Buses – bringing communities together

The first motorised buses were little more than a development of the horse-drawn carriage, with four-legged horsepower exchanged for a five-horsepower engine. The very first example was the 1895 Benz Patent Motorwagen Omnibus whose two drivers sat unprotected in front of the vehicle's eight-seat passenger compartment.

Around the turn of the century trucks were being used as makeshift buses. By adding seats to flatbed trucks, operators could offer trips and excursions to fare paying passengers. Most importantly these seats could easily be removed to quickly return the vehicle to its original purpose.

By the early 20th century, purpose-built buses were being developed. The Nordmark Bus, for example, became Sweden's first bus in 1911. While it had to compete against the operators of horse-drawn vehicles (who also tried to sabotage the bus!) the die was cast and the development of dedicated passenger carrying vehicles quickly gathered pace.

While bus services are a part and parcel of modern day life, the first town to offer a scheduled bus service was Netphen, Germany. In 2025, the 130th anniversary of this ground breaking bus line was celebrated as a FIVA World Event.