Cash-strapped public transport company Translink spent around £15,000 on its new logo design, it can be revealed.
The rebrand, which comprises of the letter 'T' inside a hexagon, has been rolled out online in recent weeks.
Public spending campaigners criticised the "costly redesign" at a time when Translink is facing serious funding pressures and cuts to services.
But Translink said the new design helps to "modernise and simplify the brand presence".
The publicly owned company said its former logo had been in use for 25 years with only minor changes made during that time.
Translink confirmed the cost of the rebrand in response to a Freedom of Information request from Belfast Live.
It worked with Belfast-based McCadden Design to develop new logo, which comes in alternative colours to represent different services such as Ulsterbus, Metro and NI Railways.
The cost included a "comprehensive audit of the current brand architecture", customer research and an examination of how the new logo could be applied in different areas.
A Translink spokeswoman said: "The use of the hexagon and 'T' symbolises both the location and transport/Translink compared with previous treatments of the logo over the past 25 years."
The rebrand comes just weeks after it emerged Translink is facing a £77million loss as it deals with the impact of the covid pandemic and long-term funding issues.
The company faces a "significant risk" to its financial sustainability and long-term public transport planning will need private sector input, the Department for Infrastructure said in its annual accounts.
Last week Translink blamed a cancellation of some bus services on driver shortages due to "market changes" amid the pandemic, with the 218 Goldline route between Coleraine and Belfast the most affected.
There have also been calls for the reintroduction of an hourly cross-border bus service between Newry and Dublin rather than every two hours.
The hourly coach timetable had been operated jointly with Bus Éireann before the pandemic but the company permanently withdrew following a reduction in passenger numbers.
Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers have been let down by this costly redesign.
"Given the operator is already facing funding problems, Translink's priority should be ensuring functional transport services.
"Translink bosses must ensure that every pound of taxpayers' money is spent wisely."
A Translink spokeswoman said: "The logo, first developed 25 years ago, is changing as part of the ongoing development of the Translink brand.
"The aim is to modernise and simplify the brand presence of public transport as one integrated company leading the transport transformation and creating one sustainable, integrated transport service for a cleaner, greener and healthier Northern Ireland."
She added: "We are currently planning a phased update to the presentation of the Translink brand capitalising on the planned and ongoing fleet and service enhancements and incorporating in day-to-day replacement of items.
"We will not be adopting a proactive programme of changing assets and with more emphasis on digitalisation design and modern brand treatments we will drive the change without incurring any additional costs."
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