How a COTA bus turned up for sale, and how much it costs

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 40-foot-long commuter bus that was once a member of the Central Ohio Transit Authority's bus fleet has been listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace with a price tag in the thousands.

The Facebook listing, offering the bus for $3,200, was posted by a profile named "Nick Car Sales" and includes the vehicle's parked location in north Columbus, an address that is registered on Yelp to a business called Fletcher's Trucker & Trailer. When NBC4 reached out, Nick Car Sales directed questions to the vehicle's owner who declined to comment.

A COTA spokesperson told NBC4 the bus was auctioned off in 2023, and noted that when COTA buses reach the end of a 12-year lifespan then the vehicles are sometimes decommissioned and sold at auction.

Photos from the listing show that COTA logos and branding were stripped from the bus' exterior. Still, the vehicle's paint job matches the white, red and blue stripes that most Franklin County residents have come to associate with COTA. Another photo from shows a sign behind the driver's seat, which also gives away its past as a public transit vehicle.

"It is unlawful for any person to knowingly strike, push, shove, assault, or unlawfully touch the driver or operator of a public transportation vehicle," the sign reads. "Whoever violates this section of the Columbus City Code shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Nick Car Sales wrote they don't know the running condition or mileage. The listing details the bus has no key, and is missing a couple batteries. The seller added they offered it at a low price so that it would sell fast, and asked potential buyers to bring cash in hand to view the vehicle.

The bus was acquired by an impound that the owner claimed title to, according to the listing. Columbus police had no information on the bus or where it had been impounded.