Over the course of June, the industry has shown its support for Pride Month across the country. We look at some of the ways the coach and bus sectors have been involved
Marking its 50th year in 2022, Pride Month, which runs from 1 to 30 June, is a time when members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies join forces to celebrate their identities, accomplishments, and reflect on the struggle for equality. June was chosen as it marks the police raid that prompted the Stonewall riots in the USA in 1969, which were pivotal in the establishment of LGBTQ+ rights, and which took place following a raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, a popular gathering place for young gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people.
Why is that important for a feature in Coach & Bus Week? What does it have to do with the coach or bus industry in the UK 50 years later? As we’ve often noted, and as anyone in the industry will tell you, it’s not about the shiny hardware. We can marvel at the latest Neoplan, swoon over a new hydrogen-fuelled bus of the future, or get excited about the development of apps and other technology solutions. But at its heart, the coach and bus industry is a people industry. It’s about getting people where they need to be, wherever and whenever, and it’s supported by a huge swathe of employees as diverse as the communities they serve, day in, day out, often with little recognition.
The move away from the traditional view of a bus driver has accelerated, with all walks of life now represented behind the wheel. The same is true in many other functions, with initiatives to bring in a more diverse workforce being recognised as a way of broadening the industry’s reach as well as growing the potential ‘talent pool’ for new recruits. Operators large and small across the country have marked the month in numerous ways, from joining in with local events to branding or liverying coaches and buses to promote the message of equality and diversity.
Operators have adopted different styles, but all based on the colours of the rainbow flag, a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, or the Progress Flag, a development of the rainbow flag which incorporates light blue, pink and white to represent the trans, non-binary and intersex communities, and black and brown to show support for marginalised LGBTQ+ communities of colour.
Ready to go
One company to add Pride colours to its livery was ReadyBus. Head of Safety, Standards and Compliance Danny Betts explained: “I’ve been in the coach and bus industry since I was 16 years old where I started as an apprentice engineer, and it came across as a very ‘manly’ environment. Eventually when my colleagues started to figure out that I was a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I was very surprised with the positive reactions I was receiving. Of course there was some banter and jokes, but it was all friendly and nothing offensive. I progressed up the management ladder moving more into the operations department, and changed companies. I now lead a company of 65 vehicles and roughly 80 staff members based over three different sites in the south east of England. When my Managing Director suggested doing something for Pride Month I jumped at the chance.
“I think its very important to get the message across to our clients and to the public that the transport sector is a place where everybody is welcome no matter of your sexuality or background. Progressing up to be a part of the senior management team has shown me that if you treat your staff with the respect they deserve, then you will receive the same respect in return. Whether you are gay, lesbian, trans or however you identify, this has no impact on managing a team.
“At The ReadyGroup, we have two members of the senior team including myself who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, along with one member of the sales team and a few coach drivers at ReadyBus, which goes to prove no matter what your sexuality is, you are no different to anyone else, and everybody is welcome in the transport industry.”
Among the larger operators to take part is National Express. A spokesperson for the operator explained: “National Express West Midlands has taken part in Birmingham Pride for many years now. Since 2019, when we painted a double decker in diagonal Pride stripes to go into various pride parades around the West Midlands – and Dundee (at the time, Xplore Dundee was part of the National Express group) – we have left this bus in its rainbow livery. Now it runs around Birmingham all year round as a symbol of National Express’ commitment to equality. We were proud to learn that a picture of our rainbow bus is used in a local secondary school as part of their talk to Year 10 students on diversity.
“Recently, we lent our Pride bus to Birmingham City University’s LGBTQ Society to take students to their prom in full rainbow style.”
North East Pride
Go North East is another of the big operators which supported local Pride events in 2022, starting with the Durham Pride event on Sunday 29 May where it led the parade through Durham city centre with an open-top bus. On Saturday 11 June, the company was at Sunderland Pride with its newly-painted Sunderland Pride bus, giving out free goodies. Finally, on Saturday 23 July, Newcastle played host to UK Pride, with Go North East again supporting the parade, and also teaming up with Pride Radio in the weeks running up to the event with a competition that gave listeners the chance to win six pairs of weekend VIP passes to the event.
Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Go North East, said: “We’re very proud and humbled to be given the chance to play a small part in each of the main North East Pride celebrations this year. We know that many colleagues and customers alike are looking forward to marking Pride events this year, given most have been postponed over the past couple of years due to Covid-19.
