Preston's Filthy Buses

Wright StreetLite WF 20174 looking as if it's just been on an army assault course

Thursday 20th January was forecast to be a sunny day, so I thought that I'd pay a visit to Preston to photograph some of the recent Preston Bus repaints into their new blue livery. On arriving in Preston the weather was glorious, unfortunately the same couldn't be said of the Preston Bus fleet. What greeted me was buses running in service that looked as if they'd just been driven straight off an army assault course, covered in mud, not to mention several Wright StreetDecks having had their lower body panels swapped with similar vehicles, but displaying different fleet names! The single deck buses seemed to be in the worst condition, with many buses in breach of regulation 45 of the "The Public Service Vehicles Regulations 1981", i.e. not displaying legal lettering on the nearside of the vehicle. Some buses had had the legal lettering washed clean, but most had simply been covered over with mud again. Many buses were also noted with large diesel stains down the side of their bodies around the area of the filler cap. All in all a pretty disgraceful state of affairs, especially as the other bus companies operating into Preston Bus Station were mostly using relatively clean and smart vehicles, which made Preston's bus fleet look even worse. The state of the buses is a bit of a mystery, unless they are being stored in a muddy yard or field overnight.

Optare Solo SR 20706 running around the bus station on Carlisle Street

Optare Solo SR 20883 approaching the bus station on Lords Walk, with the legal lettering totally obscured

Wright StreetLite DF 20158 looking pretty filthy on Carlisle Street

Diamond Bus StreetDeck 40735 with mismatching Preston Bus lower body panels fitted

Wright Eclipse 30862 with unsightly diesel stains as well as mud on the body

Optare Solo SR 20402 with the legal lettering washed clean of mud

Diamond Bus Wright StreetDeck 40725 that seems to think it's a Preston Bus as well