40 years of Bus Business – September 1986

Saturday 2th September 2026

With D-Day (bus Deregulation Day) now just a month away, the 24th September 1986 edition of the fortnightly newspaper Bus Business contained more news of NBC’s privatisation process as well as the unstoppable march of minibuses. Thanks to the Bus Archive, let’s take a look at some of the main stories featured in that issue to gain a flavour of what life was like running buses exactly 40 years ago including the front page headline story…

‘Blacklist’ angers rejected NBC company suitors

A controversy is brewing over the refusal of National Bus Company to accept expressions of interest from a number of would-be purchasers of its local subsidiary companies. The complaints are coming as an announcement of a second successful management buy-out at Badgerline, based at Weston-super-Mare, is expected.

Potential outside suitors, including independent bus companies, have been refused copies of previously promised ‘information packs’ on individual companies, being made available at £50 a time. NBC claims its moves reflect the need to ensure that no sell-offs inhibit competition but also suspects that some inquirers are merely trying to gather commercial information about potential rivals or push up the price to management buy-out teams so their freedom of action in business terms is more constrained.

Private operators feel that NBC is engineering the market to help its favoured management buy-outs. Suspicion is being fuelled by the unwillingness of NBC chairman Rodney Lund to reveal details of the price and terms of the first buy-out at Devon General. This has led to rumours of a ‘bargain price’ being negotiated in the absence of outside bidders.

One independent operator, Stevensons of Uttoxeter, who wrote four months ago to NBC’s sell-off financial advisors Barclays de Zoete Wedd expressing interest in details of four neighbouring NBC companies has just received a letter from the ‘NBC Privatisation Group’ based at NBC’s Victoria headquarters saying that in the light of NBC’s objective under Section 48 of the Transport Act to promote sustained and fair competition, it had been decided that it would not be appropriate to enter into negotiations to sell Stevensons any of the companies in which it had expressed an interest.

Stevensons managing director Julian Peddle told Bus Business that his company which last year fused with East Staffs District Council’s undertaking, was interested in Leicester based Midland Fox, understood as yet to have not tabled a buy-out bid. After receiving the NBC brush off he had taken the matter up with his local MP and following press stories had now been promised a meeting with NBC sell-off chief Christopher Campbell and Roger Plant, a fellow director of the NBC Privatisation Group formed within NBC to carry out the disposal programme whose other directors are Tony Beetham and Brian France.

The controversy follows on the heels of the press campaign to advertise the availability of the seventy companies being sold by NBC. Colour pages in the Financial Times and Bus Business and spreads in the Economist and Investors Chronicle appeared two weeks ago.

Glasgow accusations fly

Alan Westwell, managing director of Strathclyde’s Buses accused the Scottish Bus Group of seeking “not to compete but to swamp” on the streets of Glasgow at last week’s launch of the new company formed out of Strathclyde PTE. “It’s the only area throughout the UK where in an urban area we’re witnessing a tremendous increase of 300% in buses. We’ve reduced our buses by 14% (100 buses) following the market research to gauge the demand, whilst we’ve seen SBG increase theirs by some 200 vehicles” Westwell alleged.

Brian Cox, general manager of SBG subsidiary Kelvin Scottish Omnibuses, accused Stratchclyde’s Buses of beginning a price war. They had reduced their fares in Cumbernauld, Alexandria and Dumbarton from September 15 by up to half. “We had no alternative but to reduce ours accordingly.”

Southall base for Thandi’s Surrey Contracts

London and Birmingham based Thandi Coaches has won contracts from Surrey County Council to operate Monday to Saturday services on the former London Country 455 and 456 routes between Heathrow Airport and Ashford, Sunbury and Chertsey. Thandi, who will run the services from its depot in Southall was one of the operators to whom the award of Surrey contracts was delayed whilst officers checked out newcomers to local bus work.

Thandi, established about 18 months ago, currently operates a fleet of seven coaches on a programme of express services linking Southall in West London with Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Bradford. Its fleet includes a Neoplan Skyliner double decker, a Neoplan Cityliner and five Volvo B10M coaches. Proprietor Mibbo Singh Thandi told Bus Business that he is looking for a number of single deck buses to operate the new Surrey routes, and that he was particularly interested in Leyland National vehicles.

WestYorks announces minibus ‘war plans’ with UTI

West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority’s new bus operating company has announced its first moves in what it describes as preparations “for an all-out war against rival companies” following deregulation.

In anticipation of United Transport International’s plans to introduce about 250 minibuses to the streets of Leeds the company is advancing its plans for its own minibus services to pre-empt the UTI proposals. As a result West Yorkshire’s first regular local minis services will start on D-Day.

UTI says its plans are not yet finalised, though a manager for its proposed Leeds operation has just been signed up. West Yorks, who rejected a deal with UTI, say full agreement has been reached with Transport and General Workers Union officials on rates of pay and conditions. It hopes to have signed up 130 drivers by October 26.

The new services will involve the withdrawal of double deck buses from parts of the present 6 and 42 routes (city centre-Halton Moor and Old Darnley-city centre-Gipson-Seacroft) all currently operating at 15 minute intervals, and replacing them with 16-seat minibuses which will operate every three to four minutes. Double decks will continue to operate the number 6 route between the city centre and Pudsey, while minibuses will operate the Old Farnley-Gipton section of the number 42 route.

