A Bullocks Dennis Trident/East Lancs Lolyne |
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| Founded | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Cheadle |
| Service area | Greater Manchester |
| Service type | Bus |
| Web site | www.bullockscoaches.net |
Bullocks Coaches (formerly known as R. Bullock & Co. Transport) is a Stockport bus company that formerly ran a popular service between Piccadilly Gardens and Woodford seven days a week. They are named after Ralph Bullock, a local entrepreneur, and founder of the business. The buses were traditionally red and white, although newer buses also included bronze; and the Oxford Road Link is predominantly white. In August 2008, it was announced that the bus operations would be purchased by Stagecoach Group and eventually integrated into their Stagecoach Manchester bus company; the merge was completed on 27 October 2008. However the 147 or "Oxford Road Link" continues to be operated by Bullocks.
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The company was founded by Ralph Bullock initially as a haulage firm in 1928, with milk deliveries being the early focus. At the weekend, the trucks turned into cloth-top charabancs for trips to the seaside. By the mid-1930s, the fleet included trucks and proper coaches, but the trucks were nationalised under the Transport Act 1947 during Attlee's Labour government, leaving only the coaches in the business. Ralph was fond of Foden coaches, and the majority of the fleet throughout the 1940s to 1960s were Fodens, of which two still survive to this day, the oldest from 1949 is still roadworthy, and is currently on loan to the Museum of Transport in Manchester.
The firm remained small, with around 20 vehicles, until 1986, when deregulation of buses was introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. The fleet now includes many buses as well as coaches, numbering around 75-80 vehicles in total. Bullocks acquired many bus routes, and introduced new ones, including the 42 service from Stockport to Manchester via Wilmslow Road, a very popular route that is operated now by Stagecoach Manchester. Over the years, the number of services declined having been lost to other operators. By 2008, it was operating seven routes and several school services, but all except one of the commercial routes were sold off, most to Stagecoach Manchester and a couple to Arriva North West.
From 8 August 2008, Stagecoach Group purchased most of the commercial bus operations of Bullocks. The 147 service which operates a circular route at the northern end of Oxford Road has remained a Bullocks service.[1] Bullocks continue to operate several school bus services, as well as their coaches.
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