First Essex Buses, part of First Group plc, is the largest bus operator in Essex, running around 320 buses from four depots, at Basildon, Hadleigh, Chelmsford and Colchester. The fleet includes a substantial number of Yutong battery electric buses at Basildon. The attractive green Essex Buses and red Shuttles liveries are currently being phased out in favour of the national Group standard ultraviolet livery, whilst buses used on services to Stansted Airport continue to wear a blue airlink scheme. For more details of the fleet, see the lists posted on our Fleet Lists page and for vehicles currently in service and tracking, see Bustimes.
The links and resources listed below provide some more detail and further material will be posted here as time permits.
On-line resources:
Outline history: View PDF
Books:
Now out of print, the following book can sometimes be found on eBay, Bus Mart or on sales stands at rallies and transport fairs.
First Essex Bus Guide – buses, garages, routes, fleet, Visions International, 2018 (primarily a photographic album)