��������pk10

Titan will take a 50.1% stake in the venture, which will be run by Ad Bus managing director and founder Andrew Walker and will employ 36 of Ad Bus’ 70 staff.

The joint venture will have a UK and a European arm. The UK arm, Titan Bus UK, will operate the contracts with 250 bus companies Ad Bus currently holds in the UK, while Titan Bus will run the group’s existing interests in Spain and Portugal.

Viacom, the UK’s largest bus advertising contractor, currently handles national sales for Ad Bus, but these will transfer to Titan after a notice period expires.

William Apfelbaum, Titan Outdoor Worldwide chairman, told Media Week he had signed a seven-figure deal for the joint venture.

“It fits very nicely – we have a large transport advertising business with the majority of rail signage throughout the UK and it [this deal] gives us great coverage outside London,” Apfelbaum said. “It is the beginning of a hopeful expansion into bus advertising, which I’ve been in for my entire career.”