Coach companies using the same livery

[MK Tom]

I was a little confused the other day to see a coach wearing what I thought was Souls of Olney livery (musky yellow with red stripes) but instead of Souls it said 'Cunninghams' on the logo (in the same font and with the same wheels underneath as the Souls logo). Lately I've also seen Jeffs coaches wearing a variety of other company's liveries as well as what I thought was theirs (white with a green and a red stripe). Lastly, during a recent WCML blockade I noticed coaches from three different companies all wearing the same white and purple livery with names written in the same font.

Is there no such thing as a livery specific to one company in the coach hire world? Is there not a legal issue with two or more companies using the same livery?

 

[Mike395]

In the first case, they are now the same company - Cunningham merged with Souls a few years back. I would guess this might be the case with the other case as well?

 

[A0]

In the first case, they are now the same company - Cunningham merged with Souls a few years back. I would guess this might be the case with the other case as well?

Correct. Jeffs is part of the Bowens group, so is Yorks of Cogenhoe.

 

[Smethwickian]

Is there not a legal issue with two or more companies using the same livery?

I would have thought that depends if there is any intention to confuse, mislead or 'pass off' one company as another; or if one company has registered its livery, namestyle and/or logo(s) as a trademark.

 

[185]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/7338484602_fb8f05a6b6_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7243595786_f35573c87e_z.jpg
http://www.buryfocus.co.uk/uploads/f8/news/img/2010119_124030.jpg

See some shenanigans here

 

[Smethwickian]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/7338484602_fb8f05a6b6_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7243595786_f35573c87e_z.jpg
http://www.buryfocus.co.uk/uploads/f8/news/img/2010119_124030.jpg

See some shenanigans here

Not sure what you mean, unless my sarcasm-ometer is on the blink. According to this http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=6201&categoryid=0 Selwyns acquired Hardings in 2006 and Haytons in 2011, so the fact they are now similar in livery is not entirely unexpected, surely?

 

[185]

My point was they all have they noticably have the same livery - after purchase, Selly chose to keep their specific (and well established) brand names albeit in the STG house colours, unusual as previously his purchased companies were all renamed.

 

[Deerfold]

My point was they all have they noticably have the same livery - after purchase, Selly chose to keep their specific (and well established) brand names albeit in the STG house colours, unusual as previously his purchased companies were all renamed.

Though it's not that unusual for brands to be retained at least until the company has a chance to migrate any brand loyalty onto their main brand.

 

[90019]

 

[martinsh]

A large number of coach comapnies seem to prefer an anonymous allover white livery ...

 

[Deerfold]

A large number of coach comapnies seem to prefer an anonymous allover white livery ...

It's certainly easier to replace a panel after a bump without it looking rubbish or taking ages.

 

[jopsuk]

90019, that's simply Parks of hamilton having some of the fleet they use for the Citylink contract in a hybrid of the Citylink and their own livery.

 

[bluegoblin7]

90019, that's simply Parks of hamilton having some of the fleet they use for the Citylink contract in a hybrid of the Citylink and their own livery.

...and it's cheaper to vinyl parts of a bus than to repaint the entire thing.

 

[jopsuk]

Aye, but it is also quite clearly on the same (Citylink) service as the citylink-logoed coach in the first of the two pictures (which is almost certainly owned by Parks?)

 

[Deerfold]

Aye, but it is also quite clearly on the same (Citylink) service as the citylink-logoed coach in the first of the two pictures (which is almost certainly owned by Parks?)

Is it?

The service is run by Scotish Citylink, Parks and Megabus as a unified service accepting the same tickets.

 

[Eagle]

The service is run by Scotish Citylink, Parks and Megabus as a unified service accepting the same tickets.

All of which of course being Stagecoach companies.

 

[starrymarkb]

All of which of course being Stagecoach companies.

Parks are not as far as I know

 

[Nonsense]

The multitude of National Bus companies all had the same livery

Not quite the same livery, but all the Yorkshire Traction companies and subsidiaries had the variants on the same livery theme.

And I was always puzzled by the Finglands buses in Manchester carrying a variant of the stagecoach colours.

 

[SuffolkRaider]

Actually there was a spirited discussion similar to this on ATVBF but it got heated as a similarity between London Midland Trains and Norfolk Green was perceived as the latter preparing for a takeover all I saw was a CAD type generic livery using the vehicle lines and yes as a takeover occurs all new acquirements eventually assume the identity in my observations.

 

[Deerfold]

Parks are not as far as I know

They're not and Scottish Citylink and Megabus are managed separately.

 

[MK Tom]

When I visited the Birmingham area back in 2007 there were a shed-ton of buses wearing what looked to me like MK Metro livery - can anyone shed light on that? I've never seen them again on more recent visits.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

One company in the west midlands have a Dart in former AMPM Travel livery (and seems to have accidentally made the displays advertise £250 day returns)

 

[causton]

In Hertfordshire it's common as you have a few ex-London buses.

