Following the deregulation of bus services in the United Kingdom in 1986, it did not take long for many distinctive local liveries to disappear. Only a small number of operators remained under the control of local authorities and Transport for London, which decided on what services it needed for its network. Very quickly the big five bus companies – First, Stagecoach, Arriva, Go-Ahead and National Express – dominated seventy percent of the market and their identities and liveries began to appear throughout Scotland, Wales and England – some with fairly low-key route branding. In more recent years those big companies and other operators have introduced revised colour schemes and local identities, and even pre-regulation retro liveries. Richard Walter takes a trip up and down the UK to showcase a few of the ambitious and bold styles and campaigns that have been introduced to help entice more people to use their local public transport.

Edinburgh-born Richard Walter has been a contributor of bus-related photos and articles to a range of transport books and magazines over the last 40 years, as well as being involved with other publications and publicity for the industry. He is a freelance journalist for Coach and Bus Week.