Bard’s Bus launched

Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel has re-launched its X20 bus service with a £600,000 investment in three Euro6 ADL Enviro400 MMCs. All of the vehicles are fitted with E-Leather seats and Wi-Fi USB ports. The route runs from Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham and was started by Johnsons a hundred years ago with a horse and cart transporting goods. In the 1920s, the company began moving fare paying passengers. Now, 10,000 commuter journeys are made on the route every month. The new buses have had a revamped Shakespeare themed livery to incorporate the operator’s links with Stratford-upon-Avon, with the route now known as X20: The Bard’s Bus.

Commercial Director for Johnsons, John Johnson, said, ‘By renaming the X20 route and incorporating the strapline “From the Bard’s Town to the Bull Ring” we are hoping to attract more out-of-town tourists travelling to Stratford from Birmingham. We also want to attract commuters and travellers from Stratford to use the service to Birmingham and to be proud of their home town – The Bard’s Town.’

Operations Director, Peter Johnson, said, ‘The background for financial support has changed massively for running a quality bus service. We are very pleased that through our funding partner Mistral Bus & Coach Ltd to have introduced these ADL Enviro400 buses into the fleet. This spells good news for our customers, who can now enjoy increased levels of comfort in state-of-the-art environmentally friendly buses, while from a business perspective, we can anticipate increased ridership and operational efficiencies.’