40 years of Bus Business – June 1986

Thursday 4th June 2026

Not only does 2026 mark the 40th anniversary of bus deregulation (introduced on 26th October 1986) but this very day 40 years ago, 4th June 1986, saw the birth of Bus Business – a “fortnightly management newspaper for the bus industry, its observers and suppliers”.

The all new Issue 1 was widely distributed on a complimentary basis to encourage new readers to take out an annual subscription for £28 and there’s no doubt huge numbers responded positively to this much welcome initiative.

Produced by the long standing veteran of transport publications, managing editor Peter Stonham, the newspaper was a complete break from the previous tradition of weekly or monthly colour magazine feature style reporting.

Here was a black and white newspaper style publication containing all the fast paced news impacting the industry during that frenzied period in the late 1980s, and particularly 1986, with not only the uncertainties of deregulation and which company was competing with which company but also the privatisation process was just beginning leading to fevered speculation and rumours about who was putting a bid in for whom.

In today’s world dominated by social media, online forums, the Internet and smartphones it’s easy to forget in those far off days four decades ago there was no such thing as ‘Breaking News’ and you only found out what was happening by word of mouth on a landline telephone or at a meeting or wait for a magazine which might or might not have the latest information about industry developments.

Bus Business changed all that. It was the right medium at the right time, quickly establishing itself as the credible news resource for the industry.

Thanks to the Bus Archive and Omnibus Society and much appreciated help from Julian Peddle, I’m delighted to let blog readers know original spare copies of Bus Business produced during the immediate post deregulation period have been unearthed so we can relive those exciting times 40 years on.

Starting today a new monthly series will feature all the highlights and developments happening exactly 40 years ago in that ‘all change’ second half of 1986 and into 1987 so those around at the time can relive the memories of those revolutionary times while those born in the intervening years can enjoy a taste of what life was like as the industry adapted to a radical new regime – including all the innovative and good things that happened as well as all the bad and shameful practices that went on.

It’s interesting to reflect back in the late 1980s it was all about the impact of competition on networks and who was going to be running what bus routes while fast forward 40 years to the late 2020s ….. it’s all about the impact of competition (for franchised) networks and who is going to be running what bus routes. And in those days there was always news about the latest sale of a bus company whereas now it’s who has bought the latest coach company up for sale. In those early deregulated days there was often news of new branding being launched to make passengers aware of the new regime whereas these days there’s often news of new branding being launched to make passengers aware of the new regime. Plus ça change?

As a foretaste of what’s coming in this series in the months ahead, here are the highlights from that first issue of Bus Business which landed on managers’ desks 40 years ago on this very day.

The front page main news story carried news of the National Bus Company’s fledgling privatisation process and in particular the sale of National Holidays.

Staff bid for National Holidays trumped

National Holidays staff appeared this week to have failed in their bid to conclude the first buy-out of a a National Bus Company bus and coach subsidiary. Instead leading independent Wallace Arnold’s £2.8 million bid for the £42 million turnover holidays and tours business has trumped management buy-out bid led by managing director John Fisher.”

The news story goes on to report “last year, Wallace Arnold recruited almost the entire senior staff then in charge of National Holidays in a move widely interpreted as a bid to recapture lost ground. It was also seen by some as an alternative to buying National Holidays itself.

Bus Bidders face new rivals

Negotiations are at an advanced stage for the disposal of up to 10 of National Bus’s local bus operating subsidiaries. But it is emerging that NBC and the Government are anxious to ensure that there are no outside suitors unaware of the opportunities to buy the bus companies,.

Management in at least four had been hopeful of concluding buy-out deals within the next few weeks. Disposal arrangements were given an added impetus last week when former Transport Secretary Nicholas Ridley approved the disposal programme for 52 local bus companies, six small coach units, nine bus engineering companies plus National Express, National Holidays, National Travelworld and Victoria Coach Station, as put to him by new NBC chairman Rodney Lund.

Companies whose management have now tabled formal bids to buy are believed to include Devon General, Southern Vectis, Midland Red North, East Yorkshire, Badgerline (formally Bristol Country Bus) and Maidstone and District.

London Buses joins minibus roundabout

London Buses is setting up a new subsidiary company to operate six new midibus routes in the Orpington area. The new company, trading as Roundabout, has ordered 29 midibuses to operate the services which were put out to competitive tender by London Regional Transport. The Roundabout oder for vehicles consists of 24 Robin Hood-bodied Iveco Daily 21-seaters and five Optare bodied Volkswagen LT55 City Pacers.

PTE dominates County tenders

After registering one of the mallest commercial networks by a PTE, of only 68%, Greater Manchester Transport is believed to have been successful in tenders for bus routes called by Lancaashire County Council in East Lancashire.

Early competition in South Wales Valleys

Competition has broken out early on bus routes in Aberdare and Mountain Ash in the Mid Glamorgan Valleys. Clayton Jones long attempting to introduce local bus services, now has a series of minibus services from Rhydyfelin, Gyncoch, Perthcelyn and Mountain Ash. National Welsh has responded by increasing its half hourly Ynysybwl to Pontyrpidd service to 20 minutes and reduing others from half-hourly to quarter-hourly.

Clipper feeder

Tyne & Wear is introducing a minibus feeder service to bring and collect passengers for its Clipper Coach service to London. The minibuses will pick up six times a day from the Sunderland area to connect with the Clipper at Washington.

Why you can’t buy a secondhand bus

Restrictions on the sale of secondhand buses by public sector operators are reducing the ability of independent operators to tender for urban bus routes both in the London Regional Transport area and elsewhere. Ex-London Transport DMS-type Fleetline double deckers are already in short supply, with London Buses now restricting the sale of its surplus buses or retaining them for further one-person operation.

London – Eastbourne is second Liner route

London Buses has launched a second London Liner express coach service jointly with Eastbourne Borough Transport, following the link between London and Birmingham run with West Midlands PTE since April.

Minis bring traffic growth

A 70% net growth in traffic is being claimed for South Wales Transport’s new network of Mercedes ‘City Minis’ operating on three routes out of Oystermouth bus station on the Gower Peninsular with frequencies of up to six minutes, and two services going into Swansea.

More nostalgia from 40 years ago in the coming months.

Roger French

Revised blogging timetable: As it’s June, the BusAndTrainUser enhanced blogging timetable returns for the 2026 summer season from this weekend: 06:00 TThSSu.