You can buy TfL OUTbound #RidewithPride bus

Regular readers of our website will know that we’ve featured Transport for London’s (TfL) awesome #RidewithPride campaign lots of times since it launched in early 2015. The vibrant campaign was spearheaded by their employee LGBT+ network OUTbound and went on to win the ‘Engagement Initiative of the Year’ award at our inaugural Inclusive Networks Awards. Limited edition oyster card holders and posters were released as part of the campaign. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more awesome…iconic toy maker Corgi have only gone and produced a very special mini version of the #RidewithPride Routemaster bus.

The rainbow ‘Ride with Pride’ New Routemaster bus was created to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) diversity in London. It was the first bus of its kind and has gone on to inspire other cities around the world.

It went into service on 2nd March 2015 on route 8, and moved to route 15 in October 2015 operated by Stagecoach London. The bus has taken part in two Pride in London parades, and many other high profile events raising awareness of LGBT diversity.

During its time on the road it was complemented by two other vehicles – a Docklands Light Railway Train and a Black Cab, all using a similar design. Two limited edition Oyster wallets were produced featuring the rainbow bus, and it gained a huge following in Twitter as part of OUTbound’s #RidewithPride campaign.

“The rainbow ‘Ride with Pride’ New Routemaster bus was created to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) diversity in London. It was the first bus of its kind and has gone on to inspire other cities around the world.”

The original concept and idea was created by Inclusive Networks Awards finalist (Network Leader of the Year) Martyn Loukes BEM and the design was created in-house and sponsored by Stagecoach London.

The bus will shortly feature in a driving simulation computer game, where players can drive the bus along the Pride in London parade route.

The other cities to have launched rainbow buses since March 2015 are Toronto, Calgary and Brighton. There are also Ride with Pride taxis in Southampton, and there was a rainbow train in Copenhagen.

OUTbound is one of TfL’s diversity networks and was also responsible for changing 48-traffic lights around Trafalgar square to feature same-sex images and gender symbols in 2016. The network is also the fastest growing LGBT+ employee network group on Twitter in recent years.

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