 | A Wallace Arnold Grand Tourer coach
and a Shearings Premier Class coach at Gordano services near Bristol
in May 2005. Since
the merger of Wallace Arnold and Shearings, a new livery has been
adopted and common interchanges are now used. |
| Two totally different solutions to
accessible coaches were developed during 2005.
Wrightbus developed a more conventional solution using the long
overhang at the front for storage of a wheelchair.
A dinky little set of stairs leads up to the main saloon
behind. Stagecoach
Western took delivery of two for their Stranraer to Dumfries route, of
which 21201 (SF55RKA) is seen tucked away at the back of
Dumfries depot in December 2005. On the other hand Plaxton delivered a more radical
solution as seen by First Devon and Cornwall 20532 (WA05UNE) at
Exeter railway station in September 2005.
This batch of vehicles has a wheelchair lift in the front
overhang which when raised is flush with the saloon floor.
Both the Stagecoach and Western vehicles are on Volvo B7R
chassis. |
| Several independent operators were
sold such as Tellings Golden Miller, whose Mercedes minibus P703LCF,
is seen in Kingston in February 1998; Armchair whose Northern Counties
bodied Olympian R420SOY is also seen in Kingston in February
1998; and Blue Bus of Horwich whose Alexander bodied Leopard 160
(CSF160W) is seen in Wigan bus station in March 2005. |
|
Stagecoach
initially competed with Citylink independently in the 1980’s, then
via the Caledonian Express branding with National Express in the
1990’s, then they worked for them, and then finally against them
using Megabus. Now
they own 35% of them and have retained Megabus route numbers such as
the M91 as seen on SG03ZBH, a Parks of Hamilton Plaxton bodied
Volvo in Perth bus station in December 2005.
Megabus operations continue to thrive during 2005 with the
introduction of a batch of Neoplan doubledeck coaches such as CN05FVU
seen at Perth park&ride interchange in August 2005. |
|
Stagecoach and
First finally buried the hatchet in West Central Scotland in 2005.
Stagecoach surrendered several routes in Glasgow, and later in
the year First withdrew its competitive routes in Ayrshire.
Kelvin P754XUS, a UVG bodied Dennis Dart, is seen in
Irvine being hotly pursed on a freezing day in December 1997, by a
Stagecoach A1-liveried Olympian. |
|
Several major
companies were sold such as Bournemouth Transport, whose East Lancs
bodied Volvo 113 (HF05HNA) is seen at Bournemouth transport
interchange in May 2005; and Southern Vectis, whose Brisol VRT XDL872
and Dennis Dart HW54BUV are seen at Ryde pier in September
2005. |
|
Channel
4 held a poll for the public to nominate the buildings they would most
like to see demolished. In third place came Northampton bus station ,just
behind the Imax cinema in Bournemouth and Cumbernauld town shopping
centre (which also coincidentally has some bus stops).
First Northampton 66343 (MV02VCW), one of a batch
originally delivered to Manchester for the Commonwealth Games, is seen
there in July 2005. |