In fact, the other day I went to photograph one that runs from Harlow* to Stratford that still has the TfL logo on the front! Must confuse some people at Stratford seeing what looks like a London bus in Metroline livery but isn't

Photo? Sure! http://www.flickr.com/photos/0causton0/8054961941/



*edit: for the avoidance of doubt Harlow is *not* in Hertfordshire...

 

[MK Tom]

In Hertfordshire it's common as you have a few ex-London buses.

In fact, the other day I went to photograph one that runs from Harlow* to Stratford that still has the TfL logo on the front! Must confuse some people at Stratford seeing what looks like a London bus in Metroline livery but isn't

Photo? Sure! http://www.flickr.com/photos/0causton0/8054961941/



*edit: for the avoidance of doubt Harlow is *not* in Hertfordshire...

That's really bad. I mean independents running buses in ex-London liveries is as common as drawing pins but that is exceptional, especially on a route running into London. Then again this is why we put numbers and destinations on the fronts of buses. On an off-topic note, wouldn't an independent livery this far into the capital be a problem? Aren't all services within GL supposed to wear TfL red?

Harlow, another misunderstood and underrated new town. Add it to the list between Telford and Stevenage.

Anyone have any idea about my West Midlands operator using MK Metro livery a few years back?

 

[Tomonthetrain]

In Hertfordshire it's common as you have a few ex-London buses.

In fact, the other day I went to photograph one that runs from Harlow* to Stratford that still has the TfL logo on the front! Must confuse some people at Stratford seeing what looks like a London bus in Metroline livery but isn't

Photo? Sure! http://www.flickr.com/photos/0causton0/8054961941/



*edit: for the avoidance of doubt Harlow is *not* in Hertfordshire...

That's really bad. I mean independents running buses in ex-London liveries is as common as drawing pins but that is exceptional, especially on a route running into London. Then again this is why we put numbers and destinations on the fronts of buses. On an off-topic note, wouldn't an independent livery this far into the capital be a problem? Aren't all services within GL supposed to wear TfL red?

Harlow, another misunderstood and underrated new town. Add it to the list between Telford and Stevenage.

Anyone have any idea about my West Midlands operator using MK Metro livery a few years back?

Choice Travel or A2Z?

 

[causton]

On an off-topic note, wouldn't an independent livery this far into the capital be a problem? Aren't all services within GL supposed to wear TfL red?

Only TfL contracted routes (i.e. most of them, all the ones that accept Oyster cards and Travelcards and have iBus etc) have to be all-red. I believe it is now 100% red, and the percentage has increased every year, hence First used to have white and yellow on their buses and as my example showed, Metroline used to have blue and white skirts!

Other commercial operators can choose to run services in London if they feel it is worthwhile. For example, Uno run the route 614 from Hatfield to Queensbury via Edgware and Barnet (and some expresses which skip Barnet) and the 615 to Stanmore via Borehamwood - this helps TfL as it entices people from outside of Greater London to visit London and presumably connect to TfL transport at little cost, the bus companies can make some money from it if they find their market (i.e. the Herts Uni students in our case) and customers can benefit from cheaper fares to get into London They can use whatever buses, screens (e.g. LED blinds instead of rollers), liveries, ticket machines, etc they like

 

[Deerfold]

Anyone have any idea about my West Midlands operator using MK Metro livery a few years back?

Might they have been running for Arriva who took them over?

 

[MK Tom]

Might they have been running for Arriva who took them over?

I don't think so - my initial thought was another company owned by the same company that owned MKM before Arriva. But now I think it was just another independent using the same colours.

It's not the only place I've seen extremely similar liveries to that actually!

 

[BrummyBoy]

When I visited the Birmingham area back in 2007 there were a shed-ton of buses wearing what looked to me like MK Metro livery - can anyone shed light on that? I've never seen them again on more recent visits.

Choice Travel, they purchased several ex Metroline darts in 2007, these did eventually see a repaint. Since then, Choice Travel was rebranded as Midland (with the ex Metroline buses repainted two tone red) and then was recently purchased by Arriva.

 

[34D]

For example, Uno run the route 614 from Hatfield to Queensbury via Edgware and Barnet (and some expresses which skip Barnet) and the 615 to Stanmore via Borehamwood - this helps TfL as it entices people from outside of Greater London to visit London and presumably connect to TfL transport at little cost, the bus companies can make some money from it if they find their market (i.e. the Herts Uni students in our case) and customers can benefit from cheaper fares to get into London They can use whatever buses, screens (e.g. LED blinds instead of rollers), liveries, ticket machines, etc they like

Do uno (or did they ever) accept travelcards on these services? Something tells me that they did (approx 5 years ago, when I lived there) but I don't recall 100% either way. I guess they don't now?