Transport for London Shouldn't Debrand the Bakerloop BL1 Bus; It Should Be Used to Promote the Consultation

Drawings of the Bakerloop BL1 Bus - TfL Image

The purpose of this article is to further elaborate on my point made on social media that Transport for London (TfL) revealed in a Freedom of Information request that it has spent a total of £13,515.28 to brand one double-deck electric bus (BYD BD11) in the Superloop/Bakerloop BL1 livery for press publicity.

#TfL has launched a consultation on the ‘Bakerloop’ express bus, linking areas from Waterloo to Lewisham via Elephant & Castle. The new route, building on the #Superloop, aims to improve travel in south-east #London. Feedback is open until 14 March 2025. tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/bakerlo...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) January 31, 2025 at 4:20 PM

Certainly, branding one double-deck electric bus comes at a significant cost—nearly £14,000. This price covers not just the exterior branding but also the intricate interior design, which includes moquette fabric from the Bakerloo line London Underground trains, route diagrams displayed inside the bus, and additional features. Moreover, this cost also includes the removal of the BL1 branding, further adding to the overall expense.

Unfortunately, TfL has stated that the Bakerloop bus has been debranded. This is a missed opportunity to use the branded bus as a tool to promote their Superloop and Bakerloop consultations, which could have helped encourage more people to engage with and participate in the consultations.

Preferably, the bus should be on route 453, as part of the route follows the proposed BL1 route. The branded bus is owned by Go-Ahead London, which can operate alongside the three-door, two-staircase hybrid New Routemasters on route 453.

Of course, the livery would need a slight alteration to inform the public on how to take part in the consultation by including a URL and a QR code.

Looking at history, TfL's predecessor London Transport has been using all-over advertising liveries since the 1970s for companies to promote their products.

#London Transport (LT) Magazine (Vol. 26, No. 6 - September 1972) clipping:

"Buses? - they're a work of art"

The first of the all-over #advertising used on London's buses (notably the AEC Routemasters) to help increase income sources and to keep fares low. pic.twitter.com/VcHxctrkOH

— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) May 29, 2023

The benefits of using the branded BL1 bus in service include promoting the consultation to encourage the general public to take part. Additionally, some people, especially tourists and transport enthusiasts, would take photos of the branded bus and share them on social media, helping to further promote the consultation for the proposed bus service.

In addition, if a branded bus is used on another bus route (for example, an East London Transit-branded New Routemaster operates on route 5), it helps promote the bus service across different routes.

I hope TfL and other transport authorities take note of my suggestion, as there are positive ways to promote a bus service to encourage public transport use.

My response to the BL1 consultation

I took part in the BL1 consultation and shared my response on social media to encourage others to take part.

My response to the Bakerloop (Express Route BL1) consultation: • Cantium Retail Park lacks a stop; I suggest adding one. • Expand bus priority measures on the BL1 route. • Propose zero-emission bendy buses for BL1. • Review the 1970s Speedbus proposal for Superloop 2.

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM

I have also suggested to TfL that they consider proposing an express bus service for the proposed West London Orbital Overground railway service.

I've asked TfL if they plan to run an express bus route alongside the proposed West London Orbital, similar to the Bakerloop for the Bakerloo line extension. For context, the X15 (Aldwych-Beckton, 1989-1995) and X30 (West Croydon-New Addington, 1987-2000) were replaced by the DLR and Tramlink.

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 26, 2025 at 11:36 AM

Just to recap, the BL1 consultation ends on 14th March 2025, and you can take part on the TfL Have Your Say website.

I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support.

Further reading
Why is Creativity in Public Transport Important, Including Bus Route Planning and Branding?
Why I Believe Transport Enthusiasts Are The Biggest Promoters Of Public Transport?