Nottingham City Transport
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Nottingham City Transport is Nottingham, East Midlands in England's major bus operator, running a comprehensive nework of services in the Nottingham City area and a handful of services beyond the boundaries of the conurbanation to Southwell, Newark, Loughborough, and Nottingham East Midlands Airport.
Until recently, the company was the largest remaining municipal bus company in England (the largest in the United Kingdom being Edinburgh's Lothian), and is regarded as one of the best operators in the UK. NCT has won awards including Bus Operator of the Year, and the UK Bus Industry's Innovation Award for its pioneering EasyRider smartcard system. Transdev has a 17% stake in the company since 2000.
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[edit] History
Horse drawn buses had been operational in Nottingham since 1848. The Nottingham and District Tramways Company opened its first routes in 1878 with horse drawn trams. Colour coding was introduced in 1881. Electrification followed with the first electric trams operating in January 1901 and within 2 years over 100 trams were in service on 8 lines. The first motorbuses were introduced in 1906. Medical examinations for drivers were introduced in 1915 after a driver dropped dead at Bulwell before he took his car out. This was also the year that sun and rain blinds were introduced to help give the drivers some protection from the weather. A major expansion of the system became necessary and trolleybuses in were introduced in 1927 and by 1930 a number of routes had been converted from trams to trolleybuses. A new bus depot was opened in June 1929 on Parliament Street and is still in use today.
By 1935 the trolley bus fleet had reached its peak at 106 vehicles - the largest fleet in the country. The trams finally gave way to progression with the last tram running in September 1936. The 1939-45 war brought reduced services, and economy measures (including the trying of diluting diesel with creosote) and blackout screens on vehicles. Before the war some diesel-engined buses were introduced to the services, although it wasn't until after the war, that large deliveries of diesel-engined buses took place, allowing the withdrawal of the last petrol-engined buses.
By the end of the 1950s, trolley buses were in decline, the last new trolley bus joining the fleet in 1952 reaching a maximum fleet of 155 vehicles. The first one person operated bus appeared in 1951. In 1954 guide dogs were allowed to remain on the lower saloon of all vehicles and heaters were installed in all cabs in 1956. Trolleybuses disappeared between April 1965 and July 1966, and the West Bridgford UDC Transport undertaking came under Nottingham's control in 1968. One-man operation came into force in January 1970 and by 1977 nearly all services were one-man operated. 1974 saw a name change to "City of Nottingham Transport" and by 1976 an all time high of 494 operated vehicles was reached.
The deregulation of the industry under the Transport Act happened in 1986 and Nottingham City Transport Limited was formed. In 1988 the Company purchased Stevenson's Bus Services at Ilkeston and formed a subsidiary company Erewash Valley Services Ltd, these services were integrated with the main company in 1990. In 1991, South Notts was purchased, giving a main route from Nottingham to Loughborough and a garage at Gotham, and in 1997, Pathfinder (Newark) Limited was bought, giving a presence in the north of the County. Both fleet names and liveries are retained within the company. Nottingham City Council remained 100% owners, despite many offers to buy NCT, until 11 May 2001, when 5% of the ordinary shares, and convertible preference shares to a possible value of another 13% of ordinary shares, were issued to Transdev plc, a member (along with NCT) of the Arrow consortium, who were formed to facilitate the Nottingham Express Transit (NET), a return of the tram to the streets of Nottingham.
[edit] Easyrider smartcard
Easyrider was introduced in 2000, the first 'smartcard' system to be introduced in the UK. The contactless smartcard is passed over a reader on boarding the bus, and either deducts the fare for the journey, or removes a day of pre-paid travel from the balance on the card. Approximately 50% of journeys made on NCT are paid for by an Easyrider card.
[edit] Firsts
Nottingham City Transport have introduced many new bus models and transport concepts over the years, including:
- Converting the first Scania OmniCity for right-hand drive operation.
- Converting the first Scania OmniLink for right-hand drive operation.
- Introduction of EasyRider contactless smartcard, the first in the UK.
[edit] Improvement of service
In September 2001, NCT controversially changed most bus routes, truncating cross-city routes, and introducing new and retimes services across Greater Nottingham, which at the time were badly received but after 12 months, most agreed that the new services were an improvement. However, the new services still make cross-city journeys awkward.
[edit] Security
Nottingham City Transport have installed CCTV on most of their fleet, and install in general more cameras per bus than other operators. Double decker buses usually have around 8 cameras each, while even the very smallest buses still have 4 each. New buses also have lcd screens installed, so passengers can see what is being recorded. NCT are active participants in Nottingham's Respect for Transport campaign, and random 'Gateway checks' are often held on buses, where police and revenue inspectors board to check tickets. Police have been known to arrest wanted persons on board buses during gateway checks.
