Our mission is to collect and preserve records, photographs, publications and publicity from the road passenger transport industries — bus, coach, trolleybus and tram — and make these freely available to the public for research & education.
The collections give a unique insight of operating companies, manufacturers, local authorities, significant individuals and regulatory bodies – hundreds of thousands of original documents, almost a million images and the largest collection of timetables and publicity in the UK. A supporting reference library gives context to the original records.
All are made available to researchers and enthusiasts to consult at our research centres.
The Archive exists to ensure the long-term preservation of documents, images and publications in its care. To that end, we follow professional good practice and standards in the treatment and storage of material, such as BS4971:2017 Conservation and care of archive and library collections.
This includes, for example, the use of acid-free or low-acid materials and the control and monitoring of temperature and humidity in our storerooms appropriate to the material being held. We give all volunteers and visitors appropriate training in the handling of items.
Our long-term aim is to gain Archive Service Accreditation under the National Archives scheme. We are a Private and Third Sector Archive Service Type 3, which is the largest in our sector.
The Charity is governed by seven trustees, each having an interest in the history of the road passenger transport industries:
The day-to-day running of the Charity, Archive and Library is the responsibility of
Chris Low (Buckinghamshire Archives) acts as our Independent Archives Advisor
© The Bus Archive, a charity registered in England and Wales (number 1177343), set up as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.