40 years of Bus Business – August 1986

Saturday 15th August 2026

Continuing this monthly nostalgic look back to the build up to bus deregulation forty years ago, thanks to those fledgling early editions of Bus Business from the Bus Archive, we now reach August 1986, just two months away from the big change. It’s interesting to see news stories include ….. updates on the roll out of more minibus developments in Manchester; Devon General being the first NBC bus subsidiary to be privatised; results of tenders to commence from October in East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey all noting substantial financial savings compared to the revenue support budget under the regulated regime; with people moves including appointments of Robert Brook and Bob Montgomery to United Passenger Services.

Here are the main stories as they appeared in the issue of Bus Business dated 27th August 1986.

UTI seeking Manchester minibus deal

Greater Manchester is to be the first target of United Transport International’s high frequency minibus project and the company has confirmed that negotiations are taking place over possible links with Greater Manchester Buses, following outright rejection of plans for a similar deal covering its second target area, Leeds.

UTI has announced the establishment of a new subsidiary, United Passenger Transport Services under John Clymo which in turn will operate locally via smaller companies. The first is to be called Manchester Minibus that will employ 225 vehicles on services in the Stockport and Altrincham areas.

GM Buses raised midi orders

GM Buses is buying 65 more Dodge 50 series minibuses from Northern Counties of Wigan which will bring its fleet to 105. It is not clear where these vehicles will operate or if they have any connection with Manchester Minibus. A GMT spokesman said only operations in Ashton-under-Lyme requiring 12 vehicles had been so far decided.

Devon General off on its own

Exeter-based Devon General has as expected become the first local bus subsidiary of National Bus Company to be sold under the privatisation programme to its present management team. Managing director Harry Blundred and four of his senior staff last week concluded the successful buy-out and will take control of the 400 vehicle £12m turnover company with immediate effect. Though the price has not been declared it is believed to be just over £3 million, most raised from banks though the management team hold all the equity.

The sale of Devon General in this way meets the Government’s wish that NBC management and employees should have the opportunity to take a stake in each of the State-owned subsidiaries privatised, though outside bidders will be welcomed as the earlier sale of National Holidays to Pleasurama for £2.5 million demonstrated,

Second favourite to go is Badgerline, the former Bristol Omnibus country’s operation led by Trevor Smallwood.

Unfair competition complaint lodged

Lancaster City Council has complained to the Office of Fair Trading alleging unfair competition between its bus undertaking and National Bus subsidiary Ribble. A Lancaster spokesman confirmed that the complaint has been issued on more than one ground but felt that it was inappropriate to go into further detail at present.

It was felt the Lancaster complaints stem from the feeling there was collusion between Ribble and other Lancashire municipals over commercial route registrations. Lancaster is believed to have obtained written evidence of the alleged collusion which prompted its complaint. Ribble has registered services directly competing with Lancaster City Transport services.

LRT clean sweep

Services outside the recent tendering process for the area were brought voluntarily under London Regional Transport’s control when a revised Orpington bus network commenced operation on August 16. Under the tenders London Buses’ new Orpington Buses subsidiary introduced its Roundabout network of midi routes using 25 Iveco Daily Robin Hood City Nippy buses and five Volkswagen Optare City Pacers. London Country took over route 51 and independent Metrobus took over routes 61 and 361.

Metrobus routes 353, 354 and 357 and London Country route 493 also came fully into the LRT contract scheme with buses carrying LRT services notices and operators running on contract, with all fare box revenue going to LRT, under arrangements voluntarily entered into by the two companies.

LCBS route 403 also began operating on this basis on August 9 after being included in an LRT tendering round.

East Sussex tenders set to lapse with ‘O’ licence revocation

Four contracts awarded by East Sussex County Council for services into Brighton from the Rottingdean area and from Uckfield to Hailsham are expected to change hands before operation is commenced following the failure of R L Flint (County Travel) of Brighton to win an appeal to transport secretary John Moore against a decision by South East Traffic Commissioners to revoke his Operator’s licence on maintenance grounds.

Four contracts have been awarded to Flint, trading as Hopperbus, but it is unlikely that these will be operated. No decision has yet been taken on whether the routes won will be retendered or offered to the next lowest bidder.

East Sussex has now placed contracts for most of the 94 local bus services that could not be provided by commercial operators. The contracts will cost the County £600,000 this year and this is expected to rise to £1 million in a full year, about the level it says it has budgeted for. “As a measure of our good housekeeping it can be compared to the £2 million we were spending three years ago to do roughly the same job” said Councillor Harry Hatcher, Chairman of the Highways and Transportation Committee.