[edit] Routes
NCT run a network of distinctively liveried Go2 services along the main routes in the city, every 10 minutes or better with low floor buses and CCTV:
- Green Line Service 6: City to Edwalton via Trent Bridge and West Bridgford
- Green Line Service 10: City to Ruddington via Trent Bridge and West Bridgford
- Green Line Service 11: City to Trent Boulevard via Trent Bridge and West Bridgford
- Brown Line Service 17: City to Bulwell via Sherwood and City Hospital
- Lilac Line Service 21: City to Carlton Valley via Thorneywood
- Lilac Line Service 27: City to Carlton via Carlton Square
- Pink Line Service 28: City to Bilborough via Beechdale
- Orange Line Service 36: City to Chilwell via QMC, University and Bulwell
- Red Line Service 44 (circular): City to City via Sneinton, Netherfield, Gedling and Mapperley
- Red Line Service 45 (circular): City to City via Mapperley, Gedling, Netherfield and Sneinton
- Navy Line Service 48: City to Clifton via Meadows and Queens Drive
- Lime Line Service 58: City to Arnold via Sherwood
- Yellow Line Service 69: City to Basford via Sherwood Rise
- Turquoise Line Service 77: City to Strelley via Alfreton Road and Aspley
- Purple Line Service 89: City to Rise Park via Sherwood, City Hospital and Bestwood Park
They also run 'Nottingham Network', a network of smaller services connecting the smaller communities to the larger communities:
- Navy Line Service 2: City to Clifton via Trent Bridge and Wilford
- Navy Line Service 3: City to Silverdale via Trent Bridge, West Bridgford and Wilford Village
- Green Line 'Bridgford Bus' Service 5: City to Gamston via West Bridgford and Melton Road
- Green Line 'Bridgford Bus' Service 7: City to Gamston via West Bridgford and Abbey Park
- Green Line 'Bridgford Bus' Service 8: City to Wilford Hill via West Bridgford and Musters Road
- Green Line 'Bridgford Bus' Service 9: City to Wilford Hill via West Bridgford and Wolds Estate
- Maroon Line Service 12: City to Beeston via Lenton and University Campus
- Maroon Line Service 13: City to Beeston via Lenton and University Boulevard
- Brown Line Service 15: City to Rise Park via City Hospital and Bestwood Park
- Brown Line Service 16: City to Rise Park via City Hospital and Top Valley
- Lilac Line Service 22: City to Bestwood Park via Carlton Valley, Mapperley, Woodthorpe and Arnold
- Lilac Line Service 23: City to Bakersfield via Sneinton Dale
- Lilac Line Service 24: City to Bakersfield via Sneinton Dale
- Lilac Line Service 25: City to Arnold via Carlton and Mapperley
- Pink Line Service 29: City to Bilborough via Wollaton and Beechdale
- Pink Line Service 30: City to Wollaton Vale via Wollaton
- Orange Line Service 35: City to Bulwell via QMC, University, Wollaton Vale, Bilborough, Strelley and Aspley
- Orange Line Service 37: City to QMC
- Blue Line Service 40: City to City Hospital/Edwards Lane via St Anns and Sherwood
- Blue Line Service 41: City to St Anns via Robin Hood Chase
- Blue Line Service 42: City to St Anns via Brewsters Road
- Red Line Service 46: City to Plains Estate via Mapperley
- Navy Line Service 49: City to Clifton via Meadows, Queens Drive, Farnborough Road
- Grey Line Service 50: University Campus to City Hospital via QMC, Hyson Green, Sherwood Rise
- Grey Line Service 51: Beeston to Arnold via Wollaton Vale, Beechdale, Aspley, Basford, Bulwell, Top Valley and Bestwood Park
- Grey Line Service 53: Clifton to Arnold via QMC, Ring Road and City Hospital
- Grey Line Service 54: Netherfield to Mapperley via Gedling
- Lime Line Service 56: City to Arnold via Sherwood, Woodthorpe and Plains Estate
- Lime Line Service 57: City to Arnold via Sherwood
- Lime Line Service 59: City to Arnold via Sherwood
- Turquoise Line Service 60: City to Snape Wood via Hyson Green, Basford and Bulwell
- Tram Link Service 61: Bulwell to Snape Wood
- Turquoise Line Service 62: City to Hempshill Vale via Hyson Green, Basford and Bulwell
- Tram Link Service 63: Bulwell to Hempshill Vale
- Yellow Line Service 70: City to Nottingham Business Park via Sherwood Rise, Basford, Nuthall and Assarts Farm
- Yellow Line Service 71: City to Arnold via Sherwood Rise, Basford, Bulwell, Rise Park and Bestwood Park
- Yellow Line Service 72: City to Bulwell via Sherwood Rise, City Hospital and Basford
- Yellow Line Service 73/4: Bulwell to Morrisons via Norwich Gardens
- Turquoise Line Service 78: City to Strelley via Alfreton Road and Aspley
- Turquoise Line Service 79: City to Bulwell via Alfreton Road and Aspley
- Purple Line Service 87: City to Arnold via Sherwood, City Hospital and Redhill
- Purple Line Service 88: City to Rise Park via Sherwood, City Hospital and Bestwood Park
- Grey Line Service 93: City to Strelley via QMC, Beechdale and Bilborough
- Grey Line Service 94: City to Aspley via Alfreton Road and Beechdale
- Grey Line Service 160: City to Lenton Industrial Estate via Castle Meadow
- Grey Line Service 161: City to Crossgate Drive Industrial Estate
- Grey Line Service 162: City to Blenheim Industrial Estate
- Grey Line Service 192: City to Charlbury Road
- Grey Line Service 193: City to Beeston via Wollaton
- Grey Line Service 195: City to Wollaton Park
NCT also operate the city's Park and Ride services:
- Link 1: City to Boots HQ via Queens Drive Industrial Estate and Queens Drive Park and Ride
- Link 2: City to Victoria Park via Racecourse Park and Ride and Colwick Industrial Estate
NCT operate 4 nightbus services around the city:
- 96: City - Sneinton Dale - Carlton - Mapperley - Arnold - Sherwood - City
- 97: City - Sherwood - Bulwell - Hucknall - Bestwood - Basford - City
- 98: City - Western Estates - City
- 99: City - QMC - Clifton - Ruddington - West Bridgford - City
Outside of the City area, NCT operate these services:
- Navy Line 1: Nottingham to Loughborough via Trent Bridge, Wilford, Clifton, Gotham and East Leake
- Pathfinder 90 (Fosseway Flyer): Nottingham to Farndon and Newark EXPRESS
- Pathfinder 100 (Southwell Sprinter): Nottingham to Southwell via Carlton, Burton Joyce, Lowdham and Brackenhurst College
- Pathfinder 101: Southwell to Newark via Upton
