Richard Walter

What makes the best setting for photographing buses and coaches? Finding appealing backgrounds or situations can make images more interesting and provides the opportunity in future years to take comparison ‘then and now’ shots.Richard Walter presents a diverse selection of buses, coaches and operators in a range of scenic locations both here in the UK and overseas, some familiar and some that might just be worth exploring yourself. Each image is accompanied by a short description of why the setting might make for more interesting viewing.

In recent years there has been universal agreement that traditional methods of fuelling buses and coaches need to be replaced with zero-emission alternatives. Zero-emission buses (ZEBs) are the latest development in bus technology and follow the introduction of low-emission buses and ultra-low emission buses. Bus companies have trialled and ordered considerable deliveries of electric, hydrogen and hybrid vehicles but the process hasn’t been without its problems, specifically around having the necessary infrastructure in place for charging batteries etc. Coach operators are starting to come on board too with longer distance journeys now possible.Richard Walter examines developments in both the UK and overseas with an array of interesting and mainly unpublished photos of many of the zero-emission vehicles now in service.

The story of bus and tram services in the Edinburgh area in the period following the deregulation of bus services has been rich and varied. Many transport providers, new and old, are featured here, some of which are long-term survivors, while some have disappeared or become part of other operators. The development of Edinburgh’s trams after years of delays and overspent budgets and how travel in the Edinburgh and Lothians continues to evolve are explored in detail.Through a fine selection of photographs, Richard Walter documents how areas have changed and how the city has experienced everything from bus wars to a better level of integrated transport.