Trivia: Coaches used on local services

[Simon75]

Years ago some bus companies eg PMT, Crosville, would have coaches that sometimes end up on local routes.
Are there any examples of this these days?

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

A few years ago, one of Reptons Coaches of Great Bookham's Van Hools appeared on their local 478 bus service between Guildford and Leatherhead with a sheet of paper stuck to the windscreen.

This service is usually operated by an Enviro 200, but I believe the usual vehicle was off road at the time, so they had to source out a replacement.

I seem to recall that this particular working was also double-crewed (or at least that's what I heard as I never got to experience it first hand), with a second member of staff on hand to assist passengers with boarding and disembarking the coach.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was indeed the case as Reptons Coaches do uphold an excellent reputation in the area.

 

[EdinRH]

First used coaches on occasion on the 630/631 Ocean Terminal to Livingston service after taking the service over from Nordi Travel.

 

[01d-and]

Midland Red often used a coach off the X44 Worcester / Birmingham 'motorway service' on the last 144 Worcester > Birmingham bus route of the day. I'm not sure if Worcester > Birmingham would be classed as a 'local' route though. Worcester still have one coach that gets used on School runs which 'may' be open to the public.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Again, it depends what you mean by coach. If it’s a coach shell/body but fitted out with a ticket machine/cab etc then there’s loads in Scotland. The old dual purpose of 1970s/1980s bus grant days means there’s literally hundreds of examples if that is the definition?

 

[route101]

First Glasgow used to use a coach on peak one services to Balloch.
Before that I have seen them on the 18 and 267.

 

[Roilshead]

Bus Eireann routinely use coaches on rural stage services - 160 Dundalk - Ravensdale - Newry, and 161 Dundalk - Carlingford - Newry, being two that enter the United Kingdom.

 

[markymark2000]

How are you defining 'local routes'? The government version which is any bus which is registered as a local bus service which would include Coventry to Leicester on the X6. Also a few other random routes dotted around the UK.

Or do you mean local town routes?

 

[Segedunum]

Go North East had a brief stint of running Plaxton Paragon coaches down the Coast Road for an express Tynemouth/Cobalt to Newcastle service.

It was just as Cobalt seemed to be expanding very quickly and it was the trendy thing to do to run absolutely everything to there.

Photo here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dansnortheastbusphotos/6035849939/

The service actually still sort of exists as the X39 - which is a peak Cobalt to Newcastle express. Its just run with a B9 though - nothing exciting!

 

[LUYMun]

London bus route 398 had a long history in its preceding years as the 98B, which, following the 1965 overtime ban, was taken on commercially by non-LT operators. While the 98B utilised second-hand buses, one operator, Elmtree Transport of Wealdstone, running the route from 1971 until 1988, used coaches in an otherwise deep-rooted LT bus territory:

Elmtree Transport 98B

Some pictures taken by the late Michael Cleary. I will be uploading any I think may be of interest. None were catalogued. Where I know the approximate date I will state it. Similarly I will give the location. A rare London independent stage service. Shortly after this Scorpio Coaches took over...

flickr.com

 

[Geordie driver]

Pre the requirement for all buses to be wheelchair accessible we had a few what we would call DPs ( dual purpose).Sorry, i don't know who made them, we only ever called them DPs.

Frankly they were a pain in the arse on local service, the narrow multiple step entrance meant loading and unloading took ages making it impossible to run to time.

Some passengers seemed to think their use was, somehow, the drivers fault, as if we got to pick and choose the type of vehicle we got and had picked a DP to antagonise them.

 

[Roger1973]

When First Berkshire still ran the Bracknell - Windsor - London routes, the coaches would occasionally appear on to other Bracknell depot routes.

Reading Buses' 'Green Line' branded buses very occasionally stray on to other routes, although they are low floor double deck bus shaped vehicles with high backed seats, so probably don't count in this context.

And as others have said, there are some routes operated by coach type vehicles which are wholly or partly registered as local bus services, Arriva / Green Line 757 from Luton to London, for example.

 

[43055]

When Notts & Derby ran the 50 between Uttoxeter and Derby it was run with a mix of double deck buses and coaches.

 

[Mwanesh]

I remember years ago when I worked out of Stevenage.We were short of buses, I used a Van Hool on a local circular number 2 service. It was a pain. The best was when I went to Luton on service 100 cue passengers for London walking over to ask if was at the wrong stand

 

[sk688]

Would Trent Barton's Red Arrow between Derby and Nottingham count as a local bus service ?

 

[PeterC]

How are you defining 'local routes'? The government version which is any bus which is registered as a local bus service which would include Coventry to Leicester on the X6. Also a few other random routes dotted around the UK.

Or do you mean local town routes?

Probably not in the spirit of the question but some sections of the Oxford Tube are registered as local routes.

Before accessibility became a requirement you would certainly come across local coach operators doing one or two market day runs.

 

[Roger1973]

Would Trent Barton's Red Arrow between Derby and Nottingham count as a local bus service ?

On the basis that it's (according to Google Maps) 14 miles from Derby City Centre to the Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, then I would have thought yes.

