Bus firm Rosso's poppy tribute to the fallen

Royal British Legion Standard Bearer Richard Fletcher with one of the buses displaying its own poppy as local bus firm Rosso remembers the fallen

As the nation remembers those whose bravery preserved our freedom, bus operator Rosso is displaying its own moving tribute to the fallen.

The company is adorning many of its buses on routes in Lancashire and Greater Manchester with commemorative poppies to encourage its thousands of customers travelling each day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The poppies will also be prominently displayed on the front of buses on parent company Transdev’s network of routes covering hundreds of miles across the North, from Preston and Manchester in the west to the Yorkshire Coast in the east. The bus operator is also making a substantial donation to support this year’s Poppy Appeal.

Rosso’s CEO Alex Hornby said: “This year’s Remembrance has additional significance, marking 75 years since the end of World War Two. With the pandemic continuing, this is a year like no other for us all, so we believe it’s right to continue our support for the excellent work done by the Royal British Legion.

“We hope that by prominently showing our support for the Poppy Appeal on our buses, many of our customers will join us in contributing to this excellent cause.

“All our teams at Rosso and right across the North are fully behind this – we want to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom, and to support those living with the impact of conflict today.”

Royal British Legion Area Manager Debbie Harding said: “We are very grateful for this support – the COVID-19 pandemic has had an overwhelming impact on people’s livelihoods and way of life, leaving some in our Armed Forces community in dire need of urgent help and support.

“The Legion’s work is more vital than ever as we support our community through additional hardships, from those struggling with social isolation, financial difficulties and unemployment to those who have lost loved ones or are facing the threat of homelessness. Every poppy counts.”

Rosso now hopes that as a highly visible symbol of remembrance, its bus poppies will help to encourage its customers to buy and wear their own poppies with pride.

Buses run by each of Transdev’s nine local bus operators across the North, including Rosso, will now display poppies ahead of Remembrance Day this Sunday, when despite the pandemic restrictions, the region and the nation will pause to remember the fallen.