Savings of £1m claimed by West Sussex as six new firms win routes

West Sussex County Council is predicting savings of over £1 million a year in its subsidy bill as a result of its tendering process. Though £950,000 was set aide to cover the cost of buying in supported services from October to March, the contracts being placed will require less than half of that sum. The county’s subsidy spending budget for bus services in total this year is £1.7m but is expected to be about half a million after deregulation.

Surrey holds back awarding tenders two its 25pc ‘strangers’

Surrey County Council has now accepted tenders for 75 per cent of its non commercial bus routes and is on course for substantial savings of about £1 million on its large annual subsidy bill which has been running at around £4.5 million. But remaining contracts are being held back while council officers check out potential contractors to ensure they have resources needed to meet any commitment they enter into.

Jones slams commissioner

Ponytpridd independent Clayton Jones has accused South Wales Traffic Commissioner Ronald Jackson of calling an “unjustified” public hearing into Jones’ plans to introduce services between Tre-Ifor/Llewcoed. Jones has written to the Commissioner saying that he is “somewhat amazed at your decision to hold a public sitting” in view of the only objection being from Cynon Valley Borough Council on the grounds that a grant would interfere with the transition to deregulation, have “a severely detrimental effect on transport conditions” and give Jones “an unfair commercial advantage leading up to deregulation.

More minis allowed into Mousehole

Western National have won permission to introduce ‘Hoppa’ minibuses into the Cornish village of Mousehole, despite strong opposition from independent N V & H P Harvey, trading as Blue and Cream Bus Services and from Penwith District Council. The company had applied to the Western Traffic Commissioner to extend its existing Hoppa service between Penzance and Roskilly Newlyn into Mousehole with a 20 minute frequency.

The objections were on the grounds that the application would interfere with the smooth transition to deregulation and because of the severely detrimental effect on traffic conditions. Pomeroy Harvey, a partner in Blue & Cream said his firm ran two buses an hour into the village and, with the extra six buses an hour Hoppa service, it would mean terrific traffic congestion. But Western National pointed out that in the past, there has been five conventional buses an hour using the route.

Early start for Glasgow competition

Scottish Bus Group subsidiaries Kelvin and Clydeside Scottish have received permission from the Scottish Traffic Commissioner to operate their cross-Glasgow city services, originally planned for introduction on D-day, from August 31, following Strathclyde PTE’s attempt to make a pre-emptive move. The second stage of the PTE’s reorganisation of its own bus services in anticipation of deregulation was also taking place on August 31. At the same time, two garages – Newlands and Gartcraig – will close reducing the number of PTE garages in the city to four (Knightswood, Larkfield, Parkead and Possilpark, compared with eleven at the inception of the Greater Glasgow PTE in 1973.

Livery winner

London-based bus and coach marketing and design consultancy Best Impressions has been awarded first prize in the bus and coach livery competition run by Commercial Motor magazine with a bold livery design on a new Bedford Venturer/Van Cool Alizee coach for Bakers of Weston Super Mare. The Best Impressions triumph, work of designer Ray Stenning, was the second in two years. Last year his livery for Oxford CityLink on a MCW Metroliner coach won first place.

Bus Business Moves

Brook, Montgomery head Manchester minibus company

Robert Brook has been named non-executive chairman and Bob Montgomery managing director (designate) of Manchester Minibus, the first operating company established by United Transport Passenger Services, itself set up to spearhead BET’s move into high frequency minibus operations in Britain. Brook left National Bus Company earlier this year, where he had been chairman and chief executive. Montgomery has been managing director of NBC subsidiary North Devon Red Bus.

Appointments

Ambitious Managers – join an exciting new venture – Manchester Minibus

Up to £15,000 + car

The formation of Manchester Minibus, a new company in passenger services, will present an exciting challenge for experienced professionals to make an immediate contribution to the company’s success. This new venture, with a fleet of 225 vehicles will operate on high frequency minibus services in Stockport and Altrincham and has created the need for Manager Stockport + Fleet Engineer and Manager Altrincham. Please apply in confidence with full cv to John Salmon MA, United Transport Passenger Services, Suite 301, International House, 84 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2ER.

Stevensons of Uttoxeter

Require a Bus Network Manager to consolidate and expand our network utilising 40 vehicles and a turnover of £2m. Based at Burton-on-Trent we operate from five Midlands deports. Applicants must have recent market oriented management experience, for which we offer a salary c£10,000, company car, pension scheme and other benefits.

Applications (including a photograph) to: Mr J Peddle, Managing Director, Stephensons of Uttoxeter, Spath Garage, Uttoxeter, Staffs ST14 5AG

More nostalgia courtesy of Bus Business and the Bus Archive from 40 years ago next month.

Roger French

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