Trivia: Small/independent operators with well-presented fleets

[Hyebone]

Moving on from another thread, I'd like to talk about small operators which take great pride in their fleets, keeping them tidy, painted in their colours etc.

I'd like to nominate Andrew's of Tideswell first off. For a company that was responsible for picking up the mangled remains of Hulleys of Baslow (think Palpatine retrieving Anakin from Mustafar), they've done a brilliant job of maintaining everything to a high standard. 95%+ of their service vehicles is painted in their colours; for a small operator, it's a feat-and-a-half. Their whole fleet besides the newer MMCs sports private registration plates (Jxx AOT) which is a nice touch. I also heard over the grapevine that several of the vehicles obtained from Hulleys had long-standing defects corrected almost immediately.

Slightly off topic for this thread, but their consistency and communication of their operations is phenomenal. Brilliant operator stepping up to correct Hulleys' shortcomings, despite not being responsible for them. Brilliant job.

I'd like to hear about others now. Fire away!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

One which has improved beyond all measure is Faresaver in Wiltshire. They were born out of Pickford of Grittleton until they lost their license with various legal infringements. Faresaver had a few issues of their own, and were reliant on using van derived minibuses in white with a lilac skirt. However, their business strategy and competition against First was very savvy and they increasingly squeezed them out, becoming increasingly professional whilst moving to a fleet mainly of Solos, Darts/e200s and some ex London deckers. They replaced First bus stop flags with their own (with stop IDs), and started buying new fleet and now have a smart fleet with new e200 and e400mmc plus Evora B8RLEs, and they're extending their depot. A very good firm now.

A couple of excellent ones in Norfolk too in the form of Lynx and Sanders - not many independents as good as them.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

It almost goes without saying, but Delaine have to be up there.

 

[scosutsut]

I'd say Prentice of Haddington do a good job. A tidy, well kept fleet of Sprinters, E200s & E200 MMCs.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

White Bus in the Berkshire and Surrey area are a very well-presented bus company, with spotlessly clean and well turned out buses, friendly and presentable drivers and are in general just a high-quality bus operator.

They've got a handful of older vehicles still in former operator's liveries but from what I've seen they are all still well-presented.

A couple of excellent ones in Norfolk too in the form of Lynx and Sanders - not many independents as good as them.

I haven't sampled Lynx but I agree re Sanders. When I first travelled with them a few years back, they were running some awfully clapped out older buses on the X44 which looked like they were on their last legs, but it's really quite remarkable how much they've improved recently with the large order of new buses - a very presentable and worthy operator now I'd say.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Safeguard Coaches of Guildford only run three town routes these days, but both their bus and coach fleets wear fleet livery and are well presented. Local loyalty to Safeguard was proven not just when Arriva started competing around Park Barn, but also when Safeguard retaliated by operating their own Bellfields service. Arriva not only withdrew their competitive Park Bark route, but they also withdrew their established Bellfields service meaning Safeguard ultimately gained ground!

Until the last couple of years, Safeguard were still operating three Optare Excels alongside their fleet of primarily newer Optare Versas and growing MCV eVoRa Volvos, but travelling on them you wouldn’t have known two of them were X-reg as they were smooth, clean, comfortable and pretty much rattle free!

 

[YX73OUB]

Buslink have to be one of the contenders too, also agree with the above regarding Lynx and Delaine.

Depending on if you'd class them as small or not I'd add Redfern Travel / Johnson Bros and Sharpes of Nottingham.

 

[ChrisPJ]

Ross travel of Featherstone?

 

[stadler]

Compass Bus deserve a mention. They are one of the best quality bus operators i know. They have always had a very well maintained and well presented fleet. It is overall a very well run operation with nice professional drivers and clean well maintained vehicles. Compass Bus have expanded a lot in recent years all across Sussex and in parts of Surrey and Kent too but they have always kept high standards.

 

[43055]

Buslink have to be one of the contenders too, also agree with the above regarding Lynx and Delaine.

Depending on if you'd class them as small or not I'd add Redfern Travel / Johnson Bros and Sharpes of Nottingham.

Be even better if Buslink had a website.

 

[6Gman]

Now taken over by First, but Lakeside of Ellesmere always turned its vehicles out immaculately.

 

[SSmith2009]

Buslink have to be one of the contenders too, also agree with the above regarding Lynx and Delaine.

Depending on if you'd class them as small or not I'd add Redfern Travel / Johnson Bros and Sharpes of Nottingham.

BusLink are great at presentation of vehicles but that's because the owner cares.

Paul S Winson of Loughborough also have a well turned out fleet and when they had service work around the town buses were well presented with air horns fitted to some buses.

