Former municipal bus companies of the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of former municipal bus companies of the United Kingdom and a brief description of their fate, with the exception of the several municipals which disappeared in 1968 and 1974 with the formation of the PTE bus operations.
Of the remaining municipals, post-1986 many were sold off or collapsed in the process of bus deregulation, which required their spearation into stand-alone arms length companies.
Only a handfull of municipal operators remain, with some securing their futures with equity partnership deals with private operators. Of the remaining operators, Cardiff Bus, Lothian Buses and Nottingham City Transport are the largest.
Contents |
[edit] Former UK local authority-owned bus companies
The companies listed here were sold or ceased operating after 1986.
- ChesterBus
-
- In June 2007, ChesterBus was sold to FirstGroup by Chester City Council. The sale process was longer than anticipated due to a court case against Arriva North West and Wales. Only the operations were sold, and as of July 2007, the fleet and depot remained in Council ownership, on temporary loan to the new owner.
- Blackburn Transport
-
- On 22 January 2007, Lancashire United acquired the business of Blackburn Transport from Blackburn with Darwen Council.
- Yellow Buses, Bournemouth
-
- Bournemouth's Yellow Buses was sold to Transdev on 17 December 2005 for £15m, after the Liberal Democrat-controlled borough council decided that it could not satisfactorily invest in the company itself. The Conservatives, who had long supported Yellow Buses' retention, have called for an independent inquiry. Transdev returned 10% of the equity to the council. The undertaking had been under municipal control or ownership for over 100 years.
- Burnley & Pendle Transport
-
- Burnley & Pendle was jointly owned by Burnley and Pendle councils. Liberal Democrat-controlled Pendle council's 50% share was sold to Stagecoach in February 1996. At the time, Labour-controlled Burnley council stated at the time that it had no intention of selling its share in the company, but it was not able to invest sufficient funds in the company and voted in October 1996 to sell its share to Stagecoach. Stagecoach was later to sell the former Burnley & Pendle garage and operations to Blazefield Group in 2001, reviving the red-and-cream livery and fleetname. The Blazefield Group has since been bought by Transdev.
- Hyndburn Transport
-
- Hyndburn council, based in Accrington, sold its bus operations to Stagecoach in September 1996. The operation was soon merged into sister-company Ribble, with the garage in Accrington closed and services operated from the Ribble garage in neighbouring Blackburn. Stagecoach was later to sell its Blackburn garage and operations to Blazefield Group in 2001, which operates the services under the fleetname Lancashire United. The Blazefield Group has since been bought by Transdev.
- Great Yarmouth Transport
-
- Great Yarmouth's 49-vehicle fleet and operations were acquired by FirstBus in September 1996 for £1.1 million. The services initially operated under the Blue Bus (f) moniker, but operations were eventually absorbed into sister company Eastern Counties.
- Darlington Transport
-
- Amid widely-reported events, the bus operations of Darlington council went into administration in November 1994 during an attempted sale, due to historical financial difficulties and the effects of the Darlington Bus War.
- Southampton Citybus
-
- Southampton Citybus based in Southampton was sold to its employees in December 1993. First Group were to buy the company in 1997, initially renamed as First Southampton, which was to merge with the former People's Provincial operations in Portsmouth in 1999 to operate as First Hampshire, today known as First in Hampshire & Dorset.
- Brighton Borough Transport
-
- The municipal operator in Brighton was sold to its employees in December 1993, using the operating name Brighton Blue Bus. Go-Ahead Group purchased the company in May 1997 and subsequently integrated the company into its existing Brighton & Hove operations.
- Blue Buses, Fylde
-
- Fylde's Blue Buses remain unique in being the only former municipal company to be, in effect, "remunicipalised". Sold to its management in December 1993, the company was acquired by Blackpool Transport in May 1994, which was and still is owned by neighbouring local authority Blackpool. the operations of both companies are now combined under the Metro Coastlines brand.
- Kingston-upon-Hull City Transport
-
- Former municipal Cleveland Transport bought Kingston upon Hull's municipal bus operations in December 1993, offering a 49% stake in the company back to the employees. The operation passed into the hands of Stagecoach in September 1994.
- Colchester Borough Transport
-
- Acquired by British Bus in October 1993, the bus operations of Colchester were rebranded as Arriva in 1997. The company later passed to Tellings-Golden Miller control and goes under the name Network Colchester.
- Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport
-
- The 111 vehicle bus operations of the boroughs of Grimsby and Cleethorpes were sold to Stagecoach in November 1993.
- Leicester CityBus
-
- Leicester City Council sold its bus operations to GRT (the former Aberdeen bus operator) in November 1993. GRT became First Group following a merger with bus company Badgerline, and today the city's bus service goes under the name of First Leicester.
- Northampton Transport
-
- The municipal operations of Northampton were sold to GRT in October 1993 and today operate under the name First Northampton.
- Lancaster City Transport
-
- The company was placed on the market by Lancaster City Council on December 16, 1992. Interest was expressed in buying the company as a going concern by Blackpool Transport Services and MTL, owners of Merseybus. However, following increased competition by Stagecoach, it was decided to wind the company up. On August 22, 1993 the company ceased trading, having sold the depot and its twelve newest buses to Stagecoach (North West).[1]
- Southend Transport
-
- The company was acquired by the British Bus Group in June, 1993.[2] In 1997 it became part of the rebranded Arriva group as Arriva Southend.
- Hartlepool Transport
-
- The company was acquired by Stagecoach in December 1994.[3] It was subsequently merged into the Cleveland Transit susidiary of Stagecoach North East.
-
- Boro'line Maidstone was formed in 1986 as an arms length company of Maidstone Borough Council from their historical transport arm. After brief expansion into London tendered routes, financial difficulties saw the council attempt to sell the company. The london operations were sold to Kentish Bus, and after a period of operation in administration, the Maidstone operations were sold to Maidstone & District, ending the Boro'line identity.
-
- Sold to its employees in 1993. Still in business but currently in increased competition with Stagecoach North West as of 2007.
- Cynon Valley Transport
- Lincoln City Transport
- Tayside Transport
- Cleveland Transit
- Chesterfield Transport
- Merthyr Tydfil Transport
- Derby City Transport
- Barrow Borough Transport
- Inter-Valley Link
- Grampian Transport
- Taff Ely Transport
- Portsmouth City Transport
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ A report on the merger situation between Stagecoach Holdings plc and Lancaster City Transport Limited (Competition Commission), accessed September 24, 2007
- ^ Buses: Focus on British Bus Fleets Today, Shepperton, 1994
- ^ Acquisitions by Stagecoach, April 1987 to September 1995 (Competition Commission), accessed September 25, 2007
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||
