Devon General’s centenary bus is unveiled

In celebration of 100 years, since the Devon General Omnibus & Touring Company Ltd started operations in Exeter, Stagecoach South West has designed a special commemorative livery for one of their buses. 

The unique bus livery, which depicts 100 year history of the Devon General, was unveiled this morning at a special launch event at Oldway Mansion, Torquay, with representatives from the Devon General Society, Stagecoach South West and Torbay Council in attendance.

Paul Jenkins of the Devon General Society, said: ‘’The commemorative bus tells the exciting story of 100 years of bus travel in the region, from Devon General to Stagecoach. 

‘’When the much loved red and cream Devon General buses first took to the road in 1919, in the days before mass car ownership, many locals and holiday-makers had the opportunity to explore the South Devon area like never before. 

“Stagecoach South West has done an incredible job with the bus livery, bringing Devon General’s rich 100 year history to life, with an innovative design, and kicking off our programme of activities to celebrate 100 years of Devon General.”

The commemorative bus will be in service across Devon, throughout 2019, and will make a special appearance at the Devon County Show, between Thursday 16th May and Saturday 18th May.

Bob Dennison, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating Devon General’s significant legacy, throughout the centenary year. 

“By creating the special bus livery, we hope to share Devon General’s story with the local community, as the bus takes to the roads.

“The commemorative design showcases how bus travel has really evolved over the years, to the point where Stagecoach South West now has an incredible 384 vehicles in service, across 82 routes, covering over 18.5 million miles and enabling over 30 million passenger journeys each year.”

The Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company started bus operations in South and East Devon in 1919 and, to celebrate 100 years of bus travel, the Devon General Society will be hosting activities throughout the year.