Tees valley mayor ben houchen and stagecoach north east have
today launched an exciting new competition for children to name
and decorate a new fleet of zero-emission electric buses.
Youngsters aged 11 and under to are being called on to submit
name suggestions for the fleet and showcase their artistic
talents by drawing their own zebra design for each bus.
The chosen 64 zebra drawings will be showcased on the new buses,
giving young artists the opportunity to see their work travelling
throughout the tees valley.
Winners will also receive a prize package including free bus
travel for a month, a goodie bag and framed picture of their
winning image.
The chosen names will also appear on the buses, allowing the
children to leave a lasting mark on this new fleet and be a part
of this significant investment towards sustainability.
The 64 new buses will arrive from february 2025 and see
stagecoach's stockton site become the largest fully electric
depot in the north east.
The introduction of the new fleet follows the awarding of uk
government funding to tees valley combined authority and bus
operators through the zero emission bus regional area (zebra)
scheme.
Tees valley mayor ben houchen. “we all know our children have the
best ideas when it comes to choosing names and producing
fantastic artwork so we want them to take charge on this great,
green zero-emission fleet of buses.
“we want our youngest residents to play a part in shaping our new
fleet. By giving each bus a unique name and decorating them with
students' artwork, we're bringing a sense of local pride and
creativity to our bus network.
“not only is this a fun and engaging way to spark creativity, but
it also fosters a connection to our local community. I encourage
parents, teachers, and schools across the region to get involved
and support their students in making their mark on the region's
transportation.”
Steve walker, md of stagecoach north east, said: “it's an
exciting time for the business, and the tees valley area, to
receive such a large-scale investment in the bus infrastructure.
“delivering a fully electric depot, with a fully electric fleet,
will not only benefit the bus users of stockton and the
surrounding area, but the wider community. Linking the investment
to the community was a must, and we all know that kids have the
best ideas, so using the creativity of the young people in the
area was a key place to start with our community engagement.”
The competition is open to tees valley residents aged 11 and
under. Entries must be submitted by sunday, 15th december 2024.
For postal entries, submissions should arrive at tees valley
combined authority (tvca) offices by friday, 13th december 2024.
Each entry should include the child's name, age, and a contact
email address (school email addresses are acceptable). Both a bus
name suggestion and zebra drawing are required for a valid entry.
All completed entries must to be sent fao the bus team, either
via email to Buses@teesvalley-ca.Gov.Uk,
or posted directly to tvca, teesside international airport,
teesside airport business suite, darlington, dl2 1nj.
To find out more and to see terms and conditions, Visit here.
