Bubbling over - Reading Buses' Claret Spritzer

Reading Buses have whole-vehicle route branding for many of their routes, including route names as well as numbers.  Jet Black, Lime 2, Leopard 3, Lion 4, Emerald 5/6, Scarlet 9 and so on, creating a colourful kaleidoscope/menagerie on the streets of the Berkshire town.  Route 21 is named Claret, with buses in an appropriate deep red.  The 21 passes through the University of Reading on its way to the Lower Earley suburb.  However, the University portion of the route generates more demand, which Reading Buses have the route 21a, and has been branded Claret Spritzer.  The brand and livery, as well as associated publicity, is the work of Best Impressions.  No self respecting public transport operator dare put a swirl or a swoosh on their vehicle without getting Best Impressions to make the most of it!  The Claret Spritzer has taken some mid-life 12m long Scania double deckers (at 12m, about 1-1.5m longer than most double deck buses) and developed a concept to appeal to student travellers......

Claret Spritzer 21a certainly is mixing up travel.

From the outside, an ordinary Scania bus, albeit with a bright livery, typical of the style used by Reading Buses.

Upstairs is where the Claret Spritzer comes in to its own.  At front is the 'work zone.'   Behind the work zone is the 'play zone', four tables with a bay of four seats around each. To the rear is the 'lounge zone'.  More on these follows.....

The Work Zone features 2+1 seating in a comfortable leather(esque, I suspect) moquette.  Yes that is a book shelf, with a borrow/replace honesty system.

Little distractions in the Play Zone.  Lego on this table....

....Connect 4 on this table.....

....and pure genius building Angry Birds game in to this table!

To the rear is the Relax Zone.  A 'U' shaped sofa wraps around the rear of the vehicle.  There are two USB charging stations (in opposite corner, each with two USB points) and two wireless charging points.  This isn't particularly innovative for Reading Buses though as USB charging facilities are standard on their vehicles.    Oh, I didn't get a picture of the jukebox just off the bottom left corner, but passengers can Bluetooth their phone to the bus.....

For anyone for whom the Spritzer is all a little bit too much, there are plenty of conventional bus seats downstairs.  Wood laminate flooring is becoming the new standard, whilst birds flying across the rear of the bus is rather more unique!

Whether the Claret Spritzer is a gimmick, whether the features are going to be used, whether the game of Connect 4 will loose all its pieces, who knows, but it's sure one smart vehicle to get people talking, and create a sense of 'engagement' with the customers.  It's not a bus for everyone, many bus users would shun such a vehicle, or dismiss the 'waste of space' upstairs but some features, USB charging, Wi-fi, even the presence of litter bins in the vehicle, are genuinely useful.  Bay seats of 4 always go first on trains, anecdotally they are popular on buses too.  And as a 12 metre vehicle, compared to most double deckers that are shorter, there's not that much space wasted.....