“At Go North East, we’re committed to championing diversity through our internal One Team GNE initiative. We recognise the importance of Pride celebrations, not just as a chance for people to come together and have fun, but also as a way to honour those who have worked tirelessly for rights that the LGBTQ+ community have today in the UK, and draw attention to the millions of LGBTQ+ people around the world are still deprived of the rights that they should have.
“I’m proud to be able to say we will continue this important work, through raising awareness across our colleagues and customers about these important matters, continuing to make our company a diverse and inclusive workplace and carrying on supporting the LGBTQ+ community across the North East and beyond.”
The operator introduced its first Pride bus back in 2015. The company’s One Team GNE initiative – launched in 2020 – involves colleague champions from across the company who have come together to look at ways that the company can be more inclusive, diverse, and better represent the communities it serves.
Also in the north, Transdev provided a bus in York as part of the North Yorkshire city’s celebrations. One of the company’s City Sightseeing fleet led the York Pride parade, the sixth time the operator has taken part in the growing event. Fellow York operator First also had a presence at York Pride, with staff walking alongside its ‘Ride with Pride’ bus in the parade and hosting games at the event ground.
Speaking about First’s support for Pride events across the country, Gareth Hind, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at First Bus said: “At First Bus, we are on a journey to a place where everyone is welcome, can be their true selves and can succeed. The LGBTQ+ community is a really important community in First Bus, and this June we are building a campaign to recognise the brilliant LGBTQ+ colleagues we have in the company and educate everyone in Pride awareness, using the Progress flag to steer this education.
“We now have an executive sponsor for Pride, our Chief Operating Officer Andrew Jarvis, and have begun building a network of colleagues with lived experience, to support our journey and bring to life a culture of understanding.”
Uno
Hertfordshire operator Uno is celebrating this year’s Pride Month with the launch of its own colourful Pride Bus, which features a fan of 11 colours superimposed on its usual pink and purple livery and is adorned with the strapline ‘Herts full of Pride’ – something that Uno’s owner the University of Hertfordshire’s EDI Office has also been promoting throughout the university during Pride Month.
The bus will be a permanent feature in the company’s Hertfordshire fleet and will see regular use on local routes. Uno Managing Director Jim Thorpe said, “We’re committed to supporting Pride in Hertfordshire, both within the university and wider community throughout the county. At Uno, we’re committed to equality and diversity and this smart new bus is a very visual way of showing off what we’re all about – we are the university bus for everyone.”
Cardiff Bus
Cardiff bus has also unveiled a ‘special-edition’ Pride bus as part of its recognition of Pride Month, decorated with the progress pride flag and pride-coloured hearts. The bus operator has been taking part in the Pride parade since 2017 as part of Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend, and to continue this tradition the new bus has taken to the road in memory of Jason Anthony, a former driver at Cardiff bus who passed away earlier this year and who proudly drove the bus at previous parades.
Cardiff Bus said the bus underlined its commitment to its equality, diversity, and inclusion policy and proudly stands for and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community in Cardiff and the Vale as well as within the company.
Dave Jurich, a driver at Cardiff Bus, said: “I can speak from personal experience and proudly say that Cardiff Bus has been most supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. The new bus which has been unveiled will allow us to celebrate Pride with our customers and show the local community that they are supported by us as a company.”
Managing Director Paul Dyer added: “We are so proud to be unveiling our Pride bus and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in South Wales as well as within Cardiff Bus, not just during Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend, but all year round with our new dedicated bus.
“We’re extremely proud of our diverse workforce who work to uphold our equality, diversity, and inclusion policy and support each other, as well as those within our wider community. We’ve taken part in Pride Cymru’s parade for many years now, and there is a huge sadness throughout the company that Jason will not be driving the bus as he has every other year, but we hope that our brightly coloured new bus that will be driven in his honour will bring some happiness to all who knew him.”
Other operators which have been out and about celebrating the diversity in their communities include Abellio London, whose Southall and Hayes depots took on the challenge with a number of initiatives. “We’re so proud of our Southall and Hayes Depots, who are helping us to celebrate Pride Month. From bus art installations to fitness workouts, we have a whole array of fun and fantastic activities to bring everyone together,” the company said in a social media post.
Stagecoach South joined in too. “At Stagecoach South, we’re proud to unite amongst the community to support and have a presence at Pride events across the South Coast,” a spokesperson for the firm said.
