Lost Revenue ?

Pre-light rail the transport operator was kept busy before the summer season with contracts for most of the serviceable Balloon cars (and the occasional rail coach). Amazingly garish and sometimes plain awful advertising designs would cloak available cars - nonetheless adding revenue to Rigby Road's income stream.

With remaining double deck trams consigned to sporadic outings and mostly

on the heritage tour operation - the potential value for sponsors has dropped to zero. Fortunately the slack, so to speak, has been taken up by Blackpool's sizeable

double deck bus fleet, and specifically buses operating on the promenade 1 Service taking in all of the seafront up to Cleveleys. Swings and Roundabouts its seems - with the tram's loss becoming the bus fleet gain. A sampling of this year's crop below. One of the Bombardier fleet has been allowed to carry wraparound

sponsorship - logically promoting Freeport Fleetwood with a quite decent design.

Photos : Tony Armitage