Trivia: Smallest settlement / Most bus operators

[scosutsut]

Been thinking of how unusual the bus operator mix is where I currently live feels, and wonder how unusual it actually is.

Haddington, East Lothian has an official population of ~10,000 (probably more like 15,000 after recent expansion) and is currently served by four operators:

East Coast Buses - X6, X7, 106, N106
Borders Buses - 253
Prentice of Haddington - 101, 108, 109, 111, 122
Eve Coaches - 121

There are many more, much smaller settlement's in the immediate vicinity, but none that I can think of served in the same way - by all 4.

The criteria here is

• Smallest settlement (be that hamlet, village, town etc)
• Largest number of different operators running regular public scheduled services
• I'd count different brands or divisions within the same parent company to be one, and not many different operators

Anywhere smaller, busier?

 

[SeveerYeliab]

Tenterden, population just over 8,000, in Kent has 3 (had 4 up until last week).

Stagecoach (2,2A,29,312, schools)
Arriva (12)
Hams (297, schools)
Autocar (services now withdraw )

Plus registered schools services with
Scotland and Bates
R and J coaches
Chalkwell
Kent Coach Tours


Plus a community bus operated by Tenterden Community Hub

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Epping has a population of approximately 11500 and can boast six operators:

Vectare
First
London Bus Company
Central Connect
Stephensons
Epping Forest Community Transport

 

[Eyersey468]

At one time South Petherton in Somerset had 3 operators, Southern National, H&C and Safeway Services all running bus services

 

[KrisEK]

The villages between Monklands and Motherwell must feature pretty highly with the spread of independents there.

On a non-exhaustive search, I've found Holytown (population 5,100) with five operators:

• GD Coaches (2)
• McNairn Coaches (16/A)
• Stuart's Coaches (202, 235, 236, 248/C)
• JMB Travel (211)
• First Glasgow (242)

 

[Dai Corner]

Monmouth has a population of 10,600 and the following eight operators

Stagecoach West
Newport Bus
Phil Anslow
Monmouthshire County Council
Nick Maddy Coaches
Forest Community Transport
F R Willets
Crystal Cars

The last two being school services, but apparently open to the public.

 

[iantherev]

Monmouth has a population of 10,600 and the following eight operators

Stagecoach West
Newport Bus
Phil Anslow
Monmouthshire County Council
Nick Maddy Coaches
Forest Community Transport
F R Willets
Crystal Cars

The last two being school services, but apparently open to the public.

Add Adventure Travel to that on the service from Abergavenny.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

At one time South Petherton in Somerset had 3 operators, Southern National, H&C and Safeway Services all running bus services

Not only that - they all had depots in the village

 

[Bristol LHS]

Morton on Swale (pop 536) outside Northallerton, has three operators:
- Dales and District (73, hourly M-S, and 856 Dalesbus on Sundays)
- Hodgsons (53, twice a day in each direction and 54, three times a day)
- Abbots of Leeming (80, first and last journey of the day)

Northallerton is a much larger place (16k) but adds to those three operators with Reliance (70), North Yorkshire County Council (town service and 153 to Thirsk); and also had Arriva on Sunday Moorsbus last Summer.

 

[Eyersey468]

Not only that - they all had depots in the village

They did indeed.

 

[markymark2000]

Corwen, North Wales has a population of around 2,200 and has 5 bus operators. Denbighshire Council (192), K&P (T10), Llew Jones (71, T8 & T10), Lloyds (T3) and M&H Coaches (T8).

Bontnewydd near Caernarfon has a population of around 1,100 and has 6 operators. Berwyn (12), Clynnog & Trefor (5A & 12), Dilwyns (1, 1F, 1N), Gwynfor (1, 1F, 1N), Llew Jones (1S) Lloyds (T2)

Penygroes in North Wales has a population of around 1,700 and has 6 operators. Berwyn (14), Clynnog & Trefor (5A), Dilwyns (1, 1F, 1N), Gwynfor (1, 1F, 1N), Llew Jones (1S) Lloyds (T2)

 

[SSmith2009]

Market Harborough has:

• Arriva X3,
• Centrebus 30, 44 & 58,
• Uno 59,
• Stagecoach 18, 33A/B/C, 77 & X7
• Lawton's of Corby - Welland Wanderer West

 

[Taunton]

At one time South Petherton in Somerset had 3 operators, Southern National, H&C and Safeway Services all running bus services

All three went to Yeovil, by different ways, as required by their licences to stop picking off one another's business. Not only services, but they all had bus garages in the village. Hutchings & Cornelius (H&C on the bus sides, so 'Hot & Cold' to us youthful lot) had merged up in the 1930s, but still in 1970 were run as two separate operations, to Taunton and to Yeovil, which routes strangely didn't quite touch so if you wanted to make the through journey you had to walk through the village.

 

[matchmaker]

Tyndrum, population 167, has:

Scottish Citylink. 914, 915, 916, 975, 978.
McGills - Midland Bluebird. S60, 160.
West Coast Motors. 975
Fishers Tours. 266.

 

[richw]

Tavistock, Devon population of 13000

First Southwest
Stagecoach southwest
Plymouth citybus
Dartline
Tavistock country bus.
Tamar Valley community bus

 

[WibbleWobble]

Astley in Greater Manchester (population around 11000) is currently served by a number of operators:
Diamond North West
Stagecoach Manchester
Vision Bus
Warrington's Own Buses
Tyrer's (schools but has run other services in the past)
Atlantic Travel (schools)
Ashcroft's Mini Travel (schools)

First Manchester also pass through on the V1 when the busway is closed (having served it more mainstream before the busway opened).

The list of operators that has served the village in the past, however, is absolutely huge for a place that size!

 

[Bus Lightyear]

Milngavie north west of Glasgow with a population of 12000 has First Glasgow 60A, Glasgow Citybus (West Coast Motors) 15 and Midland Bluebird (McGill's) X10.

 

[Strathclyder]

Not so much these days, but Clydebank (population of 25,620 as per the latest estimate) and it's surrounding areas (depending on how one defines it's boundaries) has had a stupifying amount of operators over the years, certainly within the last 20-30 or so. Certainly not the most notable example of this by any means (other examples already mentioned handily beat Clydebank), but still worth mentioning regardless. Both Arriva & Stagecoach (yes, really) can be counted amongst those who have either vacated the area or have shut up shop altogether (like McKindless & John Morrow/Clydebank Bus Company) for one reason or another.

As it stands, these are the current commercial operators as of February 2023 (excluding school bus operators):

First Glasgow (1/1A/1B/1D/1E, 2, 6, M11, 60, M60 and the 81)
McGill's (X22 & 757, plus the Mon-Sat evening 81/81A & the Sundays only 81B)
Avondale (100, 200 & 300)
McColl's (6B, 118 & 184/184A)
West Coast Motors (if one includes Faifley, Hardgate & Duntocher as part of Clydebank, their 17 to/from Glasgow via Maryhill, Bearsden & Baljaffray counts)
Scottish Citylink (the 914, 915, 926, 975 & 976 all serve the stops either side of the Kilbowie Roundabout on Great Western Road)

 

[_toommm_]

Whiston, Rotherham (roughly 5,000 people) has:

Cawthornes (3)
First (208)
Stagecoach EM (19, 19a)
Stagecoach Yorkshire (21)
TM Travel (20, X7)