Tampere unveils name for new frequent electric bus service: plusbus

'The City of Tampere has chosen \'plusbus\' as the official name for its new frequent electric bus service, due to begin operating in 2028. The choice followed a public naming campaign that generated about 5,500 suggestions.

Developed under the working title \'superbus\', the service borrows tram-style features. Electric vehicles will run at high frequency, allow boarding through any door, and provide a smoother end-to-end travel experience.

A selection panel with representatives from Nysse and marketing agency i2 prioritized a name that communicates the service’s purpose without extra explanation. \'plusbus\', which appeared in several entries, was chosen for being clear, playful and easy to translate across languages.

Many submissions used the regional brand Nysse, but those were set aside because Nysse already denotes the wider regional transport system covering buses, trams and regional trains. Organisers thanked participants for the strong response and suggested commuters may soon be calling out "Here comes the plus" at stops.

According to Aamulehti, Nysse is also marking its 20th anniversary with an outreach tour running from May to September across eight municipalities. Planned stops include the Lamminrahka street fiesta in Kangasala on May 16, the Ylöjärvi market at Elo on May 23, Hämeenpuisto park in Tampere on Aug 2, and a hobby fair at the AGCO Power Arena in Nokia on Aug 15.

Aamulehti adds that Nysse’s operations began on 1 April 2006, and that the system now handles more than 55 million trips per year—double the volume from two decades ago. Head of public transport Mika Periviita says that doubling passenger numbers again over the next 20 years is a realistic target.