Sydney’s Best Christmas Bus Crowned

On Wednesday this week, the winner of the best decorated Christmas bus in Sydney was chosen at the annual Transport for NSW Christmas competition in at the Busways Depot Penrith.

This year, 38 buses across the network were decked out in tinsel, Christmas lights, and ornaments, and operators across Sydney were invited to send in their best bus to be crowned the best Christmas bus of 2024.

Busways Penrith’s entry was completely covered in red and white striped wrapping paper, while another had installed a bubble machine by the Opal card reader.

The buses were judged by Westmead Children’s Hospital patient, 11 year old Mateo, who led Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Marjorie O’Neill, Karen McKeown MP, and TfNSW Coordinator General Howard Collins through the depot before making his decision.

“It’s been so exciting to see decorated buses driving around Sydney. Thank you to everybody for making their buses look dressed up,” said Mateo.

It was a tough competition, but the John Holland’s 373 to Coogee was declared the winner, with its LED light display turning the entire bus into a moving Christmas tree.

A tradition almost 20 years old

The competition is run every year, with Transport NSW starting the festive tradition back in 2005.

Depot workers decorate the buses in the lead up to December, along with a helping hand from local primary school kids.

“We all know the lead-up to Christmas can be such a busy time and we appreciate each and every bus driver and depot team member for going that extra mile to put a smile on every passenger’s face this season,” said O’Neill.

The decorations will be taken down in January, so there’s still time to have your own Christmas bus experience. You can find the schedules of the decorated buses here, or the through the Tripview app, where the buses are marked with a Christmas tree emoji.