MetroBus announces ‘Search for a Star’ initiative to showcase new M1 service

Lower rear inside panel of a Bristol MetroBus vehicle.

MetroBus is calling for local community groups to literally go on the road with it as the face of the new M1 service when it launches in January.

The M1 is the third and longest MetroBus route, connecting south Bristol, the city centre, UWE, Bradley Stoke and Cribbs Causeway.

As previously reported by the Journal, the service will be operated by Bristol Community Transport under contract to First West of England.

To promote the local communities through which it will operate, MetroBus wants to feature community groups, schools and organisations on the rear inside panel of each of the 21 biogas vehicles serving the route. These can be anything from youth and sports groups to community and arts centres.

MetroBus is also seeking local talent that they can showcase when the service launches on Sunday 6th January. Throughout the day, the route will host local performers both on the bus and at route stops.

Jimmy Sommerville, operations manager at Bristol Community Transport, said:

“We really want to celebrate the communities that we serve by featuring some of their local heroes on our vehicles. Voluntary and community organisations often don’t get the recognition they deserve, this way we’ll be showcasing them to literally thousands of people every day as we follow the 17-mile route.”

“It could be anything from a school or college football team, a community choir, a WI group, luncheon club, scouting group or dance troop. If you and members from your local community get together, we want to celebrate what you do.”

“In addition, we want local performers to come forward to join us on launch day. If you are a singer, dancer, magician, balloon artist, face painter or even a performance poet we want to hear from you. Obviously we have space restrictions on the vehicle but bigger groups can perform at key bus stops at various points on the route to make it a really fun occasion for everyone.”

Travel on the M1 route will be free all day on Sunday 6th January.

Bristol Community Transport has invested in a fleet of new buses running on biogas generated from food waste, farm waste or sewage – creating up to 60 new driver and support positions at its Bedminster depot. This represents the first major investment in biogas buses in the area and puts the West of England at the forefront of low emission bus operations powered by alternative sources.

If you want to be in with a chance to be one of the faces of MetroBus, please submit a landscape photograph of your group or organisation (minimum of 5MB) and a maximum 200-word summary about why you should be chosen, to firstwestofengland@jbp.co.uk by midday on Monday 26th November. The murals are likely to be on the vehicles for around two years.

If you would like to be one of the launch day performers, please submit your audition (photo, short video or link to your performance) and a maximum 200-word summary saying why you should be chosen to firstwestofengland@jbp.co.uk by midday on Monday 26th November.

Photo: Rear inside panel in a Bristol MetroBus vehicle.

MetroBus M1 route map.

Image: MetroBus M1 route map (click to enlarge).

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