Although I have a feeling there was some argument about its status for the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme - at one time, Derby and Nottingham councils had differing views on whether it was eligible, so you could travel one way but not the other with an ENCTS pass - I'm not sure if this ever got sorted out.

Before accessibility became a requirement you would certainly come across local coach operators doing one or two market day runs.

Yes, this was very much a thing certainly in to the late 90s, and some operators (Barton in the pre Trent-Barton days are the obvious example) had a mainly 'dual purpose' fleet on their local bus services.

 

[GusB]

The original post says:

Years ago some bus companies eg PMT, Crosville, would have coaches that sometimes end up on local routes.
Are there any examples of this these days?

(My emphasis)

Could we therefore refrain from taking trips down memory lane and stay in the present day, please?

 

[Class45]

I often see a Green Line 757 coach on Arriva Luton local service 24/25 heading out of town in the morning peak. There are two large colleges on the north side of time and they run extras during term time.

 

[JKP]

There is of course a difference between DDA compliant coaches and non DDA compliant coaches being used on local bus services.

I have seen the latter being used on the route that passes my house on a regular basis on a journey which runs school terms only back to the depot. It is normally empty. Coaches do occasionally appear on other journeys, presumably when there are no buses available. As they are not fitted with a ticket machine, passengers travel free of charge. Does this also get around the DDA regs?

 

[matchmaker]

Does Scottish Citylink 915 and 916 - Glasgow to Uig count? It's classed as a local bus service (or used to).

 

[GusB]

Does Scottish Citylink 915 and 916 - Glasgow to Uig count? It's classed as a local bus service (or used to).

No, because you wouldn't expect to see any vehicles on the route other than coaches.

One example would be Stagecoach Bluebird service 33A/C (Elgin and Lossiemouth town service), on which you'd expect to see Enviro 200/300s as a rule. On more than one occasion I've noted that it has had a Volvo/Plaxton Panther coach allocated. Similarly with my own route, the 32.

 

[computerSaysNo]

One example would be Stagecoach Bluebird service 33A/C (Elgin and Lossiemouth town service), on which you'd expect to see Enviro 200/300s as a rule. On more than one occasion I've noted that it has had a Volvo/Plaxton Panther coach allocated. Similarly with my own route, the 32.

The 36 used to get coaches as well sometimes, I'm unsure if this still happens.
I've seen the 8 round Portlethen use a coach on several occasions.

 

[LiviCrazy]

In the long running issue of First West Lothian’s allocation lottery, we used to have coaches for the X15/15A and X14 services on the motorway to Glasgow. However it was fairly common for Omnidekkas and Geminis (and even the occasional Volvo Olympian) to end up on them and the coaches to end up on the other services. Can regularly remember them on the 27/28 services, it was a pain at peak time as it would depend on driver whether they enforced no standing on coaches rules, could be entertaining weaving through Kirknewton holding onto the luggage racks.

 

[Cambus731]

I believe Stagecoach still do this on rural routes in Perthshire such as the 60 from Blairgowrie to Aberfeldy via Dunkeld. And the 23 between Perth and Pitlochry.

 

[Ken H]

I believe Stagecoach still do this on rural routes in Perthshire such as the 60 from Blairgowrie to Aberfeldy via Dunkeld. And the 23 between Perth and Pitlochry.

Is the law different in Scotland from England/Wales for this?

 

[GusB]

Is the law different in Scotland from England/Wales for this?

Could you explain exactly what you mean here? Your question is rather vague.

 

[JKP]

Is the law different in Scotland from England/Wales for this?

There is no difference in PSVAR regulations between England, Wales and Scotland.

 

[Ken H]

Could you explain exactly what you mean here? Your question is rather vague.

Scotland has different laws to England/Wales for devolved issues. Before devolution Scottish laws were made in the UK parliament sponsored by the Scottish Office. Scotland has a type of law known as Roman Law, a different system to England and Wales which has Common Law, I think.
So if transport is devolved, then the law about using coaches on stage carriage services may not the the same as England and Wales

So is the law in Scotland a devolved matter. And is it different to England/Wales (as some laws not relevant to this discussion are)

I suppose we should include NI in this, and maybe Wales bus law is different to England.

Sorry, not a lawyer. But I wondered if the use of coaches on stage carriage services is allowed in Scotland because of their different laws.

Scotland has different laws to England/Wales for devolved issues. Before devolution Scottish laws were made in the UK parliament sponsored by the Scottish Office. Scotland has a type of law known as Roman Law, a different system to England and Wales which has Common Law, I think.
So if transport is devolved, then the law about using coaches on stage carriage services may not the the same as England and Wales

So is the law in Scotland a devolved matter. And is it different to England/Wales (as some laws not relevant to this discussion are)

I suppose we should include NI in this, and maybe Wales bus law is different to England.

Sorry, not a lawyer. But I wondered if the use of coaches on stage carriage services is allowed in Scotland because of their different laws.

and JKP has answered the question!

 

[318266]

During COVID, certain McGill's services on the route 61 were run by Levantes due to social distancing requirements and the high number of key worker school pupils on the service.