Customised buses are
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
es that have been modified for
decorativeDecoration may refer to:* Decorative arts, the craft of a house painter and decorator.* An object or act intended to increase beauty of a person, room, etc....
purposes. The customisation is unrelated to performing their job or work, usually as
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
buses. Customised buses are also sometimes not used for a job or work, and are decorated as personal projects for exhibition, although this is rare compared to other types of art vehicle such as
carsAn art car is a vehicle that has its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Art car artists usually drive and own their own work. They are sometimes referred to as "Cartists". Art car artists or owners often dress in a matching motif when displaying their cars...
,
bikesAn art bike is any bicycle modified for creative purposes while still being ridable. It is a type of kinetic sculpture. The degree of artistic creativity and originality or new functionality of art bikes varies greatly, depending on the artist or designer's intentions .-Examples:* The annual...
and customised trucks.
The customisation usually involves:
- Custom exterior and interior paint schemes
A livery is a uniform or other insignia or symbol worn in a non-military context on a person or object to denote a relationship with a person or corporate body, often by using elements of the heraldry relating to that person or body, or a personal emblem, and normally given by them. It derives...
, including phrases and proverbs and people, such as religious iconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism...
s.
- Extra decorative visual elements, such as extra lights and reflectors, flags, banners and bunting or religious symbols and artefacts.
- Modified body parts
Coachwork is the body of a motor vehicle which is built around a chassis, rather than being of monocoque construction. Another word is carrossery .-See also:*Body-on-frame*Bodyshop...
such more elaborate grilleA grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-In powered vehicles:In automotive engineering, a grille covers an opening in the...
s, wheelA wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines. Common examples are found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle overcomes friction by facilitating motion by...
arches, exhaust-Mathematics:*Proof by exhaustion, proof by examining all individual cases*Exhaustion by compact sets, in analysis, a sequence of compact sets that converges on a given set...
s
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
has a long tradition of highly customising buses (and
truckA truck or lorry is a motor vehicle - more specifically a commercial vehicle commonly used for transporting goods and materials. Some light trucks/lorries are similar in size to a passenger automobile...
s).
Customised buses are
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
es that have been modified for
decorativeDecoration may refer to:* Decorative arts, the craft of a house painter and decorator.* An object or act intended to increase beauty of a person, room, etc....
purposes. The customisation is unrelated to performing their job or work, usually as
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
buses. Customised buses are also sometimes not used for a job or work, and are decorated as personal projects for exhibition, although this is rare compared to other types of art vehicle such as
carsAn art car is a vehicle that has its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Art car artists usually drive and own their own work. They are sometimes referred to as "Cartists". Art car artists or owners often dress in a matching motif when displaying their cars...
,
bikesAn art bike is any bicycle modified for creative purposes while still being ridable. It is a type of kinetic sculpture. The degree of artistic creativity and originality or new functionality of art bikes varies greatly, depending on the artist or designer's intentions .-Examples:* The annual...
and customised trucks.
Customisation detail
The customisation usually involves:
- Custom exterior and interior paint schemes
A livery is a uniform or other insignia or symbol worn in a non-military context on a person or object to denote a relationship with a person or corporate body, often by using elements of the heraldry relating to that person or body, or a personal emblem, and normally given by them. It derives...
, including phrases and proverbs and people, such as religious iconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism...
s.
- Extra decorative visual elements, such as extra lights and reflectors, flags, banners and bunting or religious symbols and artefacts.
- Modified body parts
Coachwork is the body of a motor vehicle which is built around a chassis, rather than being of monocoque construction. Another word is carrossery .-See also:*Body-on-frame*Bodyshop...
such more elaborate grilleA grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-In powered vehicles:In automotive engineering, a grille covers an opening in the...
s, wheelA wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines. Common examples are found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle overcomes friction by facilitating motion by...
arches, exhaust-Mathematics:*Proof by exhaustion, proof by examining all individual cases*Exhaustion by compact sets, in analysis, a sequence of compact sets that converges on a given set...
s
Incidences of customisation
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
has a long tradition of highly customising buses (and
truckA truck or lorry is a motor vehicle - more specifically a commercial vehicle commonly used for transporting goods and materials. Some light trucks/lorries are similar in size to a passenger automobile...
s). The
Chiva BusesChiva Buses are old artisan modified buses used in rural Colombia and Ecuador for public transport and more recently used as party buses in both countries. These are varied but characterized for being painted colorfully with local arabesques and figures...
of
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
are hand-built on truck
chassisA chassis consists of a framework that supports an inanimate object, analogous to an animal's skeleton, for example in a motor vehicle or a firearm.- Examples of use :...
, used as both public transport and for private hire for parties, including as a novelty attraction in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. The jeep derived
JeepneyJeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are well known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating...
share taxiA share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between private transport and conventional bus transport, often with a fixed or semi-fixed route, but with the added convenience of stopping anywhere to pick up or drop off passengers and not having fixed time schedules...
s of the Philippines have grown in capacity to the size of
minibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. Minibuses have a seating capacity of between 8 and 30 seats. Larger minibuses may be called midibuses or light buses...
es and are still being built by small scale manufacturers, although are facing calls for their reduction in number and competition with regular public transport. The
ColectivoColectivo is the name given in Argentina to public transportation vehicles, especially those of Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires. They represent one of the best-known traditions of the city....
(urban bus) of Argentina, particularly
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital, and largest city, of Argentina, currently the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
were historically highly customised, dating back to the 1920s. The practice of customisation continued until the adoption of more modern public transport buses which saw the practice fade out. Historic customised Colectivos are now prized museum exhibits, or have been restored as private vehicles. The island of
MaltaMalta , officially the Republic of Malta , is a densely populated developed European country in the European Union. The Southern European island nation is an archipelago that includes the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, along with a number of smaller, uninhabited islands...
has had a long tradition of customising
their busesA Malta bus is both the bus used for public transport on the Mediterranean island of Malta, and also a major tourist attraction on the island, due to their unique appearance grounded in the bus ownership and operation model employed on Malta...
used for public transport, due to the variety of models imported, and the small nature of garage facilities. The customisation in Malta is understated compared to other countries. In the 2000s a drive was initiated to update the fleet with more modern buses, but historic examples remain, and the tradition of customisation has continued for the modern models.
Other types of customised buses
Advert buses,
party busA party bus is a large motor vehicle designed to carry 10 or more people. Party buses are usually driven by chauffeurs....
es,
sleeper busA sleeper bus is a type of coach, often used to transport bands and their technicians and road crew between cities and shows. In Europe, these vehicles are full sized coaches but are only designed internally to carry between 8 and 18 passengers...
es and
tour busA tour bus service is a bus service that takes visitors sightseeing, with routes around tourist attractions. Double-decker buses and/or open top buses are commonly used, for their good views....
es are all types of buses that may feature a degree of decorative customisation as part of their primary function, and not just for personalisation.
See also
- Jingle truck
right|thumb|500px|An Afghan jingle truckA jingle truck is a colorfully decorated truck, typically in central Asia.-Origin of term:The term comes from United States military slang, serving in Afghanistan...
US army slang for decorated trucks in Asia
- Dekotora
The , an abbreviation for "Decoration Truck", is a kind of loudly decorated truck most commonly found in Japan and the Philippines. Dekotora commonly have neon or ultraviolet lights, extravagant paints, and shiny stainless or golden exterior parts. These decorations can be found on both the cab and...
Japanese decorated trucks