Garage open days appeal to enthusiasts and help operators engage with the wider public, but also involve a great deal of careful planning and organisation. PETER BROWN has met up with the team at Metroline who deliver two a year in London…and learns why these are best held on a Saturday
Open days at bus garages are and have been for many years a regular feature in the calendar of operators. Apart from being a magnet for enthusiasts, and an opportunity for families to see behind the scenes, they are looked upon within the industry in different ways, but generally seen as being a good way to boost the profile of public transport and promote themselves with offers such as discounted ticket schemes.
Doing that in small towns, or even in the Thames Valley where Reading Buses runs a successful family open day each year, is one thing, but what about in the London area? There is many a depot manager who would give a fearsome look of horror at the mere suggestion of having to continue operating normally while having hundreds or even thousands of people wandering around, gawping, while staff and management have to continue normal operations, even though it is a weekend. In 2014 operators working under the Tran…
