
About us link gives background to change.

Here is a link to the new livery, Best Impressions have tweeted it
https://twitter.com/creatingdesire/status/427778002278027264/photo/1

More here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16482538@N05/with/12161688383/

[JoNi]

Thanks Winston

[Bob]

Wish theyd bring back the PMT brand name instead of 'Potteries'

[nitromatt1]

Wish theyd bring back the PMT brand name instead of 'Potteries'

The acronym PMT has other... connotations

[P419 EJW]

Mhmm... Premenstrual Tension. I would be laughing if I ever see a bus having "PMT" on it. Ohlawd. 😂

[4006]

Yet another firm showing NX how to do a livery  :P
I can see Green Bus Company buying them in a few years time, just a few splodges and an operators logo to replace & jobs a good un'!

[the trainbasher]

Yet another firm showing NX how to do a livery  :P
I can see Green Bus Company buying them in a few years time, just a few splodges and an operators logo to replace & jobs a good un'!

Green bus buying First?

[nx4737]

I notice a lack of First group logos of any kind... I assume judging by Firsts efforts in other regions that they've had to re brand Somerset because they've made that much of a mess of it under First Group branding?

[Trident 4609]

Tbh to me personally something doesn't seem right about that new brand. But that's just my opinion.

[Roy]

I must admit that this confuses me.  First repainted their fleet into a standard livery (Barbie) to enable transfers to take place between constituent operators without major costs.  Even the new "local" livery allows buses to be transferred by simply replacing the local name.  First Somerset and Avon regularly transfer buses to and from other First operators - many buses for instance have been received from Manchester, Bristol, Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall.  Are they saying that Somerset becomes a self-contained unit, or are the buses being repainted in readiness for a future sale?  Let's face it, the buses look like Go Ahead buses in the new livery.

Hopefully, the splitting of the Taunton/Bridgwater operations will encourage First to get rid of the awful "West Of England" local identity applied to Bristol's buses.  "West Of England" is certainly not local as it refers to any place from Gloucester to Penzance.  Hopefully, that local identity will now change to "Bristol".  Better still, why don't they follow the rebranding of Somerset's buses by also rebranding Bristol's buses - Bristol Omnibus Company seems a decent name!
 

[winston]

I must admit that this confuses me.  First repainted their fleet into a standard livery (Barbie) to enable transfers to take place between constituent operators without major costs.  Even the new "local" livery allows buses to be transferred by simply replacing the local name.  First Somerset and Avon regularly transfer buses to and from other First operators - many buses for instance have been received from Manchester, Bristol, Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall.  Are they saying that Somerset becomes a self-contained unit, or are the buses being repainted in readiness for a future sale?  Let's face it, the buses look like Go Ahead buses in the new livery.

Hopefully, the splitting of the Taunton/Bridgwater operations will encourage First to get rid of the awful "West Of England" local identity applied to Bristol's buses.  "West Of England" is certainly not local as it refers to any place from Gloucester to Penzance.  Hopefully, that local identity will now change to "Bristol".  Better still, why don't they follow the rebranding of Somerset's buses by also rebranding Bristol's buses - Bristol Omnibus Company seems a decent name!

As I understand it, these operations were on First's disposal list, but obviously got little or no interest. Additionally, I understand that Webberbus are wiping the floor with First in that area and operating a much more modern fleet with numerous brand new vehicles. Former Go-Ahead Group/Wilts & Dorset man Alex Carter has taken over as MD of First South West (Devon, Cornwall & Somerset) to revive First Groups fortunes in those areas and I understand has been given a free reign to grow the operations with a blank canvas, hence getting Best Impressions in to re-brand Taunton & Bridgewater

[4006]

Yet another firm showing NX how to do a livery  :P
I can see Green Bus Company buying them in a few years time, just a few splodges and an operators logo to replace & jobs a good un'!

Green bus buying First?

No buying their buses second hand when they are for sale  :)