Rotala is an Alternative Investment Market listed company, which owns a variety of UK transport operators.
Rotala was set up in 2005, with the main intention of acquiring or gaining majority interest in businesses within a number of areas.[1]
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Rotala operate a number of bus companies, all grouped as Connect Buses.[2]
Rotala's first acquisition was of Surrey Connect in 2005, when Centra decided to sell the Addlestone, Surrey operation. The business was actually purchased by Flights Hallmark, which is part of Rotala (see below). Surrey Connect developed and continued to grow and won contracts for a number of Surrey County Council tendered routes. Rotala sold the company in early 2007, to focus on the other bus companies. Wiltax took over the majority of the services and three buses, and Travel Surrey two routes and the five buses branded for that service. The rest of the vehicles moved around Rotala. Two services are still branded as Surrey Connect, but run from Flights Hallmark's Heathrow depot.
Surrey Connect was formed in 2005, when Rotala purchased the Addlestone, Surrey operations of Centra. They operated a number of tendered routes for Surrey County Council, the main ones being the 400 (Staines - Shepperton), 426/446 (Staines - Woking) and 472 (Woking - Byfleet). They also operated a number of other less frequent and schools routes. In June 2007, the operations were partly sold to Wiltax, who were (and still are) based next door. Routes were transferred to Wiltax, along with three buses; the others were transferred to other parts of Connect Buses. The exceptions were that routes 426/446 were taken over by Travel London (West), now Travel Surrey, which also acquired the fleet of buses branded for the service. Route 540 (Woldingham - Redhill - East Surrey Hospital) are still run with Surrey Connect branding, but from the Heathrow Depot of the Flights Hallmark part of Rotala. This route is now run by Metrobus
The second acquisition was of Zak's of Birmingham in 2006. The company was renamed Central Connect. North Birmingham Busways and Birmingham Motor Traction followed in 2007, and were both put under Central Connect management.
In January 2008, Rotala completed the deal to take over Ludlows, Halesowen. It is now part of Central Connect.
In March 2008, Rotala purchased Go West Midlands from the Go-Ahead Group. This was renamed Diamond Bus, and is operated as part of Central Connect, and provides them with a strong foothold in the Birmingham bus market.
On 25 January 2011, Rotala agreed to buy Preston Bus from Stagecoach Group for £3.2 million, after the Competition Commission ruled that Stagecoach had to sell the company.[3] The deal includes 85 buses, 240 employees and a depot, with Rotala pledging to keep the Preston Bus identity and invest in fleet modernisation.
Preston Bus is a bus operator running within the city of Preston, England and into the surrounding area. In 2009, it was acquired by the Stagecoach Group and was rebranded Stagecoach in Preston, before they were subsequently ordered to sell the company as a result of competition concerns. As part of the Competition Commission findings into the takeover, Preston Bus was managed separately from the main Stagecoach business, pending possible divestment to a third party company later in the year. On 25 January 2011, it was revealed that Stagecoach had sold Preston Bus to Rotala. The takeover sees the company moving into North West England operations for the first time.
Wessex Connect was founded in Bristol in 2007 through the Flights Hallmark subsidiary after winning the contract to provide two Bristol City Council Park and Ride services. Around 68 buses were taken over through the purchase of South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach in late 2007.
Rotala acquired the Flights Hallmark Group in 2006, comprising a number of coach and chauffeur drive businesses, as well as some shuttle bus services. It is based in the Midlands, and has depots around the country, including one at Heathrow Airport.[4]
Rotala has not yet acquired any companies under this category, but includes Wessex Connect's Bristol park and ride service as part of it.[5]
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