National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd.
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National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd. was a trading name of the former National Bus Company (UK) subsidiary National Welsh.
[edit] Bustler
From 1986 to 1992 Bustler was the registered service name and brand used by National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd for a large fleet of minibus oprtaions in a chrome yellow livery, featuring blue, red and white stripes. Its key marker was the use of the stripes like wedding ribbons on the front bonnet of the buses which were initially Ford Transit, Leyland and Iveco van chassis. Whilst comfort was not their strong point the five to ten minute frequences transformed patronage levels in the towns of Aberdare, Barry, Bridgend, Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale, Penarth, Pontypridd, Porth, and Tredegar. They were seen in Newport and Cardiff. Five unique blue Bustlers were introduced in Pontypridd when the council run Taff-Ely (previously Pontypridd Urban District Council) oreations were taken over. Bustlers also covered much of the Rhymney Valley when Inter-Valley Link Ltd(former Caerphilly UDC, Gelligaer UDC, and Bedwas & Machen UDC) operations went into receivership. Busters also entered Merthyr Tydfil in a big way when due to a financial crisis, all the Merthyr Tydfil (fromally Merther Tydfil UDC) bus drivers resigned en-mass and joined National Welsh as a block Bustler team. With minibuses being a cheaper form of bus operation, Bustlers were seen on tendered services in places like Monmouth and on two routes in Bristol for a time.
The Bustler name (in a different typeface style) was also used by a former London Country Bus Services Ltd operation following privatisation, but the company agreed to remove the name within two years at the formal insistence of National Welsh.
On the demise of National Welsh the name Bustler quickly vanised from the roads of south Wales. The minibus catered for a commercial need at the time when many other privatised bus companies saw it as a way of maintaining market dominance and giving something the public wanted - a high frequency service without the need to consult a timetable. Problems occued as passenger demand outstriped supply on a number of routes and many of the vehicles did not last their pay-back period. None of the 500 odd Bustlers minibuses allowed wheelchair access and their nickname by their detractors, summed them up as "bread vans with seats". However in their yellow livery the slogan of the time ran true - "Bustler - the brighter way to travel".
