Sydneysiders may notice some buses looking different in the lead-up to Christmas, with festive decorations appearing across parts of the city as part of an annual initiative.
Last week, 20 decorated buses were rolled out across Sydney under the Christmas bus program run by Transport for NSW.
The buses gained wider attention after a tourist, Stephany Caro, shared her experience on one of the services in a video posted to TikTok, which has since attracted more than one million views.
Stephany, who is visiting Australia from Venezuela, said the experience was an unexpected highlight of her trip.
“What makes it even funnier is that the night before, I was telling some friends how much I’d love to ride a Christmas bus, since I’d never experienced one before,” she told news.com.au.
“The next morning, while waiting for the 433 bus near White Bay, it happened unexpectedly.
“It was such a special moment – the bus instantly made everyone smile as soon as they stepped inside, including me. I really love this Australian tradition.”
While the decorations are designed to bring enjoyment to both drivers and passengers, the program also includes a competitive element.
The 20 buses were judged over the weekend by Transport for NSW Coordinator General Howard Collins and children from Wesley Mission.
Busways’ “Polar Express” bus was ultimately named the winner.
The winning bus was created by Jimmy Chen and Georgette Golding, along with the Penrith team, and was inspired by the film The Polar Express.
“We did the Polar Express, so we had that theme in mind. We tried to make it as enjoyable and as Christmassy as we could by putting blow-up trees and dolls and Santas,” Golding told news.com.au.
The project involved around six employees and required several late nights to complete, but Golding said the effort was worthwhile.
“We’re pleased, and we’re ready and keen to do it again next year,” she said.
“We’ve only entered it twice – one was a couple of years ago, but it didn’t win, and then we did it again with that little bit of extra effort, and we were lucky we won.”
Golding said the decorated bus has been well received by the local community, with some passengers actively tracking it through trip planner apps using the Santa or tree icon.
“We’ve had a lot of people – especially the elderly and the young children – who just love getting on the Christmas buses. The public love it, and they look forward to it,” she said.
The initiative also supports a charitable cause, raising funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Passengers on the winning bus can scan an on-board QR code to make a donation, with Busways matching each contribution dollar for dollar.
“The more we can raise, the better we can do it. We hope that people will donate when they get onto the bus,” she said.
Images: TikTok
