Buses and coaches have been serving our communities for hundreds of years. Buses provide a reliable, cost effective service for thousands of people everyday many of whom couldn't travel otherwise.

The term coach was originally used to describe horse drawn carriages known as stagecoaches which wealthy families used to travel. In modern terminology a coach is similar to a bus but with more facilities and extra comfort.

To help you learn more about one of the most popular forms of transport used today we have provided an insight into bus and coach history.

Early Days

The name bus is derived from the Latin word omnibus which means "for everyone". This describes buses well as they are designed to accommodate large amounts of people and they are also designed to be accessible and affordable for all people to use.

The exact origin of the first bus system is hard to prove as there have been many different public transport systems implemented which could be defined as buses. Some dispute that French citizens created the bus system when an entrepreneur created a free coach service to encourage people to use his bath house.

According to the story passengers used the service to get to different points on the route. Noticing there was a demand for a local communal transport system the entrepreneur re launched his service to focus on the town as well as his own enterprise. The coaches became refurbished to accommodate more customers and hence the blueprint for the modern bus service was forged.

Similar versions of this story were reported simultaneously in different parts of France and England including Paris, London and Manchester. It is hard to trace where the first bus came from as all of these areas had considerable populations that needed transportation.

London Transport Museum

If you are visiting London and are interested in buses or automotive industries the London Transport Museum is a great way to spend some time.

In its relatively short history the museum has moved site several times. Founded during the 1920s the London Transport Museum's collection started with a meagre selection of vehicles. Two antiquated horse drawn buses from the Victorian era and a motor bus where due to be disposed of when the London General Omnibus Company (later to become London General) stepped in and decided to keep them as items of historical interest.

Almost forty years later and these relics remained stored away, waiting to be appreciated. In the 1960s they were finally put on display under the title of The Museum of British Transport in a converted bus garage in the South of London. They remained there up until the 1970s and were given a new lease of life as The London Transport Collection in West London. At the start of the 1980s the museum moved again to Covent Garden where it remains.

In 2002 with London Transport changing its name to Transport for London the museum became known as London's Transport Museum. The museum is a registered, non profit organisation maintained by transport for London. As well as showcasing vehicles the museum displays authentic uniforms, memorabilia, maps, construction notes and blueprints and other related paraphernalia. An excellent opportunity to reminisce over a bygone age or learn more about a somewhat overlooked era of our social and industrial history, the London Transport Museum is a great day out for anyone where you are almost certain to learn something new.