Shamrock & Rambler go-ahead for Bournemouth minis

Shamrock & Rambler Coaches have been granted a ‘Case B’ road service licence for a new hail and ride mini bus service in Bournemouth following a public enquiry. But the firm will not start its new circular route from the Hampshire Centre to Wimborne Road until the day before D-day, on October 25 so the licence will be converted into an automatic registration.

Shamrock & Rambler, at present the operator of an all coach fleet of 45, says it is investing £150,000 in nine Ford Transit 16-seat/5 standee mini buses, based at its new depot at Yeoman’s Way which lies on the route and due to open on October 25. The old operating base at Holdenhurst Road, in use since 1888, will be vacated except for the booking office.

Public quibbles will do damage, BCC conference warned

Confusion over services and fares, congestion at stops and squabbles over bus station access arising from deregulation would all take place in the public eye, and, if they occurred, would do the industry itself no good at all, operators at the Bus and Coach Council annual conference in Harrogate were warned last week.

Surrey county council transport coordination officer John Glover, chairman of the Association of Transport Coordinating Officers, told the BCC that most people did not regard the bus with affection,, and a lot of effort would be needed to repair and improve its image.

Glover quoted from an ATCO straw poll of 20 county and regional coordinators taken on September 5. Of these 45 per cent said support costs would be less, 40 per cent much less, and 15 per cent more. Service levels would be the same for 65 per cent, worse in 20 per cent and better in 15 per cent.

Publicity and child fares led the list of problems, followed but traffic regulation and bus stops, cross boundary questions, bus stations and contract terms. “Many of the fears expressed earlier are not being fulfilled, at least for the present” he said.

Paddington, Vauxhall sites ‘best for new London coach station’

Sites at Paddington and Vauxhall are identified as front-runners for a new Central London coach terminal in a report to London Regional Transport on further studies by consultants Steer, Davies and Gleave.

The Paddington site – seen as having the greatest potential – is the former station goods yard adjacent to Westway. At Vauxhall a coach terminal could be built on the south bank of the Thames by Vauxhall Bridge. But the new report still leaves many questions unanswered, particularly how the new terminal would be financed. Although it is claimed that with supporting commercial development a new terminal could make a reasonable return, it is unlikely that this would match other options developers have available.

It is probably that only by offering the benefits of realising the site value of Victoria Coach Station could private cash be put up for development of an alternative elsewhere.

Yorkshire depot buy-outs dropped

Scarborough and Pickering busmen have dropped plans to buy-out their depots as a co-operatrive following reassurances that there will be no redundancies following transfer of their depots from NBC subsidiary United Auto to East Yorkshire Motor Services.

John Park, the busmen’s spokesman said they have dropped their plans to buy out their part of the company as East Yorkshire commercial manager Peter Shipp had convinced them that their future should be safe. East Yorkshire say they have plans to add almost 100 buses to their fleet in the next few months, following successfully gaining a large number of contracts from Humberside County Council.

Bus Business Moves

Robson to manage Leeds minibuses

Malcolm Robson has been appointed managing director (Yorkshire) of United Passenger Transport Services. He is expected to run the Leeds minibus company being set up by the United Transport International subsidiary to run an intensive local minibus network. Robson moves from being manager of 68 vehicle (including 31 minibuses) City of Gloucester Buses part of NBC subsidiary Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Co who he joined two years ago from Alder Valley.

Bill Hiron

Bill Hiron has been appointed manager of City of Gloucester Buses in succession to Robson. Hiron has been with Cheltenham and Gloucester since September last year after completing a four year degree course in Transport Management and Planning at Loughborough University.

Steve Salmon

Steven Salmon has been appointed assistant to Cranleigh, Surrey, based Tillingbourne Bus Group managing director Barry King. A former National Bus Company senior management trainee, attached to Bristol Omnibus from 1981 to 1983, Salmon moves to Tillingbourne from the Education Department of Surrey County Council.

Appointments

Depot Controller Walthamstow £10,920 per annum

Eastern National has a vacancy for a Depot Controller at their Walthamstow depot. This is a new appointment arising from Eastern National involvement in operating East London routes under contract for London Buses. Applicants should have considerable experience in bus operations preferably in a supervisory capacity and be a capable administrator.

Application with a detailed CV, should be sent to: Mr R W J Orbell, Traffic Manager, The Eastern National Omnibus Co Led, New Writtle Street, Chelmsford CM2 0SD.

Business Development (Planing Assistant) c£6,500

Cumberland Motor Services Limited, who operate 225 buses and coaches in Cumbria, are seeking to appoint a Planning Assistant in their new Business Development Department. The successful applicant will be based at Whitehaven and be responsible to the Business Development Manager for the planning of services provided by C.M.S..

The position will provide exciting challenges as the company enters a major stage of development with privatisation, deregulation of local services and the introduction of mini-bus operations. Candidates should have a transit planning background and micro-computer experience would be an advantage.

Please write before 10th October 1986 enclosing a CV to: Mr P Coupar, Buisiness Development Manager, Cumberland Motor Services Ltd, PO Box 17, Tangier Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7XE

More from Bus Business next month including a Deregulation 40 Year Anniversary blog special.

Roger French

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