 

[LiviCrazy]

Not been on too many of the vehicles, but observations from the outside, SD Travel in West Lothian always seem to have a well maintained relatively modern fleet.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

PC Coaches of Lincoln always look smart, although I've never travelled on one so have only seen the outside.
Brylaine of Boston also look smart externally, and the one vehicle I've been on was immaculate inside as well.

 

[37114]

One which has improved beyond all measure is Faresaver in Wiltshire. They were born out of Pickford of Grittleton until they lost their license with various legal infringements. Faresaver had a few issues of their own, and were reliant on using van derived minibuses in white with a lilac skirt. However, their business strategy and competition against First was very savvy and they increasingly squeezed them out, becoming increasingly professional whilst moving to a fleet mainly of Solos, Darts/e200s and some ex London deckers. They replaced First bus stop flags with their own (with stop IDs), and started buying new fleet and now have a smart fleet with new e200 and e400mmc plus Evora B8RLEs, and they're extending their depot. A very good firm now.

My local operator and agree, they are night and day different to how they were 15 years ago when I moved to Corsham, they were running a right loads of tatty Merc Varios and looked cheap and nasty with a reputation to match with every bus looking slightly different. Now they have a consistent livery, some decent buses and a good bunch of drivers (My kids love Kev on the 231 who does their school run home)

It almost goes without saying, but Delaine have to be up there.

Absolutely, a very tidy fleet.

 

[izvor]

Compass Bus deserve a mention.

They've definitely improved in recent years. I'd add their website to your list, it's very good.

Here in Kent I'd nominate GoCoach/GoBus who appear very smart and well run. In contrast Autocar was one of the worst, but since their purchase by Brookline are improving well, especially when they use hired-in buses from the associated Farleigh Coaches fleet. NuVenture also look smart, but I don't use them enough to comment.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Hodgsons Buses in Barnard Castle have a nicely turned out fleet.

 

[capitalpotter]

Falcon buses in Surrey have a well turned out fleet and Stantons of Stoke are always tidy.

 

[RJ]

I bought a bus off GH Watts, Leicester. They are very hot on presentation and wash their vehicles twice a day. By the sounds of it they have a zero tolerance policy on careless scuffs/accidents.

 

[SteveHFC]

I've not travelled with them - but Grant Palmer's buses (Bedford/Luton and surrounding areas) always look smart from the outside.

 

[BuhSnarf]

I've not travelled with them - but Grant Palmer's buses (Bedford/Luton and surrounding areas) always look smart from the outside.

Only used them a couple of times and whilst 'tired' on the interior on some of the buses they were always clean and tidy.

 

[EYFanatic]

Little White Bus have a small but good fleet of Mercs and Fords for getting round the narrow country roads - seen a couple of their drivers whilst waiting time at Garsdale pop out and give them a quick wash with a modified weedspray machine

 

[Kaliwax]

Squarepeg always seem to have a very nice and tidy fleet, very modern with e200mmcs for the most part.

There was a time where they was using Spectras that was past their best on some of their routes. Some EX Arriva Yorkshire ones, both Step and Low Floor ones

 

[JD2168]

I usually find the following operators have a decent looking fleet:
Delaine Buses
Andrew’s of Tideswell

 

[kijeta]

I know they're technically not independent anymore, but even pre-acquisition, I was always impressed by Ensignbus' fleet.

 

[Phatcontroller]

Go coach vehicles and drivers are always well presented in west Kent. Hams Travel operate only a few routes but do so very well with good presentation and reliability. Both are significantly better than Arriva.

 

[Simon75]

Select Buses of Penkridge (Staffordshire) seem to have a well kept fleet. Unfortunately, no fault of their own , (mainly during winter/wet periods),the outside of the buses tend to get grubby. This is unfortunate, due to the fact the garage is down a farm lane, which gets muddy

 

[nonabrow]

A Lyles & Son (aka Longstaff) have an immaculate fleet of mostly citaros, but most notably, they operate what looks to be the last Optare Excel in public use. Granted, it only operates school services, but it is a stunner of a vehicle. Their livery is also really smart.

Another candidate I believe deserves a mention is Skills in Nottinghamshire, who operate a very tidy fleet of Enviro 400 MMCs and 200 MMCs in a lovely green livery. All of their buses are either 25 or 75 plated too so its certainly an impressive fleet.

 

[nick291]

Faresaver of Chippenham 9 times out of 10 have an immaculate fleet. Bibby's of Ingleton on the Lancashire/Cumbria/Yorkshire Border are also well turned out!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Faresaver of Chippenham 9 times out of 10 have an immaculate fleet.

I had mentioned this earlier but another in the same area which is very smartly turned out is Coachstyle of Grittleton (near Chippenham) - lovely operator.