Bus-Lightyear or Bus McBuserton? You decide.

Voting has opened to name Stagecoach West's new buses and Stagecoach are asking local residents to have their say.

In November, Gloucestershire residents were invited to submit suggestions to name each of the 14 new, state-of-the-art buses joining the Stagecoach West fleet. After an overwhelming response from the public, the local transport company has released a shortlist of 30 names, whittled down from hundreds of submissions, and is now inviting local residents to vote for their favourite on the Stagecoach West website.

The shortlist includes several local references, including Best Mate, after the three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winning racehorse, Glorious Glosters, after the Royal Army’s Gloucestershire Regiment, and Sir George Dowty, the Cheltenham-based aviation inventor.

The list also pays tribute to local personalities, such as Brian Dance, after the much-loved Stagecoach bus driver who passed away last year, and Riders of Rohan, inspired by a six-year-old local passenger who loves taking the bus.

Regional celebrities including BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter, Nicky Price, former principal of Cheltenham Ladies’ College and suffragette, Dorothea Beale, and Gloucester Rugby player, Tom Price, also appear in the shortlist.

As well as regional references, many of the suggested names pay homage to The National Environment Research Council’s £200 million research ship which was voted to be named ‘Boaty McBoatface’, with suggestions including Bus-Lightyear, Bus McBuserton and Gus the Bus.

Voting is open until Monday 27^th January and the 14 names which receive the most votes will appear on the new buses in the coming months. The state-of-the-art new vehicles, which serve the Cheltenham and Gloucester community, feature low emission Euro 6 engines, USB charging points, next stop announcements and a modern interior, for added passenger comfort.

Rupert Cox, Managing Director at Stagecoach West, comments: “We are overwhelmed with the response we have received to our Name That Bus initiative. The introduction of 14 brand new buses to our Gloucestershire fleet marks our commitment to providing local customers with the best travel experience possible, and it’s fantastic to have received such a positive response from passengers.

“We are excited to see which 14 names are voted as the favourites and look forward to spotting them on each of the buses around town.”

The full shortlist:

1.         Cotswold Crusader

2.         Dorothea Beale

3.         Edward Jenner

4.         Bus-Lightyear

5.         Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards

6.         Brian Dance

7.         Dan Harper

8.         Rover

9.         Glorious Glosters

10.        Meteor

11.        Bertie

12.        Nicky Price

13.        Busby

14.        Holst

15.        The Royal Spa

16.        Cotswold Splendour

17.        Theodora

18.        Riders of Rohan

19.        Alexander

20.        Javelin

21.        Bus McBuserton

22.        Benjie

23.        Bonnie Bus

24.        Dave

25.        Peter Reed

26.        Sir Frank Whittle 

27.        Sir George Herbert Dowty

28.        Gus the Bus

29.        Best Mate

30.        Alex Gregory

To vote for your favourite, please visit https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/west/name-that-bus