Ipswich Buses, which will celebrate 120 years of service later this year, is marking the occasion by repainting a double decker in a special heritage livery. The borough-owned company began operations in 1903, first running a fleet of electric tramcars, then electric trolleybuses and finally diesel motorbuses from the 1950s. Services are now run from the company’s purpose-built bus station at Tower Ramparts, but its headquarters remain at Constantine Road in the original tram depot.
Commercial Manager Justin Wythe explained “Ipswich Buses is one of very few surviving council-owned bus companies left in the UK, and it has a long history of serving the town which is something to be proud of. Working closely with the Ipswich Transport Museum, to mark the special occasion we decided to repaint one of our modern Scania double-deckers to represent a 1930s Ransomes trolleybus in green and cream with polished aluminium panels.
“Ipswich Buses has traditionally named buses in the past, so on the suggestion of a senior staff member, we have named bus 29 ‘Elizabeth’ in honour of our late Queen.”
The company plans to use the bus on a mixture of routes, so that it can be seen throughout the town. A special public event will be held later in the year at the Ipswich Transport Museum to officially celebrate the company’s anniversary on 23 July.
