Big places with independent bus operators

[Mugby]

a large town for them to be the dominant operator in !

Oh I don't know, City of Hull, who is the dominant operator, EYMS or Stagecoach, it's debateable!

 

[richw]

Originally Posted by starrymarkb
Newquay[/S} Half of Cornwall with Western Greyhound

Although to be fair the entirety of Cornwall probably has less people than some of the big cities.

 

[Deerfold]

Not entirely these days.

http://history.buses.co.uk/history/cohistory/welcome.htm

It’s pleasing that seventy fives years later in 2010, the Company is still locally branded and, as then, is an autonomous subsidiary of a London based parent – the Go-Ahead Group – which, like Tilling, has transport interests in London and other parts of the UK.

That description of the Newcastle-based (and officially registered) Go-Ahead Group is rather surprising on one of their own websites.

Although given they can't spell "five"...

 

[34D]

Wetherby would be another town where none of the big groups have > 50% of the journeys.

First: 4 departures an hour (2 to Leeds v Roundhay, 2 to Deighton Bar
Transdev: 4 departures an hour (2 to Leeds v Boston Spa, 2 to Harrogate)
Independents: approx 6 an hour (2 to Harrogate, 1 to Kirk Deighton, 1 to York, 1 to Knaresborough, 1 every 2 hours to Otley, and ditto Tadcaster).

Or is the objective of this thread towns where _one_ independent has over 50% of the departures?

 

[Ivo]

A guess a rival to East Yorkshire in all the regards mentioned above would be Ensignbus, who are now by far the main operator in and around Grays Thurrock (and the whole of Thurrock in fact). Maybe a medium-sized rather than a large town, but a fairly substantial and populous built- up area none the less!

This can be extended further. Grays and Tilbury combined have a population of 75,000, which certainly sounds big enough for this thread by my reckoning, but never mind that - the most amazing thing is that EnsignBus are able to sustain a night service in the area! The 73A between Tilbury and Lakeside via Chadwell St Mary and Grays runs every 50 - 60 minutes 24 hours a day during the week...

 

[34D]

How about skipton? The majority of the local services are Pennine, and First have one bus an hour, Transdev have 2 or 3 per hour to Keighley and one to Lancashire.

Any more?

 

[MK Tom]

I really don't think of Centrebus as an independent but if we're counting them then Luton and Dunstable have a large and powerful presence from them and Grant Palmer.

Surprised nobody's mentioned Go Whippet and Cambridge.

 

[Deerfold]

How about skipton? The majority of the local services are Pennine, and First have one bus an hour, Transdev have 2 or 3 per hour to Keighley and one to Lancashire.

Any more?

Usually 2 to Keighley since the new 78A contract (though you can find "hours" with 3 if you don't run your hour from 00 minutes past).

2 an hour to Lancashire on the 28 for most of the day (with 3 between 0701 and 0800).

Although Pennine run 6 services from Skipton there's usually 5 departures in an hour (there's 7 between 0701 and 0800 and between 1701 and 1800).

 

[IanXC]

Oh I don't know, City of Hull, who is the dominant operator, EYMS or Stagecoach, it's debateable!

I guess it depends on the market you're looking at, the majority of EYMS' Hull services leave Hull City Council's boundaries, and Stagecoaches mostly stay within.

If you want places where EYMS are dominant, I'd suggest Scarborough (as Scarborough and District), or Beverley, although thats not so large a network.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

McGills seem to operate a fair few services in and around Paisley.

 

[JonathanH]

Oakham, in Rutland. Oh wait, the whole of the county of Rutland.

Centrebus (inc Kimes)
Delaine (at Ryhall).

Did a major group / operator pull out of this area (Rutland) or was it always independents, even back to NBC days?

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Did a major group / operator pull out of this area (Rutland) or was it always independents, even back to NBC days?

Used to be Barton Transport plc territory with a few independents such as Nisbets and Blands thrown in for good measure. Midland Red (and later Arriva) ran through Uppingham on their Leicester to Peterborough and Lincolnshire have entered the county in the past.

 

[AnonymousUser1]

as has been said Nottingham is the main English example as both NCT and Trent / Barton (and other wellglade operations e.g. N+D, kinch) aren't in the hands of the big groups

elsewhere it depends if you count Centrebus as 'one of the big groups'

 

[Mutant Lemming]

as has been said Nottingham is the main English example as both NCT and Trent / Barton (and other wellglade operations e.g. N+D, kinch) aren't in the hands of the big groups

elsewhere it depends if you count Centrebus as 'one of the big groups'

Transdev has a part holding in NCT and I'm not really sure one could class a municipally owned operator as an 'independent'. The Little Red Book certainly never classified them as such.

 

[AnonymousUser1]

Transdev has a part holding in NCT and I'm not really sure one could class a municipally owned operator as an 'independent'. The Little Red Book certainly never classified them as such.

now Transdev that 's another in the ' is it a big group ?' categoriy along with Centrebus ...

especially as their interests are not geographically congruent in the way that Wellglade (trent/ barton/ kinch/ N+D) are ...

 

[Eagle]

especially as their interests are not geographically congruent in the way that Wellglade (trent/ barton/ kinch/ N+D) are ...

Other than NCT all their operations are in London or the Pennine area.

 

[MCR247]

Don't they have operations in Bournemouth?

 

[Eagle]

Not for a few years now; Yellow Buses is now in the hands of RATP.

 

[AnonymousUser1]

Other than NCT all their operations are in London or the Pennine area.

which adds weight to the argument that transdev , like Centrebus tends towards the 'corporate group' model.

 

[Ivo]

I would suggest that Centrebus, Transdev and Rotala at least are not considered independent. At a push, that definition may also be applied to EYMS.

 

[CROMPTON 33]

the big lemon buses in brighton.

 

[Deerfold]

now Transdev that 's another in the ' is it a big group ?' categoriy along with Centrebus ...

especially as their interests are not geographically congruent in the way that Wellglade (trent/ barton/ kinch/ N+D) are ...

Transdev claim to have 3.3 billion passengers a year (though not all in the UK).

I think that makes them quite big.

They act very much a a big group - they've removed the traditional branding from the Blazfield group buses - we'ev gone from being "Keighley and District" to "Transdev (then much smaller writing) Keighley".
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Does anyone know any big towns or cities where the major bus operator is an independent company? By this I really mean any large places with lots of bus services operated by a company which isn't First/Stagecoach/Arriva etc.

Many thanks

the big lemon buses in brighton.

Thay're hardly the major operator in Brighton are they?

2 routes, 1 of which isn't available to the general public...

 

[Ivo]

[The Big Lemon are] hardly the major operator in Brighton are they?

They are if infamy (among other less-than-positive criteria) is all that matters...